Big bull elk, Gallatin Mountain range south of Bozeman

Elk were named by the early settlers, but some people prefer to call it by the Shawnee name wapiti (WAA-pi-tea) meaning "white rump." The name "elk" is a bit confusing because in Europe, moose are called "elk." and the European "red deer" is the same as the North American elk, which muddies the water even further. Evidently the same naming scheme that called for the American bison to be called a buffalo.

Elk were valued by the early settlers and Native Americans as a valuable food source, hides and fur for clothing, and antlers for utensils and trophies. Today elk are economically valuable for hunting and tourism they bring to the mountains of the west.

At the turn of the century, commercial game hunters, hired riflemen and subsistence hunters had killed off most of the elk in the west. In1910, the U.S. Forest Service estimated that fewer than 1,000 elk remained in Colorado. A 1918 survey of Forest Service lands in Idaho showed only 610 elk remained. Places where elk had been protected, these prolific animals rebounded quickly. The winters of 1897, 1909, 1911 and 1917 all coinciding with the loss of their traditional wintering grounds to cattle ranching were also very tough on them. About 10,000 elk starved in Jackson Hole during the winter of 1897, a decade before Jackson Hole became the home of the National Elk Refuge.

At the turn of the century efforts to save the elk began. A partnership between government and hunters began. An ambitious game-transplanting project began in 1892 where Yellowstone 5,200 elk over several decades were shipped to 36 states as well as to Canada and Argentinean restoring elk to many of their native areas. From a total elk population of 41,000 in 1907, elk on U.S. ranges have now come to number nearly a million. These forward thinking programs have paid off nicely.

Bull Elk, Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park

Elk belong to a group of animals called ungulates, the Latin word for "hoof." All ungulates have hooves. Elk are second in size only to the moose in the deer family. At birth, an elk calf weighs about 35 pounds. At the start of its first winter, an elk may weigh five times as much as when it was born. The average weight of an adult bull is 650 pounds, and some individuals attain weights of 1,100 pounds. Cows and calves mew to each other. Adult elk often bark warnings when they sense an intruder just outside their comfort zone.

Elk being herd animals have eyes are on the sides of the skull, this enables them to see what is happening ahead of them, beside them, as well as what is going on behind them. This is the reason they used to put blinders on horses (a herd animal) so they could only see where they were going without the distractions of what was beside them and behind them. An elk's big ears can capture faint sounds and other sounds of movement. Elk also have a keen sense of smell. Combine the sharp senses of a group of five, 10, or even 50 elk and it's easy to understand how they avoid predators.

Elk herd, herd bull

Elk that live in mountainous country migrate to lower elevations as the winter snows drive them out the higher elevations. In the spring as the snow retreats the elk follow the snow line up the mountains because the higher elevations provide remoteness and less insects. Elk are social animals and during the summer they live in large herds. A single cow dominates these herds. In spring the bulls and cows separate and the females leave to calve, while bulls form their own separate herds for the until fall.

Elk being herbivores eat only plants. Their diet includes grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees. Being herd animals they must eat and watch for predator seat and at the same time. An elk herd always has at least one animal looking up while the others are eating. Even so the animals that are feeding are always on the lookout for warning signs of predators.

Bull elk have antlers that can span five feet and have six sharp points or "tines." per side upon maturity but a few have as many as 10. The width breadth and weight of an elk's rack is determined by the abundance of food as well as age, bull elk shed their antlers in late winter. Testosterone is the hormone in the bull's body controlling the cement that holds the antlers to his skull. In winter a bull's testosterone level drops and so do his antlers. Increasing daylight later in spring elevates the level of testosterone in the animal's blood, which triggers the growth of antlers. The antlers grow from the bony bumps on their skulls called pedicles. Antlers are cartilage that slowly mineralize into bone. A soft covering called velvet carries blood to the growing bone tissue and helps protect them. Antlers are fragile until they completely mineralize and harden in time for rutting season.

Bugling bull elk

September brings rutting season (mating season), bulls form harems of cows, which they defend with their seasonally aggressive nature, One bull may have a herd of fifteen to thirty cows, but some may have achieved a many as sixty. During the rutt, the bull elk engage one on one battles for available cows, they bugle, they wallow in the mud holes they have scented with their urine, and they urinate on plants that they toss onto their antlers. It is thought that this activity makes the bulls more fearsome to other bulls and more attractive to the cows.

Bull elk make a sound called a bugle, a true sound of the wilderness that starts as a bellow, changes to a loud whistle, and ends in a series of grunts. The bugeleing serves to challenge to other bulls and to attract the cow elk. This timeless wilderness show can be seen in the meadows of Yellowstone and other places where there is no hunting pressure, where elk are hunted they are unapproachable and are often hiding in the trees. Elk don't make just one sound and what they communicate is still largely a mystery. Some bugle a lot, others infrequently. Besides buglling, you'll hear chirps, grunts, gurgles and squeals. Bulls are only territorial during the mating season and are otherwise not aggressive toward other elk.

Hunting Elk

Packs string heading to hunting camp in the Wind River Range, Pinedale Wyoming

Most early hunting expeditions were by pack train to the fabulous backcountry and todays hunts remain quite the same. For many this remains part of the attraction, to saddle up the horses and load up the packhorses and mules and setting out for hunting camp high in the mountains. Many outfitters in the Greater Yellowstone region hunt this old time style, with packhorses and tent frame camps because this is still the most efficient way to get to the remote areas where the hunting is best. Many bighorn sheep and deer outfitters provide hunting camps like this as well.

Elk hunting in The Greater Yellowstone region can be one of the most remarkable experiences of a lifetime. Here in the Greater Yellowstone region you will see either the splendor of the Grand Tetons, the Gros Ventre Mountains, the Wyoming Range, the Absoraka Range, Snake River Range, or the Big Hole's. Jackson Hole is also the home of the National Elk Refuge where 6 to 12 thousand elk spend their winter taunting you into thinking that your hunt is going to be easy. In the Greater Yellowstone area there are many outfitters and guides to choose from if you choose to not go without a guide.

Elk Hunters, Jackson Hole Wyoming

Any hunter planning an elk hunt should sight his rifle for long range shooting, and practice till you have it right. The most popular caliber rifle for elk hunting are the.30-06, 7mm mag , .300 mag, and the .338 magnum. recommended scopes are 2x7, 3x9, or even 4x14 power of the best quality that you can afford.

Elk will evade hunters by hiding in the toughest country imaginable. When you are on your hunt is not the time to find out that you are not in shape. You will be hunting in elevations of up to between 6,000 and 10,000 feet or more. Conditioning may not be the answer to hunting success but it will have a part in it. Exhaustion and fatigue can kill you in the mountains. It is important to remember that the air is thinner at higher elevations than it is at sea level and getting enough oxygen for some might be tough. Don't let you poor physical condition ruin your hunt. The elk, are not going to come to you.