Grand Teton Park elk hunt set to start Saturday

MOOSE, Wyo. – An elk hunt in Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming is scheduled to begin Saturday.

A total of 575 permits are authorized for the hunt, which is the fewest of any year the program has been in effect. Last year 600 permits were authorized and 242 elk were harvested from the park.

The park’s enabling legislation of 1950 authorizes the park to jointly administer an elk hunt with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department when deemed necessary for the proper management and conservation of the Jackson Elk Herd.

Wildlife managers concluded that a hunt this year was necessary based on several factors, including the estimated herd size and composition.