"There has been extensive habitat management and improvement projects that have been directed towards the benefit of elk," Ross said.

Shannon added, "This massive habitat improvement effort has definitely helped to reduce the elk conflicts on private land."

Shannon supervises three Food and Cover crews that work in the elk range, an daunting task because of the large quantity of land.

"We began in 2001 to create new acres of herbaceous openings for elk. This was possible in part because the PGC established a brand new Food & Cover crew located in the Quehanna area to help with this habitat work," Shannon said. "The importance of this new crew cannot be overstated. We could not have the expansive elk management effort that we now have if the agency had not established the new crew."

Plantings that entice elk to herbaceous openings vary with the seasons. In summer it's clover and trefoil, and in early spring and late fall it's orchard grass, timothy and wheat.

"Clover provides the highest protein forage, so we favor it for management," Shannon said.

However, creating habitat is more than merely planting legumes. Generally, the soil has a pH (acidity) factor of 4.4 or less.

"This requires that we apply additional lime and fertilizer to keep the forage available," Shannon said.

After the planting is done, there is maintenance. This involves top-dressing, reseeding and mowing the plots once a year.

"This year, we are not planning to establish any new food plots in my area. It will be the first time in my 11 years as land manager that we are not creating at least one new food plot. One reason is a lack of manpower, and another reason is a lack of reliable funding."

With the current rise in fertilizer and fuel costs, Shannon needs to plan ahead with caution.

One bit of good news is that she has received additional funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, to the tune of $25,000 in 2008.

"This helps tremendously with our habitat program. We could not continue to maintain the plots that we already have without their help," Shannon said

State Game Land 34 is just one area that is reaping the benefits of elk habitat enhancement, leading to more elk sightings.

"Elk are now common here, something that was not true only five years ago. I would have considered them occasional visitors then, and rare visitors only 10 years ago," Shannon said.