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Elk, or Wapiti
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The wapiti, or elk is the largest of Colorado's native deer. Commonly called "elk" in this country, wapiti is a preferred name because elsewhere in the world "elk" refers to the animal we call moose. Our wapiti is a Holarctic species, which means it occurs in both North America and Eurasia, and in Eurasia it is known as the red deer. Whatever we choose to call it, this is an impressive and important animal in Colorado.
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Description
Range/Habitat
Diet
Reproduction
Watchable Wildlife
Nuisance Wildlife
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Description
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Elk are 7-9 feet long, with a 4-6-inch tail, and weigh between 450-900 pounds. They are brownish tan in color, with a yellowish rump and a dark mane on the shoulders. Mature males have large antlers, typically with six tines branching from each beam.
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Range/Habitat
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Before the arrival of European settlers, wapiti ranged throughout the area that is now Colorado, including the eastern plains. Market hunting nearly drove Coloradan elk to extinction. By 1910 only a few hundred elk remained, and restoration of the herds was helped by transplants from Yellowstone National Park. Now wapiti range throughout mountainous parts of the state, foraging in meadows and alpine tundra.
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Diet
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Wapiti are grazers. That is, they eat mostly grasses, when available. In summer, the diet may be 80 to 90 percent grasses. Bark and twigs of trees and shrubs may contribute half the winter diet. Wapiti sometimes congregate at haystacks in severe weather.
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Reproduction
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Wapiti are gregarious animals, sometimes moving in herds of several hundred individuals. In fall rut, bulls spar for dominance and possession of harems of several cows. Mating is over by mid-October. Usually a single, obscurely spotted calf is born in May or June, after a gestation period of 8 1/2 months. Females breed first at 3 years of age, males about 4. Hunters harvest 40,000 to 50,000 wapiti in Colorado each year, the largest number of any state.
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Watchable Wildlife
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Many people enjoy watching these animals, but it is very important that we follow certain watchable wildlife guidlines. These guidlines are not just for other and our safety, but also for the safety of the animals. To view the actual Colorado wildlife viewing guidlines, please visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife link below.
Related Links:
CDOW Watchable Wildlife Guidlines
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Nuisance Wildlife
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With the elk population being so large in Colorado, it is very important that we do not encourage elk to become a nuisance. Elk can cause a lot of game damage, so we need to take proper procedures in preventing and stopping nuisance elk. If you have a nuisance elk problem, please contact a local Division of Wildlife Officer.
Related Links:
Colorado Division of Wildlife
Elk-bcAdventure
Elk
North American Elk
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Yahooligans-Elk
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