Technical Abstract: Elk populations are locally dense and growing throughout much of the western United States and Canada. Maintaining a balance between large elk herds and healthy rangelands requires accurate elk population estimates. We surveyed 16 wildlife agencies in the western U.S. and Canada to determine which elk population estimation techniques were applied, how the obtained estimates were used, and the levels of accuracy achieved and desired. All of the organizations use indices to derive population estimates and most are using incomplete counts and modeling. Surveys are typically conducted at least annually under conditions of snow cover. The primary reasons for obtaining estimates were to determine harvest goals and respond to political pressure. Averaged across agencies, estimate errors were reported at 23% and getting within 17% of the true population was desired.