Identifying habitat requirements of wildlife is a primary concern of 
wildlife managers. New to the field of resource selection studies, 
discrete choice models can give insight into how habitat characteristics 
effect an individual's probability of selecting an area for a given 
activity. Originally developed by econometricians and transportation 
planners, discrete choice models have been applied to numerous situations 
where people must choose from a finite set of options (i.e., what type of 
automobile to purchase).  The main assumption in discrete choice modeling 
is that the probability of choosing any option is a function of the 
characteristics of that option, as well as the characteristics of all 
other options, where choice sets may differ among individuals.  Discrete 
choice modeling was used to analyze the factors influencing summer bed 
site selection of elk in Custer State Park, South Dakota.  Results 
demonstrate the influence of canopy closure, slope, aspect, and distance 
from roads, as well as providing insight into factors deserving further 
attention such as distance from forage.  Such an analysis allows managers 
to predict the potential effects of habitat management, gain insight into 
the relative importance of complex interactions in a very quantitative 
fashion, and aids in the design and direction of future studies.