Elk Biology

The males of the species (bulls) can weigh 500--1000 pounds, but typical PA bulls average 700 pounds; fully grown, they stand 5 feet high at the shoulder and are 8 feet nose to tail; annually they grow a symmetrical set of antlers which sweep up and back, up to 5 feet in length and weighing 45 pounds on mature bulls. The females (cows) are a little smaller; averaging 500 pounds, 4.5 feet high at the shoulder and 6.5 feet long. At birth, the young (calves) weigh 30 pounds.

Scientific

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Vertebrata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla
Suborder	Ruminantia
Family	Cervidae
Genus	Cervus
Species	Elaphus

Our word "elk" comes from early Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers who called it "elch" (which is actually the German word for Moose). The Native Americans called them "Wapiti" which translates to "White Rump", in reference to the elk's very lightly colored area around it's tail.

Habitat

Big animals need big spaces. While adaptable like whitetail deer, elk in general are less comfortable around a lot of development. They inhabit a wide variety of environments, from coastal forests to alpine meadows; from dry desert valleys to snowy mountain ridges; but are attracted to places with a mix of thick cover (for security) and open meadows or forest clearcuts (which provides the "young" vegetation they need for food) Elk are grazers, preferring grasses and forbs; but do become browsers, eating twigs and woody plants in the winter when grasses are unavailable.

Predators

Natural predators such as Bears, Mountain Lions, Wolves, and Coyotes all prey on elk; mostly targeting the young or weak.

Hunting and Poaching (over the last 100 years in PA, most elk have been killed by poachers!) also reduce the elk populations.