Abstract
During the reporting period, major goals of this project were to monitor elk (Cervus elaphus) in the North Fork of the Flathead River Drainage for mortality, monitor seasonal distribution and determine key areas of use, establish a repeatable index of elk abundance, and determine age/sex composition. Two radio collared elk have died during the last six months. Both elk were killed in May by mountain lions (Felis concolor). This brings the mortality totals to seven elk killed by lions, two by wolves (Canis lupus), one by grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), and one by a hunter (n=34 radio-collared elk). Lions killed elk throughout the age distribution. Wolves took a calf and an old elk. The hunter killed a prime-aged elk, while the grizzly killed a 16-year-old elk.