Bison and elk remaining on the National Elk Refuge will be driven off to preserve forage

JACKSON, Wyoming — Any bison and elk remaining on the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole will be driven off to preserve forage for next winter.

Refuge biologist Eric Cole says the hazing was to begin any day now.

On April 25, just over 4,000 elk and nearly 300 bison still were occupying the south end of the 25,000-acre refuge.

The loitering herds are grazing on forage that's greening up and is most valuable in winter, which is why refuge managers push them off now.

Cole says elk tend to stay off the refuge until snow starts flying late in the year.

However, he tells the Jackson Hole News & Guide (http://bit.ly/104U0bm ) that bison typically come back to the refuge in midsummer. If they return too early, they will be hazed off again.

Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com

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