Beaver State Podcast: The science of elk

11/05/21 • 57 min

DeWaine Jackson has researched a lot of Oregon's wildlife over the course of his career with ODFW. It's a different role than that of a district wildlife biologist, but the information he provides helps everyone understand the complex population dynamics so that they can make decisions that will help protect and preserve wildlife. Elk might be the most charismatic megafauna in the state, and Jackson's research is now using new techniques and technology to study fecal DNA to answer important questions about elk populations.

Previous Episode

Beaver State Podcast: Lamprey

While lamprey, with their eel-like bodies and suction cup mouths full of sharp teeth and vampire-like feeding habits might seem scary, they're actually not dangerous to humans at all. In fact, they're a very important part of the ecosystems they live in. These anadromous fish provide marine-derived nutrients to the stream systems they migrate into, and the protein-dense nutrition they provided for Native Americans may have also provided a buffer for salmon populations. We explore these amazing, older-than-the-dinosaurs fish with ODFW's Statewide Lamprey Coordinator Ben Clemens.

Next Episode

Beaver State Podcast: Rocky Mountain Elk

ODFW's Brian Ratliff hunts Rocky Mountain Elk mainly with archery equipment but also with a rifle often while exploring Eastern Oregon by horseback. He's also been the District Wildlife Biologist for Baker for more than a decade, which gives him a lot knowledge about some of Oregon's most iconic ungulates. Part two of our three-part series on Oregon's elk focuses on hunting Rocky Mountain elk on the east side of the state from sage brush steppe to the alpine regions and everything in between.