Join us for Science on Tap, Thursday, December 5th at 6:30pm in the Cellar at the FLBC Pubhouse. Our speaker is Franz Ingelfinger, Kalispell Area Wildlife Biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP). His talk will be, “Elk Population Problems in the South Fork of the Flathead River”. Elk numbers in the Flathead’s South Fork has been a topic of interest for generations. Today, elk numbers are at lows not seen in almost a century. The general perception of those with a history hunting the area is that predators are the root cause of this decline. At the same time, the legacy of past forest management, including harvest history, fire suppression, Wilderness designation, and now, recent large-scale wildfires, have resulted in habitat changes that affect forage quality and quantity, and thermal cover in winter. To inform management, Montana FWP recently initiated a collaring effort to evaluate habitat use, movement, fecundity, and survival of cow elk. Franz will share information from the first year of this study and discuss factors influencing elk numbers in the South Fork drainage. Franz is the Kalispell Area Wildlife Biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and his duty area spans the Middle and South Forks of the Flathead River, Swan River drainage, and Flathead Valley inclusive of the Great Bear, Bob Marshall, and Mission Mountain Wilderness. Please note: No food will be available downstairs in the Cellar, please come early and eat upstairs prior to the presentation. Presentations start at 6:30 pm at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company. Brought to you by the Flathead Lakers, Flathead Lake Biological Station, and the Flathead Lake Brewing Co.