The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins. The total wild population is about one million individuals. The Rocky Mountain elk was re-introduced in 1913 to Colorado from Wyoming after the near extinction of the regional herds. While overhunting is a significant contributing factor, the elk’s near extinction is mainly attributed to human encroachment and destruction of their natural habitats and migratory corridors. All Rocky Mountain elk in Washington State are the result of reintroductions conducted in the early 1900s from Yellowstone elk herds. In more modern times, elk from Utah have been used to reestablish a population in Kentucky