A drastic drop in the tule elk population in the Point Reyes National Seashore last year was likely the consequence of pitiful rainfalls in 2013, which depleted available forage and water, according to the National Park Service. Overall, the numbers dropped from 700 elk in 2012 to under 504 last year. But different herds suffered varying losses; the herd at Tomales Point declined 34 percent, from 540 to 357 animals, while a smaller herd in…