California is occupied by an estimated 6,000 tule ELK (cervus canadensis nannodes), 6,000 roosevelt ELK (c. C.roosevelti), 2,000 rocky mountain ELK (c. C. Nelsoni), and 4,000 pronghorn (antilocapra…

California is occupied by an estimated 6,000 tule ELK (cervus canadensis nannodes), 6,000 roosevelt ELK (c. C.roosevelti), 2,000 rocky mountain ELK (c. C. Nelsoni), and 4,000 pronghorn (antilocapra americana) that providenumerous recreational and economic benefits to californians. Although tule ELK were on the brink of extinctionand roosevelt ELK were nearly extirpated from california, they have made remarkable recoveries as a result ofhuman mediation and all three subspecies of ELK in california are stable or increasing in both abundance anddistribution. Simultaneously, pronghorn abundance in northeastern california has decreased relative to historiclevels, and some shift in distribution has occurred. Abundance of reintroduced pronghorn populations has alsodecreased. During the 1980S and 1990S several hundred pronghorn were reintroduced into historic range in centraland southern california, but today only a few small, fragmented populations continue to persist in these areas.causes of divergent population trajectories between ELK and pronghorn populations throughout california remainunclear but may be related to differences in life histories, including differences in body size, physiology, phenology, habitat use, reproductive and predator avoidance strategies, diet nutrition, and response to stressorssuch as prolonged drought conditions. Better understanding of the factors related to ELK and pronghorn populationtrends, information on abundance, demographic rates, distributions, movements, population age structures, population genetics, diet nutrition, and habitat use is needed.additionally, a novel management concern arose for californias ELK populations in april 2020, when treponeme associated hoof disease (tahd) was documented in roosevelt ELK in northern california for the first time. Tahdappears to be a contagious infectious disease in ELK and has the potential to spread to ELK herds throughout thestate. Etiology, ecology, and distribution of tahd in californias ELK populations is poorly understood.finally, connectivity among ungulate populations and between seasonal ranges of migratory ungulates is an issueof ever-increasing importance, particularly as the footprint of human activity increases across the landscaperesulting in increased population fragmentation. Secretarial order (so) 3362 encourages federal agencies topartner with state agencies to identify and map important movement corridors for ungulates, including ELK andpronghorn, in the western united states, so that these corridors can be prioritized for conservation.