Elk may move from the high country to valleys to feed. Long guard hairs on the top repel water and a soft, wooly underfur keeps them warm. During the rut in September and early October, dominant bulls gather and breed with harems of up to 20 cows.Įlk wear a two-layer coat during the colder months of winter. Most encounters are ritualistic and involve little physical contact only occasionally do conflicts result in serious injuries to one or more combatants. Large bulls use their antlers to intimidate and spar with other males. Their calls may be heard a mile or more away. Elk are also known by the Shawnee Indian name 'wapiti'. A well-organized elk herd can deter a wolf pack attack. Elk are ruminants and 'chew their cud' just like a cow. Calves have lost their spots by summer's end.ĭuring the fall breeding season, known as "rut", male elk make their legendary bugling calls to challenge other bulls and attract cows. Elk have teeth called 'ivories' that were once 8-inch long tusks like a walrus. By August, elk antlers are full grown and have shed their "velvet". During the hot summer months, male elk roll in mud wallows to keep cool and avoid insect pests. In late-spring, elk shed their winter coats and start growing sleek, copper-colored, one-layer summer coats. (It is illegal to remove antlers from the national park.) After they have shed their antlers, elk immediately begin growing new ones. The antlers, which are rich in calcium, are quickly eaten by rodents and other animals. In early-spring-usually March-most elk shed their antlers. Females are ready to breed in the second autumn of their lives. Newborns weigh about 35 pounds and can stand within minutes of birth and calf. Cows usually give birth to only one calf per year.Elk are vegetarian and eat grasses, forbs, and acorns, as well as the bark, leaves, and buds from shrubs and trees.Gray wolves and mountain lions, both of which have been extirpated from the Great Smoky Mountains, are successful predators of elk elsewhere. Coyotes, bobcats, and black bears may kill young, sick, or injured elk, but adult elk are generally safe from predators in the park.Elk have an acute sense of smell and excellent eyesight to protect them from predators.Adult males have antlers that may reach a width of five feet. Adults are 7-10 feet long from nose to tail and stand 4.5-5 feet tall at the shoulder.Female elk are called "cows" and average 500 pounds. Adult male elk are known as "bulls" and weigh an average of 600-700 pounds.Male elk use their antlers to spar with other bulls.
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