The provincial government is taking action to help restore elk populations in the Rocky Mountains.
A survey performed between January 15th and February 5th found that the population of elk in the Rocky Mountain Trench has dropped 32 percent below target levels.
As a result, the Ministry of Forests and Lands are implimenting a number of actions including: revising standards for timber harvesting on elk winter ranges, using radio-collared elk to determine winter habitat use, funding a project investigation elk migratory habits, and reducing antlerless cow elk hunting tags to one per zone.
The Ministry will also be closing the spike bull elk hunting season between September 10th and 19th, and the anterless archery season between September 1st and 19th.