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FeedGood Pennsylvania elk report tinged by grief
Harrisburg — Jon DeBerti left Pennsylvania’s elk herd in great shape.
The Game Commission’s long-time elk biologist lost his decade-long battle with cancer on April 25 at the age of 40, just two days after the commissioners were given a very positive report on the status of the herd at their quarterly meeting here.
The state’s five-county elk population continues to grow and expand and is healthy, agency deer and elk section leader Chris Rosenberry told commissioners. Mainly responsible for the herd prospering are the research and stewardship that has been overseen by DeBerti, according to Cal DuBrock, director of the commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Management.
“Jon was an important member of our elk research and management team for nearly 18 years,” he said. “He started as a part-time biologist aide in May of 1994, became a full-time biologist aide in 2000, and then became the agency elk biologist in November 2002. He will be missed.”
Affectionately referred to as “The Elk Commander” by coworkers, DeBerti – who leaves behind a wife and 9-year-old son in DuBois – initiated and participated (as his health allowed) in long-term research with calves, cows and young bulls.
Thanks to DeBerti and his field team, many Keystone State elk are collared and ear tagged, yielding considerable information to commission biologists.
Pennsylvania’s elk population continues to thrive, Rosenberry reported at the meeting. “Elk numbers are up again this year.
“We conduct a count each winter where we use radio-collared animals that are part of the different sub-populations to monitor those sub-populations. We go out in January and February, and do a minimum count.
“This year the minimum count exceeded 800 animals, so at that time, we had at least 824 elk in Pennsylvania. We are not under any illusion that we counted every single animal that is out there, we do miss some. But certainly the vast majority we are not missing.”
Last year’s minimum count was 752 elk.
The commission breaks the elk herd down into 12 sub-populations, Rosenberry noted, and in general, those groups are showing stable, increasing trends.
The Winslow Hill sub-population (near Benezette) and the Pottersdale subpopulation (near Karthaus) are the largest groups.
Rosenberry also confirmed that a bull taken by a hunter last fall has been named the new state record and ranks ninth overall in the world.
Taken by Bill Zee, of Doylestown, the animal was the heaviest elk ever harvested in Pennsylvania with an estimated live weight of 930 pounds, and a dressed weight of 715 pounds.
The antlers were officially measured by a Boone & Crockett scorer at a whopping 4426⁄8 in the non-typical category. The score surpassed the previous Pennsylvania elk record of 4416⁄8 held by a bull taken by John Shirk, of Goodville, in 2006.
As a result of the herd growth, the commission could offer more hunting opportunities, Rosenberry pointed out. He proposed, and the commissioners approved, offering 19 bull licenses this year and 46 cow licenses.
“When we start looking at making elk-hunting license recommendations, we are looking to maintain a mature age structure in our population,” he explained. “We want to expand the population on public land areas and minimize elk-human conflicts.
“In terms of licenses, this year we are recommending increases in some of the zones, particularly in zones 9 and 10, and this is based on increasing population as well as some conflicts that we have seen in these zones.”
He was referring to complaints from residents about elk damage to gardens and landscaping plants in Weedville, Jay Township.
The 2012 elk-hunting license allocations represent an increase of nine licenses over last year’s 18 bull licenses and 38 cow licenses.
Commissioner Dave Putnam, of Centre County, inquired about the perceived future of the elk herd.
“It’s nice to see the elk population growing,” he said. “But do we have a target for where we would draw the line and not let the elk population grow any further?”
Rosenberry, who has resisted the idea of managing deer by calculating population numbers – instead gauging their impact on habitat – indicated he preferred to manage elk in a similar fashion.
“It would be hypocritical of me as the deer biologist to say that there is a number that we’re looking for, given the way that we manage our deer program,” he said.
“In terms of elk, there is no specific number per square mile or anything like that,” Rosenberry added. “We are looking at the herd’s age structure – are we seeing things in the demographics of the population that we want?”
One of the things the commission wants, of course, are big bulls with large antlers.
Rosenberry said the commission hopes elk will – of their own volition – move onto public lands in some of the zones along the edge of the elk range.
“So we are not looking at an elk number for management,” he said. “Similar to deer, if we are having conflicts, that’s an issue we would try to address.
“But right now, we are not looking to stop any growth other than in those areas where we would rather not have a lot of elk.”
