Wind Cave National Park - Elk (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo by D.A. Buehler

Elk - Cervus elaphus
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Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla (same as bison, sheep, pronghorn)
Family	Cervidae (deer family) Hoofed with antlers, which are shed each year. Same family as moose and caribou. Chew cud.
Genus	Cervus
Species	elaphus
Name/ History	The native subspecies, Eastern elk, were indigenous to this area. The Rocky Mountain subspecies was introduced to Wind Cave National Park in 1914.
Size Weight (lbs)	Male 700-1000	Female 500-600	Fawn 28.6
Height (ft)	4-5	4-4.5	2.5
Rut	August-October. Bulls establish harem of 15-20 cows, sometimes up to 30 or as few as one.
Gestation	8.5 months
Birth	May-June. Calves are able to walk shortly after birth. Cows stay away from herd for 2-3 weeks until calf is able to travel.
# young	Usually 1
Age	14 years, up to 25 years
Habitat/ Range	Semi-open forest, mountain meadows, foothills, plains, valleys. Once the most widely distributed members of the deer family in North America spread form the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Mexico to northern Alberta. Began to disappear in the east in the early 1800s.
Food	Grass, browse, forbs. Take the elk quiz!
Enemies	Wolves (which are not found in Wind Cave NP), mountain lions, man.
Disease	Brucellosis, tuberculosis, anthrax, Chronic Wasting Disease
Communication	Calf squeal; cows squeal, bark and bugle; and bulls bugle. Communicating is used to call the year, alert, when animal is distressed, during rutting season as a challenge or possibly to vent emotions.
Behavior/ Characteristics	Bulls separate from the cow-calf herd until the rut. Older cows are the leaders.