You will discover Elk residing around rivers and wetlands and they tend to be very protective of their particular territory during rut. For the duration of rutting season, bucks will mark their territory and challenge various other adult males to a fight in order to attract females for mating.

The adult males are known as bulls and the females are cows. The cows average about 500 pounds and the bulls tend to be about 25% larger than the females.

Each year the males will get rid of their antlers but will develop a brand new rack. Starting in spring, the bulls grow a brand new rack as well as shed the existing one during the winter season. Cultures from Asia see the elk like a highly spiritual animal and use their velvet along with antlers as traditional medicines.

Four species of elk remain in North America. They include Rock Mountain, Roosevelt (C. canadensis roosevelti), Tule (C. canadensis nannodes), Manitoben (C. canadensis manitobensis) Two species, Merriams’s (C. canadensis merriami) and Eastern Elk (C. canadensis canadensis) both have been classified as extinct for a century.

American Elk populations are heavier in the northwestern section of the United States but have smaller sized populations throughout the Appalachian area. Elk can be an invasive species and may take over an area with suitable habitat very quickly. Elk have been reintroduced in Appalachian areas in February, 2001 by the Smokey Mountain National Park Service, and also have since spread into Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. Elk roam in larger population from Texas all the way into Canadian northwest. Elk migrate with the season and often stick to melting snow areas for the revealed exposed grass.

Most of the best elk hunting is based in the Colorado area and the Rockies. Be sure you be sensible and also keep your eyes open, a mad elk isn’t no small deer to play with. Having a rack as wide as your vehicle a big elk can inflict some serious damage on you if you get too close.

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