the Montana mountains in the west do have a problem ,if the people who make these decisions to have a cow and calf early and long rifle season on private land and are able to take more than one cow or calf elk per person during this long extended season continues ,plus what the wolves kill .Montana will see way less elk available for hunting because the population will be very low. elk are being managed thru politics to keep the ranchers and wolf lovers happy not the hunters who pays for wildlife . the reason fewer elk are in the mountains is the cattle have over grazed public land and with wolves too in the mountains its safer and more food for elk on ranchers land but not all that land is ranchers land either some of it is public land like school sections that do not have any legal excess to this public land.as far as i am concern somehow this needs to change in a peaceful manner, hunters who are buying regular elk and deer licenses to hunt on state and federal land are the ones being robbed on being able to have a good elk hunt. so if your a politician,rancher or even higher up in management working for Montana DNR or rich and own 1,000 `s of acres of land and keep it posted shame on all of you > your the biggest problem !
