North America has four subspecies of Elk and there is two more that are extinct. The four subspecies are the Rocky Mountain Elk, the Roosevelt Elk, the Tule Elk and the Manitoban Elk. Wapiti is another name used for elk and the meat on these animals is leaner and greater in protein than beef or chicken and also has lower amounts of fat and cholesterol than beef, pork and chicken. One of the largest species of deer is the Wapiti.
From hunters to wildlife viewers in Estes Park most every person has seen the Rocky Mountain Elk in Colorado. Males, females, babies and yearling bulls are also called bulls, cows, calves and spikes, respectively. Elk are about two times bigger than mule deer and have large brown and tan bodies, dark brown necks and rumps that are light tan almost yellow. Males will grow antlers and during the winter time after mating season they will lose the antlers. During the winter a thick coat of hair will keep the insulated and this coat is grown before winter in the fall. The bulls in Colorado can weigh as much as 900 but usually average around 710 pounds and the cows average around 500 pounds. Located in the Pacific Northwest the Roosevelt Elk weigh as much as 1100 pounds which makes them the biggest of the elk species. Elk found only in California are the Tule Elk who are the smallest and can weigh 550 pounds. Rocky Mountain Elk have larger antlers and smaller sized bodies than the Manitoban Elk who are in the Midwestern US and in Canadian Prairie provinces.
In the mating season, known as the rut, the bull elk will bugle to express their dominance to other bulls as well as to cows to that are looking for the most dominant male to mate with. A bull uses their bugling power and heavily scented body from wallowing in their own urine and mud to attract cows and calves into small groups called harems. They will use their large antlers to defend their harems and will sometimes fight to the death in antler battles with other bull elk.
On average elk will live for ten to thirteen years but in captivity they have been known to live longer. They are herbivores, with a four chambered stomach, primarily being grazers feeding on grasses, plants, bark and leaves. At night elk are most active as well as during the evening and mornings. During the summer they will eat constantly and can eat as much as twenty pounds each day.
There have been projections of ten million elk roaming all places in the US and Canada ahead of the European settlement. The largest elk herd can be found in Colorado with totals close to 300 thousand from an North American high predicted at around one million. Colorado is also home to the largest group of harvested elk each year with roughly forty to fifty thousand. From the plains to the mountains and forests where they are currently found elk are magnificent. These animals are tremendously adaptive in nature and have inhabited various habitats.
From hunters to wildlife viewers in Estes Park most every person has seen the Rocky Mountain Elk in Colorado. Males, females, babies and yearling bulls are also called bulls, cows, calves and spikes, respectively. Elk are about two times bigger than mule deer and have large brown and tan bodies, dark brown necks and rumps that are light tan almost yellow. Males will grow antlers and during the winter time after mating season they will lose the antlers. During the winter a thick coat of hair will keep the insulated and this coat is grown before winter in the fall. The bulls in Colorado can weigh as much as 900 but usually average around 710 pounds and the cows average around 500 pounds. Located in the Pacific Northwest the Roosevelt Elk weigh as much as 1100 pounds which makes them the biggest of the elk species. Elk found only in California are the Tule Elk who are the smallest and can weigh 550 pounds. Rocky Mountain Elk have larger antlers and smaller sized bodies than the Manitoban Elk who are in the Midwestern US and in Canadian Prairie provinces.
In the mating season, known as the rut, the bull elk will bugle to express their dominance to other bulls as well as to cows to that are looking for the most dominant male to mate with. A bull uses their bugling power and heavily scented body from wallowing in their own urine and mud to attract cows and calves into small groups called harems. They will use their large antlers to defend their harems and will sometimes fight to the death in antler battles with other bull elk.
On average elk will live for ten to thirteen years but in captivity they have been known to live longer. They are herbivores, with a four chambered stomach, primarily being grazers feeding on grasses, plants, bark and leaves. At night elk are most active as well as during the evening and mornings. During the summer they will eat constantly and can eat as much as twenty pounds each day.
There have been projections of ten million elk roaming all places in the US and Canada ahead of the European settlement. The largest elk herd can be found in Colorado with totals close to 300 thousand from an North American high predicted at around one million. Colorado is also home to the largest group of harvested elk each year with roughly forty to fifty thousand. From the plains to the mountains and forests where they are currently found elk are magnificent. These animals are tremendously adaptive in nature and have inhabited various habitats.
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