Has the recovery of large carnivores such as wolves, mountain lions, and grizzly bears negatively affected elk populations in the Bitterroot Valley? How are elk numbers in the Bitterroot affected by the interplay between carnivore densities and other environmental factors? The Shining Mountains Chapter of Montana Wilderness Association invites you to join us as we learn about the current health of the Bitterroot elk populations and how various factors come together to influence the overall size and composition of elk populations.

In the wake of declining elk numbers and recruitment in the southern Bitterroot Valley in the mid-late 2000s, there was a growing concern that the recovery of large carnivores was driving down elk population numbers. Beginning in the winter of 2010 - 2011, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks partnered with the University of Montana and Montana State University on long-term projects investigating elk survival and recruitment in the East Fork and West Fork elk herds in the Bitterroot Valley, as well as the effect of various management strategies on carnivore populations. Over the past 7 years, these projects have collected and used data from over 120 adult female elk and over 500 elk calves, along with analyses of diet, habitat quality, and carnivore densities to better understand the top-down and bottom-up factors that influence elk population dynamics. In addition, these projects aim to assess the effectiveness of various tools wildlife managers have at their disposal. Wildlife biologist Ben Jimenez of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will present some of what has been learned along the way from this ongoing project.