Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

New Mexico Project

Elk calf survival and cause-specific mortality in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area

January 2011 - June 2013

Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
  • T&E, Inc
  • Texas Tech University, Department of Natural Resources Management
  • Dallas Safari Club
  • New Mexico State University, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology
Unit graduate student, James Pitman with an elk calf captured in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Area in the Gila National Forest, New Mexico.

Our objectives are to assess: 1) elk calf survival and cause-specific mortality in the Blue Range Mexican Wolf Recovery Area; and 2) calving site, neonate bed site, and kill site characteristics.

Research Publications Publication Date
Pitman, J.W., J.W. Cain III, S.G. Liley, W.R. Gould, N.T. Quintana, and W. B. Ballard. 2014. Post-parturition habitat selection by elk calves and adult female elk in New Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Management 78:1216-1227. | Download September 2014
Presentations Presentation Date
Pitman, J.W., J.W. Cain, III, S. Liley, W.R. Gould, W. Ballard, and N.T. Quintana. 2012. Cause-specific mortality and microhabitat selection of elk calves in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. 45th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. February 2012
Quintana, N.T., W.B. Ballard, S. Liley, P. Gibson, S. Breck, J. Cain, J. Oakleaf, D.L. Bergman, and J.W. Pitman. 2012. Elk calf mortality patterns in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area: New Mexico. 48th Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. February 2012
Pitman, J.W., J.W. Cain III, S.G. Liley, W.R. Gould, and N.M. Quintana. 2012. Micro-habitat selection and mortality site characteristics of elk calves in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area of west-central New Mexico. 19th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Portland, Oregon, USA. October 2012
Pitman, J.W., J.W. Cain III, S.G. Liley, W.R. Gould, and N.M. Quintana. 2013. Microhabitat selection and mortality site characteristics of elk calves in areas of differing predator composition in New Mexico. 46th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. February 2013