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Elk Biology

Elk once lived throughout most of the United States and Canada, but the species range has dwindled because of uncontrolled hunting for sport and food and because of land development. In the 19th century, ranchers shot them to reduce competition with livestock for food.

Elk generally live about 15 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity

Elk can be distinguished from other deer by their large size, brown or tan bodies, and yellowish-brown tail and rump patch. They have thick necks and slender legs and can stand as tall as 5 feet at the shoulder. Their long legs enable them to run as fast as 35 miles per hour. Males weigh from 600 to 1,100 pounds and have six-tined antlers that can grow up to 5 feet long. Antlers begin growing in early spring and fall off in winter. The females are smaller, about 450 to 650 pounds, and lack antlers. Mating season is in August or September. Females give birth to one or two calves each spring, and newborn calves weigh up to 40 pounds.

Elk can live in many different environments. Today they occur mainly in wooded and grassy areas in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, but also in select areas of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. When able to move freely, elk in mountain areas summer in high mountain pastures and winter in dense forests in lower wooded slopes.

Woods and grasslands abound with various types of elk food, including leaves, sedges, shrubs, mushrooms, and lichens. In addition to eating leaves and bark from trees.

During mating season, bull elk "bugle," a loud whistling noise that attracts females and challenges other males. These calls can be heard mostly at dusk and dawn, when elk are especially active.

Most bull elk shed their antlers between January and March, and as soon as their old antlers fall off, their new antlers begin to grow. These growing antlers have a fuzzy covering on them called velvet, which is like skin because it has nerves and blood vessels running through it. Those vessels carry the calcium and other minerals that form the antler bone.
 

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