Most of us have known for a lot of years that motorized traffic move elk. I don't hunt where there are mountian bikes,but I consider them in the same class.Particularly bike riders have less manners and trail etiquette than any of the other riders.Screaming,yelling as they speed down mounatin trails can not have a calming effect on elk.
Same thing with cattle. Elk leave,but will move back into an area once the cattle leave,but usually it takes few weeks.Obviously,beef producers are not going to admit this about thier grazing permits on NF,and the DOW or Forest Service will not push it too har because the AG community has not only a strong lobby,but usually end up feeding elk thorugh the winter on the ranch forage
Anything that makes unnatural noise,in my opinion, move elk.Even pack strings moving into an areas signal the elk that it's time to move.
I have not observed deer moving out of elk habitat.Mostly because, from what I have ssen,deer do not compete with elk for feed,and are not usauuly in the same habitat.Where I hunt the deer are usually in the tranistion zone of oak/sage brush to aspen, maybe a liitle higher.Elk are usaully in the aspen,spruce/fir zones,or higher.
Although the research is a valuable tool I find it disheartening that information from hunters,etc is never considered very much, at least here in CO.
Example. There were many reports from hunters after the 2008 season that winter kill in 2007-2008 had really hit hard in deer herds. The DOW countered that they did not see such evidenc and the low kill was due to warm weather and the animals being scatterd.You can even go to thier website where they posted that information.Fast forward to the statistics published from the 2008 post hunt herd counts. Duh!!!!!!!!!!Deer herds are down 15-40%. Not a peep out of the DOW and in many areas where there was significant winter kill, you can still purchase a 2nd doe tag.
