The Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit performs research designed to address the needs of cooperators. Our studies provide new insights useful to management and conservation, based on understanding the mechanisms that underlie animal behavior, population demography, and wildlife health. Research emphases within the Unit include: wildlife health, ecology and management of carnivores, applied landscape ecology, management of large mammals, environmental and anthropogenic influences on wildlife, human dimensions of wildlife management, system dynamics and development of quantitative methods to support ecological research and understanding. The Unit also specializes in decision science for wildlife management and conservation decision-making. Other research topics are addressed as needed, in keeping with the Cooperative Research Program's mission to best meet the needs of the Cooperators by remaining flexible and open to new areas of inquiry. When Cooperator's needs occur outside Unit expertise, the assistance of appropriate University faculty will be recruited.