American Elk

Native to North American plains and Canadian wooded and grassy areas, subsisting on a diet of flowers, grasses and tree bark, especially aspen. The American Elk is the second largest member of the deer family, surpassed in size only by the Moose.

They were named "wapiti" (meaning white deer, referring to their sun-bleached spring coats) by the

American Shawnee Indians, then Early explorers named them "elk" because of their resemblance to the European Elk or Moose. An Elk is noted by its pale yellowish rump, short tail and dark brown legs, belly and head. The sides of the Elk are gray-brown in winter and reddish-brown in summer. They shed in June.

Typically inactive during the day, they prefer to feed at night.  The summer Elk eat mostly a grass diet, while during the other months their diet is altered to include not only grasses, but shrubs and trees as well.

The female Elk travel and feed in large herds most of the year, while the males keep mostly to themselves or travel in smaller groups. A healthy male bull can have a harem size of 26 or more cows, especially in late August and September of each year for a four-week period when the bulls’ interest in mating is peaked. Bulls mating call or “bugle” (A-a-a-ae-e-e-eeeeee-eough!) is meant as a warning to other bulls interested in invading the harem. Opposition and dominance is established through locking antlers during confrontations.

Female Elk weigh between 450-600 lbs. and stand 4 ft. at the shoulder, while males can weigh. 700-900 lbs. and stand 5 ft. at shoulder height with antlers weighing 6-30 lbs.  for racks on a mature elk.  Both bulls and cows have excellent senses of sight, hearing and smell, with a maximum life expectancy of 15 years.

Other facts about American Elk:

• At one time elk numbered over 10 million, but by the turn of the 21^st century, that count was reduced by 99% as a result of miners, settlers and railroad crews hunting the animal for meat, hides and canine teeth (“buglers”).

• State Governments have protected the Elk population since

• Colorado boasts the largest Elk population of any state.

• Female Elk (cows) are able to breed at 18 months, with a gestation period of 8 ½ months and producing a 35 pound white-spotted sorrel calf in June. Females continue to handle the rearing for the entire first year.

• Young elk sound a sharp, loud bark when alarmed or curious.

• Bulls (males) grow antlers, cows (females) do not. By 15 months the first spike antlers on a bull elk are 15” long with subsequent sets getting longer, heavier and more tined. Each year antlers grow in early spring and are shed during the coming winter.  Nutrition, genetics and the age of the bull, determines the number of points and size of the beams. Degree of antler royalty is termed as follows:

• Six tines on each beam = Royal

• Seven points per side = Imperial

• Eight or more tines per beam (rare) = Monarch  

• Among the most common predators of the Elk are the mountain lion, coyote, loose dogs and cars.