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The name "elk" was given to the second largest member of the deer family by early explorers because they resembled the elk or moose of Europe. Because the American elk is not very closely related biologically to the European elk, the American Indian term "Wapiti" is sometimes used interchangeably to identify the animal.
The antlers
of the adult Rocky Mountain bull elk consists of a long beam, sweeping
up and back, usually with six tines. The average set weighs about
30 pounds. During summer, an adult bull's antlers are growing and
are covered with a live, blood-carrying tissue called "velvet."
When the antlers are full-grown and the velvet has been rubbed off,
the elk are left with the shiny and hard rack typical of bull elk
in the fall.
A single calf,
born in late May or early June, weighs about 30 pounds. At this
time, the cow tends to stay away from other elk until her calf can
travel. For protection from predators, the calf has a spotted coat
and an instinct which causes it to lie completely still when danger
approaches. By about one or two weeks the calf is able to keep up
with the mother and they rejoin the cow/calf herd. For more information about Wind Cave National Park's elk management plan click on management plan. |
At
one time, the American elk was the most widely distributed member
of the deer family on the North American Continent. They were found
from Mexico to Alberta and from sea to sea, except on the southern
coastal plains and in the Great Basin. However, as the pioneers
moved west, hunting took its toll. Elk began to disappear from the
settled regions until only remnant herds remained in the Rocky Mountains,
parts of the Pacific Northwest, and Canada. In fact, the Eastern
elk, which historically roamed the Black Hills, are extinct. In
1914, Rocky Mountain elk from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, were introduced
into the Park.
Like
other members of the deer family, elk have distinct summer and winter
coats. The elk's summer coat is a deep, reddish-brown with an almost
orange-colored rump patch. This coat becomes a more gray-brown with
a cream-colored rump patch during the winter. 
In
early September, the mating season begins with harem formation and
bugling. Bugling is the term used to describe the call made by an
adult male. The call begins on a medium clear note, rises gradually
to a high pitch, and ends in a shrill scream followed by a series
of grunts. While not the type of call one might expect from an animal
of this size, once heard, the bugle is unmistakable. It is one of
the truly wild sounds to be heard on this continent. .gif){kind=small}