![]() ![]() Elk Mating Habits & ReproductionĮlk mate each year during the breeding season in t he fall. In fact, this animal may live as long as 25 years in ideal captive conditions.įemale Elk live longer than males on average. There is the possibility of a much longer life if an elk lives in captivity. They may not have enough food to eat, be killed by hunters, or succumb to illness. In many cases, however, elk will live much shorter lives. Elk LifespanĮlk in the wild may live as long as 10 to 13 years. If snowfall is too heavy, Wapiti will travel to places with less snow on the ground to seek favorable winter bedding areas. ![]() These animals will move from area to area to cope with difficult weather conditions, such as snowstorms. That is why they can live and thrive in northern areas with severe winters. Like other prey animals, elk require access to places with cover, to help them hide from predators.Įlk are strong and powerful animals, and they’re able to handle challenging weather and climate conditions. Some of the water sources these cervids use include streams, rivers, springs, ponds in wetlands, and lakes. Let’s learn about average weight and measurements for these animals in the summary below so you can understand how elk compare to other deer: Elk SizeĪs you may already know, Elk are enormous animals. ![]() His leadership and activism resulted in new hunting laws and regulations, which helped to preserve this species. President Teddy Roosevelt played a major role in bringing attention to the plight of this species. The situation got so bad that the species disappeared from all parts of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River.īy the time the turn of the 20 th century arrived, population numbers in the United States has fallen to lower than 50,000. Explorers and settlers destroyed important habitat for these deer, and their hunting methods quickly proved to be unsustainable for the population. These animals came under serious threat after Europeans arrived and settled across the West. Native Americans hunted these animals for their meat and hides, which they used for making clothing and blankets. Elk live 10 to 20 years.The formal name for Elk, Wapiti, comes from a Cree and Shawnee word. The gestation period is the same for all subspecies. The offspring will remain with their mothers for almost a year, leaving about the time that the next season's offspring are produced. Elk calves are as large as an adult white-tailed deer by the time they are six months old. After two weeks, calves are able to join the herd, and are fully weaned at two months of age. Manchurian wapiti may retain a few orange spots on the back of their summer coats until they are older. Calves are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and they lose their spots by the end of summer. When the females are near to giving birth, they tend to isolate themselves from the main herd, and will remain isolated until the calf is large enough to escape predators. Gestation period is 240 to 262 days and the offspring weigh between 33 and 35 lb. By the autumn of their second year, females can produce one and, very rarely, two offspring. Bulls that enter the rut in poor condition are less likely to make it through to the peak conception period or have the strength to survive the rigors of the oncoming winter.įemale elk have a short estrus cycle of only a day or two, and matings usually involve a dozen or more attempts. ![]() A bull with a harem rarely feeds and he may lose up to 20 percent of his body weight. Bulls between two to four years and over 11 years of age rarely have harems, and spend most of the rut on the periphery of larger harems. Only mature bulls have large harems and breeding success peaks at about eight years of age. A bull will defend his harem of 20 cows or more from competing bulls and predators. Dominant bulls follow groups of cows during the rut, from August into early winter. The urine soaks into their hair and gives them a distinct smell which attracts cows. Bulls also dig holes in the ground, in which they urinate and roll their body. If neither bull backs down, they engage in antler wrestling, and bulls sometimes sustain serious injuries. This allows potential combatants to assess the other's antlers, body size and fighting prowess. Rival bulls challenge opponents by bellowing and by paralleling each other, walking back and forth. During the mating period, known as the rut, mature bulls compete for the attentions of the cows and will try to defend females in their harem. Adult elk usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. ![]()
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