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' In recent years there has been increasing concern for the specific habi- tat which cow elk utilize for calving. There is some evidence that individual ' cows may return to the same site year after year to calve. Seidel (1977), working in calving areas in western Colorado, located elk bedding sites within ' which he thought cows gave birth. He speculated that the same cow might use the same birth bed year after year. He felt that protection of these areas ' was extremely important to the management of elk. However, there is also a great deal of evidence which indicates that cows are not necessarily tenacious ' to calving sites among years. Coop (1971) working in Montana, Anderson (1958) working in Wyoming, and Sweeney and Steinhoff (1976) working in Colorado, all found considerable annual variation in the areas where elk calve. The speci- ' fic purpose of this study, as described by the CDDW, is to monitor elk calving behavior, particularly in the area being mined to determine if elk presently ' utilizing the area to calve will successfully move to and calve in adjacent habitat as they are displaced by mining activity. In order to accomplish ' this, three specific objectives were defined: (1) determine if productivity of elk is changed as they are displaced from a traditional calving area; (2) ' determine what fidelity they exhibit to calving areas; and (3) describe the physical and vegetational characteristics of elk calving areas. ' STUDY AREA CYCC's Eckman Park Permit area (the area of intensive investigation) is ' located approximately 20 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs, Routt County, Colorado. However, the area of general observation extends as far as 20+ t miles from the mine covering th e movements of elk tagged on the mine. t The study area lies in the Trout Creek drainage system which heads in Rio Blanco County and flows north through the south-central part of Routt County t to its confluence with the Yampa River. The major tributaries of Trout Creek in the area are Middle Creek, Fish Creek, and Foidel Creek. ' The major topographic feature of the area under intensive investigation is a long high ridge that trends northeasterly. The ridge has a steep escarp- ' ment ending at Middle Creek. This southeast slope is predominantly mountain shrub vegetation type. The northwest slope which is being mined is gentle and ' uniform to Foidel Creek and is covered by a relatively uniform stand of aspen, -2- 1