Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area

As many as 1,000 elk winter in the lower drainagtes of the 13,000-acre Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area near New Castle. But to get there and back, elk have to contend with severely overgrown sections of Gamle oak, a shrub that out-competes more palatable forage while providing little nutritional value itself. To help remedy this the Elk Foundation joined the Colorado Divison of Wildlife to fund oakbrush removal and reseeding in a mosaic pattern over 40 acres. Willife managers hope the project will also reduce depradation on surrounding private lands in an area facing rapid development.

(May/June 2004) Tracking the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Bugle 21 (3) 37.