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Elk Hunting Outfitters and Guides
Contact our Elk Hunting Outfitters and Guides for your next Elk Hunting Trip:
At one time, the American elk was the most widely
distributed member of the deer family on the North
American Continent. They were found from Mexico to
Alberta and from sea to sea, except on the southern
coastal plains and in the Great Basin. However, as the
pioneers moved west, hunting took its toll. Elk began
to disappear from the settled regions until only
remnant herds remained in the Rocky Mountains, parts
of the Pacific Northwest, and Canada. Reintroductions
of elk have allowed the elk to return to some of their
previous habitats. The name "elk" was given to the
second largest member of the deer family by early
explorers because they resembled the elk or moose of
Europe. Because the American elk is not very closely
related biologically to the European elk, the American
Indian term "Wapiti" is sometimes used interchangeably
to identify the animal.
Like other members of
the deer family, elk have distinct summer and winter
coats. The elk's summer coat is a deep, reddish-brown
with an almost orange-colored rump patch. This coat
becomes a more gray-brown with a cream-colored rump
patch during the winter.
The antlers of the
adult Rocky Mountain bull elk consists of a long beam,
sweeping up and back, usually with six tines. The
average set weighs about 30 pounds. During summer, an
adult bull's antlers are growing and are covered with
a live, blood-carrying tissue called "velvet." When
the antlers are full-grown and the velvet has been
rubbed off, the elk are left with the shiny and hard
rack typical of bull elk in the fall.
The first
set of antlers of a young bull begins to grow when he
is almost a year old. They are only spikes about 10 to
24 inches long. These, like the adult's antlers, are
shed in the early spring. By the time a young bull is
four years old, he usually has the six-point antler
characteristic of a mature bull.
In early
September, the mating season begins with harem
formation and bugling. Bugling is the term used to
describe the call made by an adult male. The call
begins on a medium clear note, rises gradually to a
high pitch, and ends in a shrill scream, sometimes
followed by a series of grunts. While not the type of
call one might expect from an animal of this size,
once heard, the bugle is unmistakable. It is one of
the truly wild sounds to be heard on this
continent.
A single calf, born in late May or
early June, weighs about 30 pounds. At this time, the
cow tends to stay away from other elk until her calf
can travel. For protection from predators, the calf
has a spotted coat and an instinct which causes it to
lie completely still when danger approaches. By about
one or two weeks the calf is able to keep up with the
mother and they rejoin the cow/calf herd.
The
summer is a time when elk are seen in large herds and
are generally inactive during the day. These large
herds are more easily seen at dusk or early in the
morning when they feed.
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