Feature Topic: Elk Calf Development
When a cow elk enters her second autumn she is capable of breeding, but it is more common for cows to breed in their third year. Though elk are capable of producing twins, typically a single calf will be born per cow after a gestation period of about 8 ½ months with the most rapid development during the last 6 weeks. 

Expectant cows will usually isolate themselves from the herd just prior to giving birth and choose an area with thick vegetation to hide their calves in. In the Smokies, they are most often born between late May and early July and weigh between 25 and 40 lbs. Newborn calves are capable of walking from birth, but they cannot travel very far and their natural defense for the first few weeks of life is to lie perfectly still close to the ground in dense vegetation. They do not produce much scent for the first few weeks of life, so this behavior allows their spotted coats to camouflage them and escape detection by predators. 

Cow elk will leave their young for most of the day, only joining it to feed a couple of times each day. The calf processes milk through the reticular groove, a channel that allows highly nutritious food to bypass the animal’s rumen for faster absorption. This groove will diminish after the calf is weaned, which usually happens by early fall.

A calf’s best defense is to grow big and strong enough to travel in the safety of the herd, and this doesn’t take them long. Calves can gain up to two pounds of weight a day and after about 2 weeks the calf will be strong enough to travel with its mother and rejoin the herd. By November, the beginning of their first winter, a 5-month old calf can weigh up to 5 times what it did at birth!! 

Smoky Mountain Elk Herd News
As 2008 came to an end, and we work through 2009, several changes have taken place in the Smoky Mountain elk herd. The experimental phase of the project came to an end in December 2008 and all of the data has been summarized and presented to park officials. Park managers are now in the process of considering all of their options for the future of the herd and should reach a decision sometime in 2009. 

 Unfortunately, their have been a few adult mortalities since last update. Two-year old bull #98 died in Cataloochee in December 2008 of unknown causes. Other mortalities include yearling bulls #121 and #134 that died in February and May, respectively, and adult bull #68 in January.

The most recent mortality was bull #4. This was a highly visible bull that was easily recognized in Cataloochee Valley by his abnormally shaped antlers that were shorter than most antlers and had a paddle-shaped formation at the top. For several months this bull appeared to have been losing weight and over the past week his condition worsened very rapidly until he was unable to walk normally and had difficulty standing. Park managers consulted with a veterinarian and the decision was made to euthanize bull #4 because he would not recover from this poor of a condition. 

The brighter side of 2009 so far is that calving season has begun and there could be more calves born this year than any year so far! There are several cows that could be producing their first calf, and with female survival very high over the last year things look optimistic for herd recruitment this year. Seven calves are known to have been born so far and at least two of them are female. Managers have not been able to handle the others yet to determine their sex and many more calves are expected to be born over the next 4 or 5 weeks. 

Spring is a great time to visit the park and view the elk. The bulls’ antlers are in velvet and growing very rapidly this time of the year. It can be interesting to watch their development over the course of the year until fall when they shed their velvet and enter the rut. Some of the calves that were born earlier are getting big enough to travel with their mothers and can often be seen in the fields, along with turkey hens and their newborn chicks. There have also been several sightings of bears feeding on wild strawberries in the fields of Cataloochee over the last few weeks. With all of the exciting things happening with wildlife right now, it is a great time to visit the park and enjoy the show!

Report submitted by Joe Yarkovich.