BOZEMAN — North of Bozeman in the Springhill community, a large fence surrounds Montana State University research land. It was installed last summer for the sole purpose of keeping elk out. But some ranchers in the area are concerned about what this fence might mean for those animals.

“There’s definitely no animals in there. They can’t get in or out. Yeah, there’s pretty much nothing in there,” Doug Graves tells me.

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Ranchers concerned about impact of MSU animal exclusion fence on elk herd

Doug is a rancher who’s lived in the Springhill community for around 45 years.

“We have elk, deer, moose, antelope, that come across this property. They have been for probably hundreds of years,” says Doug.

But recently, Doug has been missing that wildlife. He suspects a fence surrounding nearly 600 acres across from his property is the problem.

“Last summer Montana State University started the construction of this fence. They finished it this fall,” he says.

The fence surrounds Lutz Farm which was donated to MSU for agricultural research. The university explained in an email that the research being done on the fields of Lutz Farm produces new crop varieties for the unique conditions in Montana.

The email said, “The production from that field is extremely important (and valuable) to Montana agricultural producers.”

MSU goes on to explain how a few years ago, nearly 30 acres of the Lutz Farm research land was destroyed by elk. Since then, they’ve tried different options to mitigate elk damage, including limited hunting and temporary fencing, but they say nothing worked. So, the fence went up—for the sole purpose of keeping elk out.

Doug says the fence may be good for research, but he thinks it’s had a negative effect on wildlife.

“The elk are stuck currently on the other side of it to the west. They haven’t been able to get back over here, and the big concern with that? This area to the east of us is very open, conservation easement, national forest land. They breed up there. They’re not hunted. And it’s very un-stressful for them,” Doug explains.

Cassidy Powers

Doug’s noticed the elk roaming on farm fields where there is limited food.

“I’ve seen some people out there trying to move them off their haystacks. So they’re getting into other people’s hay,” says Doug.

Which Doug fears could lead to Depredation hunts, which are seasonal hunts that allow hunters to kill animals that are harming livestock, agriculture, or humans. So, I was curious what Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks thinks of this predicament.

“For this area, along Springhill road north of Bozeman, it does have an elk herd of about 200 or so head of elk that use that area between the foothills of the Bridger mountains, over to Bear Creek and Reese Creek Road,” says Morgan Jacobsen, the information and education manager for Montana FWP Region 3.

An area of about 60-70 square miles these elk use year-round. But FWP doesn’t have GPS trackers on this specific herd, which has made it harder to predict the effects of the fenced-off area.

“In terms of wildlife and landscape, we know that there’s a herd there. And we know that there’s other wildlife there as well that use the area. In terms of potential impacts, you know, that’s something we’ll be monitoring,” Jacobsen explained.

Cassidy Powers

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But I was curious, although this land is used for agricultural research I asked how common it is for people build a fence to keep out elk.

“I’d say it’s fairly uncommon. Most fences are your typical barbwire fence that’s about waist height,” Jacobsen says.

Such as the fence in Doug’s front yard, which elk are still able to travel over.

“They’re part of the system out here, and they’ve been here longer than any of us have. Me and some of my neighbors? We’ve always kind of looked at it as a price of admission to live here. You live with the elk. You don’t necessarily help them out. But you give them a place to live,” says Doug.

Doug tells me he hopes something can be done about the fence before spring when the elk begin calving.