University of Kentucky - Elk Grant Study FY24

Elk SCR Modeling in KY Abstract Elk have been irruptively growing in population size and expanding their range since reintroduction ended in 2002. Despite their large size and gregarious nature, elk are surprisingly difficult to visually survey from the air or ground. As such, wildlife agencies have frequently relied on population models based on harvest information. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky, is proposing a research partnership to refine a statistical population reconstruction model using a camera-based, spatially explicit mark-recapture network. We will compare camera-based population estimates within the existing SPR model framework.