VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) -- It was a hard winter for the elk herd in the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area.

The state Fish and Wildlife Department reports about 150 elk died of malnutrition and causes related to the snow and cold the extended into April. The winter kill reported Thursday was the largest recorded at the area since 1999 when 79 elk died.

Concerned about the hard winter, wildlife managers distributed 131 tons of hay to elk that congregated in the Toutle River Valley near the volcano.

Regional wildlife program manager Sandra Jonker said it was a stopgap measure, but was showing some success.

KTVB

“Artificial feeding may have helped some elk through the winter, but it’s not without its drawbacks,” Jonker said. “The main problem is that it tends to further concentrate these animals, which can spread disease and disrupt natural behavior.”

The agency also greatly expanded elk-hunting opportunities -- doubling the number of special hunting permits in the wildlife area.

Plans call for reducing the size of the Mount St. Helens elk herd from about 12,500 animals to 10,000 over a five-year period.

Officials said crews were also replanting trees and shrubs along the Toutle River to help increase forage for elk in the river valley.