Welcome to Ya Ha Tinda…

Before starting to present the on-going research, let’s talk about the amazing setting where it all takes place… Ask anyone that has ever lived at the Ya Ha Tinda ranch Continue Reading →

Elk calf cause-specific mortality

May is coming, flowers are blossoming, birds are singing and calving is approaching for elk. On the Homo sapiens sapiens side, things are moving too. In fact, the Ya Ha Continue Reading →

The Ya Ha Tinda elk monitoring project is one of the longest-running elk studies in the world. Since 2000, a collaborative research program has been on-going between researchers at the Continue Reading →

Linking calf survival to cow habitat selection

With only 8% of the calves alive at the end of the winter 2013 and a high pregnancy rate of 85-95%, we can legitimately wonder: What happens to the calves? Continue Reading →

Predator distribution / diet update 2014

This summer, a new member was added to the Ya Ha Tinda Elk Project: Eric Spilker. Eric is a MSc student and he will be collecting predator scats using scat Continue Reading →

Elk monitoring update 2014

Remember when we asked you to stay with us for more exciting news? Well here you go! Winter 2014 After a successful pilot year, the Ya Ha Tinda elk project Continue Reading →

< >

Follow the ongoing research...

Home

Since 2000, a collaborative program has been on-going between researchers at the Universities of Alberta and Montana, Parks Canada, Alberta Conservation Association, and other natural resource groups within Alberta to determine how changes in the Ya Ha Tinda (YHT) elk population are affected by humans (harvest, habitat management), natural factors (predation, climate), and natural vegetation dynamics. In addition, Alberta Fish and Wildlife has collected long-term population data since 1972 on elk population size and calf recruitment. Our focus has been on understanding the changing migratory behavior of elk and the trophic dynamics within this predator-prey-montane grassland system. More recently, we have added a long-term perspective on grassland dynamics. Combined, our studies of the population at Ya Ha Tinda represent one of the longest elk population studies in a system with intact natural predators, including wolves (Canis lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and human hunting.

The current student Jodi Berg, PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, is focusing on elk calf survival.