- Elk are a member of the deer family.
- Elk is the meat of the future.
- It is great tasting, it has very little fat and is very high in protein.
- Elk life expectancy is approximately 18-22 years.
- Elk feed on all kinds of plants, but are primarily grazers of grasses.
They also eat the sedges, forbs, twigs, needles of fir and juniper,
many young hardwood trees (such as chokeberry and aspen), and deciduous
shrubs (willow and serviceberry), especially during the winter.
- Bulls are 25% larger than cows.
- Both bulls and cows are strong swimmers.
- Their walking stride is 30 to 60 inches, but when running this length
can increase to 14 feet.
- A bull will gather a group of females and keep them away from other
bulls.
- One bull can service 20 to 40 cows.
- Bulls and cows go through a ritual before the actual "high mount"
of mating.
- Elk Gestation lasts 8 1/2 months.
- Elk achieve their best antlers at about their eleventh or twelth year.
- An old bull's antlers may be 5 feet long and weigh 25-40 pounds.
- Natural enemies of elk include wolves and cougars.
- Bears and coyotes kill some calves and sick adults.
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