<P> Population trends in North American elk and deer (mule deer and white - tailed deer combined) may be heading in opposite directions . The number of elk has increased steadily in Colorado and Wyoming, whereas the abundances of deer are showing signs of decline . Elk on U.S. Forest Service lands in the Rocky Mountains increased from 268,000 in 1965 to 372,000 in 1984 . Similarly, the number of elk on Bureau of Land Management lands rose from 35,000 in 1966 to 114,000 in 1985 . Meanwhile, the number of deer on U.S. Forest Service lands declined from 1,742,000 in 1965 to 1,197,000 in 1984 . Deer populations also declined on Bureau of Land Management lands . Thus, in some areas in the last 20 years, the abundances of elk have increased by about 40%, whereas deer have decreased by about 30% . Possible reasons for the increase in elk populations include mild winters, range extension into lowlands and highlands, increased adaptability to human - modified landscapes, and lack of predation in spite of increased hunting . The causes of the deer population declines remain unknown but may include excessive harvest in the 1970s and habitat overlap with elk, intensifying competition for similar resources . Note, however, that deer population in the rest of the United States has increased fiftyfold between 1900 and 2005, as hunting has been limited and open space has been preserved . </P> <P> Woodland caribou were historically found in most of the northern Rocky Mountains, possibly ranging as far south as Wyoming . They have declined dramatically over most of their range and have been almost entirely eliminated in the United States . Currently, populations are found in the Canadian Rockies, the Selkirks, and several other ranges . The primary cause for their decline is the logging of old - growth forests . British Columbia is attempting to reverse their decline by culling the province's abundant wolves . </P> <P> Moose populations have increased 50% since 1980 in Wyoming and have been rapidly increasing since the reintroduction into Colorado beginning in 1978 and 1979 . Colorado currently has a thriving population of approximately 2,500 moose . However, in Yellowstone National Park, moose have declined from 1,000 animals in the 1970s to 200 in 1996 . </P> <P> Many areas of the Rocky Mountains, notably Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, have significant populations of pronghorn . Many of these are migratory . Grand Teton's population migrates all the way from the Green River Basin each year, through many developed areas . Efforts have been made to preserve its migration route . </P>

What type of animals live in the rocky mountains