Habitat

During the summer months, elk prefer semi-open forests and areas near cover. They graze on grasses, seedlings, twigs, saplings, berries, and mushrooms. In the winter, elk movie to lower elevations and yard up, or gather together in large herds. During this time they must paw the snow to find grass, or they must eat bark from trees. When the Europeans arrived in North America, herds of elk could be found covering the majority of the continent. They were especially numerous through Quebec and Ontario, around the Great Lakes, in through Alberta and up into the boreal forest (Murie, 1951). Populations have declined due to urbanization and hunting, and are concentrated now in the Rocky Mountains as far south as Arizona and New Mexico, and as far north as Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada. They are found on the western seaboards of Oregon and Washington States and in select locations in Quebec, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Alberta.

Morphology

Elk range from a reddish-brown color to a brownish-gray in the late summer and winter. Mature males have a dark brown neck and mane, and both males and females have a white or light yellow rump patch above a small beige tail.

Elk are sexually dimorphic, with bulls growing to be 25% larger than cows. Such difference may be attributed to androgens in the male as well as the male necessity to gain weight to gain advantage in agonistic encounters. Cows average 500 pounds and bulls average 700 pounds. Bulls occasionally weigh over 1000 pounds and can grow to 8 feet in length.

Bulls begin to grow antlers at two years of age and will grow a new pair every year. Antlers are used in battle with other males during the rut, and help to establish dominance hierarchy in sparring. Females may also use antlers of males for mate selection. The antlers of a mature male of 10 years or older can grow to over 5 feet in length, weigh up to 40 pounds, and may have 10 or more points. Antlers are solid bone extensions that begin to grow between March and May and are covered in furry skin, or velvet. Before the rut, blood supply to this skin ceases and it begins to fall off. Bull elk speed up the process by rubbing their antlers on trees.

Elk are true ruminants. They have a four-chambered stomach.

Predators

Enemies of Cervus elaphus have historically been humans, wolves, cougars, black bears and grizzly bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats.