Elk

Elk Tracks

Natural History of Elk

The elk is also known as the wapiti, a Shawnee word meaning white deer. When they first saw elk, the early settlers thought the animals were moose, so they called them elk which is a British word for moose.

Both bull and cow elk have a distinctive light-colored rump patch. Bulls can stand as tall as five feet at the shoulders.

Elk tracks are longer and more robust than those of deer. Scat is similar to deer scat, but much larger. It can be ¾ inch long. Elk also leave distinctive wallows where they dig into the ground with their hooves and antlers and wallow in the dirt.

During rutting season, elk will tear apart shrubs and saplings with their antlers. They also rub their antlers on small trees to remove the velvet. The antlers branch off from a main beam that can be up to five feet long.

An adult bull can weigh over 1000 pounds. They feed on plants, leaves, bark, grasses, grains, and also eat lichen. In winter, they eat buds, bark, and twigs.

Despite their large size, bulls can run 35 miles per hour. Both bulls and cows are good swimmers.

Elk are active at dusk and dawn and are frequently seen feeding in prairies during the day. Elk can also be nocturnal. They inhabit woods and pastures.

The rutting season occurs from August until November. During this time, the bulls join the cows in a herd. They are the most polygamous member of the deer family in America. A bull can collect a harem of up to 60 cows.

In the fall, rutting bulls bugle or whistle as a challenge to other bulls. The whistle can carry for long distances.

Cows will leave the herd for about a week to bear their calves. They can have one or two calves, which weigh up to 40 pounds each. Calves can walk almost immediately after birth. Mountain lions and bears prey on the calves.

At one time, "elk's teeth," the two upper canine teeth, were valued as watch fob charms. An elk will mark territory by stripping the bark from saplings and rubbing the tree with its chin.

Personal Notes on Elk

I have seen a herd of elk up close. I don’t recommend trying to get close to these animals, however. I happened to accidentally stumble upon the herd feeding in an open field. I came out of the trees and there they were. The bull was aware of my presence. Bulls have been known to charge people, but this one didn’t. I didn’t want to disturb them, so I retreated back out of sight and took a few pictures of them. They are huge animals. The tracks I found in the area were very deep. Elk live in the region where I live. There is a herd of elk that can be seen in California’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This herd is frequently seen in Elk Prairie, near the campground. If you’re ever in this area, it’s really a fantastic sight to see all those elk out there feeding together. They can be seen right from the road too.

Find elk posters, greeting cards, t-shirts, hats, and more in my new store.

Now available: "Animals Don't Cover Their Tracks - An Introduction to Animal Tracking" on CD! (Version 3.0) New drawings, more species, more photos, more extensive sections on tracking humans, more detailed directions for plaster casting, mystery tracks section, tracking stories section, and more. The CD features over 100 species, including special bonus sections with the tracks of some African and Australian animals. A large section on tracking lost people for search and rescue is included, with over four pages of photos showing the details of tracks and signs people leave. Easy to use format. This web site is limited by bandwidth, but the CD-ROM is not. The CD is available in my online store at: www.dirt-time.com Works with Mac or PC. Happy tracking!!

What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's animal tracks coloring book, T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you!

Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459*

Also visit these fine stores for more products of interest:

NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request.

ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here.

Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year!

Got an elk story? E-mail me and tell me about it.

tracker@humboldt.net

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