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Zumwalt Prairie, located in Wallowa County Oregon, is a privately owned 120,000 acre bunchgrass prairie, used primarily for livestock grazing. �It represents the southern half the Wildlife Chesnimnus Management Unit. During the 1990�s 300-500 elk would utilize the Zumwalt Prairie portion of the Chesnimnus unit during summer and fall, then move to lower elevation canyons on the national forest for the winter.By 2015 elk populations had increased on the Zumwalt Prairie to 3,890.The majority of these elk now spend the entire year on the prairie causing damage to soils, vegetation and fences. As elk increased on the Zumwalt Prairie, elk numbers were stable to decreasing on the national forest portion of the unit, resulting in an overall increase in elk to 5,500 by 2012.The Chesnimnus unit target population is 3,500 with 2,800 on public land and 700 elk on private Zumwalt prairie. As elk populations grew, so did landowner concern. The number of antlerless elk tags issued were not increasing, primarily because of limited access and trespassing complaints.� Zumwalt area landowners formed a landowner group in 2008. This group coordinated efforts to increase hunter access, add hunting seasons and tags, haze elk toward public lands and secure funds for elk friendly fences and crossings. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and landowners began working on implementing new antlerless elk hunting in 2009.Currently, there are 7 hunts for the Zumwalt Prairie portion of the Chesnimnus unit, 110 tags each; this is an increase from 1 hunt with 50 tags.Hunts begin in late August and run through mid-January.Additionally, damage antlerless elk tags are offered on dates when controlled hunts are not in progress. With landowners supplying access and ODFW establishing increased tags the number of elk on the Prairie is beginning to be reduced.