This data release contains summarized elk aggregation metrics generated from Global Positioning System (GPS) collar locations of elk on the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming. Aggregation metrics include annual kernel density estimates of the area used by elk on the National Elk Refuge, daily measures of inter-elk distances, daily pairwise proximity, and daily mean proximity and associated explanatory covariates.

17 adult female elk were captured on or around the National Elk Refuge and monitored with GPS collars from 2006 to 2015. Each of these elk were monitored for 1 to 2 years and migrated from the National Elk Refuge to Yellowstone National Park during the spring. Here we provide the unique identifier for each individual elk, the date/time stamp of each GPS location, the GPS location of the elk in UTMs and Lat-Long, the month of each GPS location, the year of each GPS location, and the date of each GPS location in numeric form.

Remotely sensed elk locations from satellite imagery, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) imagery, and Global Positioning System (GPS) collar locations were collected during the winter of 2018 and the winter and spring of 2019 at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming. The dataset associated with this data release provides the source, date, time, latitude, and longitude of elk locations and the type of analyses the locations were used in as reported in the accompanying manuscript by Graves and others 2021; XXXXXXXXXXX.

This dataset contains daily fractional snow covered area (fSCA) at 30-m spatial resolution from August 1, 2015 - May 15, 2020 (five winters) for the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, USA. The following summary statistics are also included: date of snow accumulation, date of snow melt, number of days in year with snow on ground, and percentage of "winter days" in year with snow on ground. The SNOWARP algorithm was used to produce these data (Berman et. al., 2018; see full citation below), in which dynamic time warping fuses together MODIS MOD10A1 with Landsat level-3 fSCA, resulting in daily 30-m fSCA estimates. All dates correspond to winter day of year (WDOY), which runs between August 1 - July 31 each season and has values between 1-365. Date of snow accumulation and date of snow melt provide an indication of when snow begins to persist and when it melts. Details are provided below. Number of days in year with snow on ground is the number of days, out of 365, with snow on ground between August 1 and July 31st each winter. The percentage of winter days in year with snow on ground is the percentage of days with snow each winter between date of snow accumulation and date of snow melt. Please note that winter 2018-2019 was only processed until May 31, 2019 (WDOY 304), and winter 2019-2020 was only processed until May 15, 2020 (WDOY 288), and therefore the only summary stat available for these winters is date of snow accumulation.

This dataset contains daily fractional snow covered area (fSCA) at 30-m spatial resolution from August 1, 2015 - May 15, 2020 (five winters) for the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, USA. The following summary statistics are also included: date of snow accumulation, date of snow melt, number of days in year with snow on ground, and percentage of "winter days" in year with snow on ground. The SNOWARP algorithm was used to produce these data (Berman et. al., 2018; see full citation below), in which dynamic time warping fuses together MODIS MOD10A1 with Landsat level-3 fSCA, resulting in daily 30-m fSCA estimates. All dates correspond to winter day of year (WDOY), which runs between August 1 - July 31 each season and has values between 1-365. Date of snow accumulation and date of snow melt provide an indication of when snow begins to persist and when it melts. Details are provided below. Number of days in year with snow on ground is the number of days, out of 365, with snow on ground between August 1 and July 31st each winter. The percentage of winter days in year with snow on ground is the percentage of days with snow each winter between date of snow accumulation and date of snow melt. Please note that winter 2018-2019 was only processed until May 31, 2019 (WDOY 304), and winter 2019-2020 was only processed until May 15, 2020 (WDOY 288), and therefore the only summary stat available for these winters is date of snow accumulation.

We calculated mean adult and yearling female elk abundance for each Wyoming winter supplemental feedground subpopulation for data collected from 2009 to 2015. In addition, the average seroprevalence of brucellosis in elk attending feedgrounds was based on blood samples from adult and yearling female elk from 1993 to 2015. The sample size of disease tests and the number of years over which they were collected on each feedground are also listed. Serological profiles were categorized using the 2003 U.S. Department of Agriculture brucellosis eradication uniform methods and rules for cervids. These serological tests indicate whether or not an individual has been exposed, but not whether they are currently infected.

We calculated mean adult and yearling female elk abundance for each Wyoming winter supplemental feedground subpopulation for data collected from 2009 to 2015. In addition, the average seroprevalence of brucellosis in elk attending feedgrounds was based on blood samples from adult and yearling female elk from 1993 to 2015. The sample size of disease tests and the number of years over which they were collected on each feedground are also listed. Serological profiles were categorized using the 2003 U.S. Department of Agriculture brucellosis eradication uniform methods and rules for cervids. These serological tests indicate whether or not an individual has been exposed, but not whether they are currently infected.

288 adult and yearling female elk were captured on 22 Wyoming winter supplemental elk feedgrounds and monitored with GPS collars during the brucellosis risk period (February – July) from 2007 to 2015. There were 4 to 64 individual elk per feedground and each elk was monitored for 1 to 2 years. Here we provide the unique identifier for each individual elk, the GPS location of the elk, the date/time stamp of the GPS location, and the feedground the elk was captured on in Wyoming.

288 adult and yearling female elk were captured on 22 Wyoming winter supplemental elk feedgrounds and monitored with GPS collars during the brucellosis risk period (February – July) from 2007 to 2015. There were 4 to 64 individual elk per feedground and each elk was monitored for 1 to 2 years. Here we provide the unique identifier for each individual elk, the GPS location of the elk, the date/time stamp of the GPS location, and the feedground the elk was captured on in Wyoming.

Using data from 288 adult and yearling female elk that were captured on 22 Wyoming winter supplemental elk feedgrounds and monitored with GPS collars, we fit Step Selection Functions (SSFs) during the spring abortion season and then implemented a master equation approach to translate SSFs into predictions of daily elk distribution for 5 plausible winter weather scenarios (from a heavy snow, to an extreme winter drought year). Here we provide the predictions of elk space use on a daily basis at a 500m resolution for the 5 different weather scenarios: 1) low snowfall year (2010), 2) average snowfall year (2012), 3) high snowfall year (2014), 4) hypothetical early snowmelt climate change scenario where spring green up started, snow melt occurred, and supplemental feeding ended 14 days earlier than in the low snow year of 2010, and 5) hypothetical winter drought climate change scenario where spring green up started, snow melt occurred, and supplemental feeding ended 28 days earlier than in the low snow year of 2010.