Officials call elk roundup at Wind Cave a success - KOTA Territory News

A plan to push hundreds of elk outside of Wind Cave National Park was a success.
 
That's according to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Regional Supervisor Mike Kintigh.  He said helicopter crews drove about 400 elk from Wind Cave to Custer State Park in two waves.
 
Video shared with KOTA Territory news was taken with a Go-pro camera on the front and rear of a helicopter on March 1, 2013.  A second operation took place on March 9, 2013.

Officials hope to rebuild the depleted Custer State Park elk herd, which dropped from 1,000 to about 150 in recent years.  And, reduce the Wind Cave herd from its current level of about 900 to less than 400.
 
"Ultimately this is the best solution that we've come up with is pushing them out of the park into areas where our hunters could help us manage our population," Kintigh said.
 
The relocation plan has some critics worried about the spread of chronic wasting disease, and that concern is not lost on Kintigh.  He said they will be carefully monitoring the herd, not only for disease, but for their potential return to Wind Cave.
 
"We may have to come back next year and move some more out of Wind Cave to get them within their management goals. But, we'll have a better idea of how they react when we move them out," said Kintigh.
 
Many of the elk that were part of the roundup were recently fitted with GPS tracking collars.