VANCOUVER, Wash. -- 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.

"Winter weather always takes a toll on elk and other wildlife, but conditions were especially tough in the south Cascades this year," wildlife area manager Brian Calkins said in a statement. "Even now, there's twice as much measurable snow in the watershed as in an average year."

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 says it was a stopgap measure, and managers hope to reduce elk deaths by bringing the size of the herd in line with the available natural forage.