Search

ellowstone National Park is renowned for its fauna of diverse and numerous large mammals. There are hundreds of black and grizzly bears (Ursus americanus and Ursus arctos) that roam the area, and coyotes (Canis latrans) and mountain lions (Felis concolor) as well, but ungulates far outnumber them. Approximately 2500 bison (Bison bison) inhabit the park in three herds (Meagher 1973, 1988). There are also approximately 2500 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), 400-500 pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), 250-400 bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and 200 moose (Alces alces) on Yellowstone's northern winter range. In winter, four herds of elk (Cervus elaphus), approximately 22,500 individuals in 1988, inhabit the park and adjacent areas that are part of the northern winter range (Figure 1). Elk from five other herds migrate into the park each summer, increasing the population to approximately 31,000.1 This article focuses on elk, because they are overwhelmingly the dominant park ungulate both in number and total mass. In early 1988 on the northern winter range, there were Fires directly killed few elk, but the fires and drought increased the next winter's die-off