Fast Elk Facts                          
BIOLOGY
Average Size
Newborn Calf 35 pounds (16 kg)
Cow 500 pounds (225 kg)
4-1/2 feet (1.3 m) at the shoulder
6-1/2 feet (2 m) from nose to tail
Bull 700 pounds (315 kg)
5 feet (1.5 m) at the shoulder
8 feet (2.4 m) from nose to tail
Taxonomy
Animalia [kingdom]
Vertebrata [phylum]
Mammalia [class]
Artiodactyla [order]
Ruminantia [suborder]
Cervidae [family]
Cervus [genus]
Elaphus [species]
Other North American Members of the Deer Family
Moose, caribou, mule deer, white-tailed deer
Color
Body Varies from deep copper brown to light tan, depending on location and season
Rump Patch Light beige
Legs and Neck Often darker than body
Antlers
Weight Up to 40 pounds for the pair (18 kg)
Purpose Males grow them annually to display dominance and occasionally for defense

BEHAVIOR
Communication
Breeding
Season Mate in autumn
Gestation 8-1/2 months
Birth Mid-May through early July, depending on location
Social Organization
For most of the year Cows, calves and yearlings live in loose herds or groups; and bulls in bachelor groups or alone
During the rut Cows and calves form smaller groups, called "harems," with one or two mature bulls; yearling bulls may form bachelor groups or stay near harems.

HABITAT
Elk live in a variety of habitats -- from coastal forests to alpine meadows, from dry desert valleys to snowy mountain ridges -- as long as they find enough food, water, shelter and space.
Food

Varies with season and location. Generally, elk eat grasses and parts of woody plants in winter; grass in spring and fall; grass and forbs (low-growing, soft-stemmed plants) in summer.
Predators
Humans, bears, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes
"Neighbors"
Elk coexist with predators and a variety of other animals, depending on their specific ecosystem and habitat. Their neighbors include, but are not limited to:
  • Mule deer, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, bison
  • Domestic sheep, cattle
  • Chipmunks, squirrels, beaver, other small mammals
  • Grouse, eagles, woodpeckers, chickadees, numerous other kinds of birds
  • Mosquitoes, dragonflies, numerous other insects and arthropods
  • Trout, salmon, other fish
  • Salamanders, snakes, other amphibians and reptiles
Range
Prior to the 1800s, elk ranged throughout North America, except Alaska and Florida.
Today, elk live in the following states and Canadian provinces:
United States Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Canadian Provinces Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory

POPULATION
Today, elk number about 1 million in North America. This represents roughly 10 percent of the estimated population before European settlement of North America.

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