Quick answer
Key facts about elk — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
The rut and bugling
Each autumn bull elk gather harems and bugle — a piercing call that carries across valleys to attract cows and warn rivals. Bulls clash antlers in shoving matches that can leave scars or broken tines. After the rut, bulls lose weight and shed their antlers in winter.
Migration and herd life
Many elk populations migrate seasonally between high summer range and lower winter range, sometimes crossing busy roads and development corridors. Cows, calves, and yearlings form herds for much of the year, while mature bulls are often solitary outside the breeding season.
Antlers and growth
Only males grow antlers, which begin as velvet-covered bone in spring, harden by autumn, and are shed after the rut. Antler size reflects age, nutrition, and genetics. Elk antlers are among the fastest-growing bone structures in the animal kingdom.
Conservation and reintroduction
Elk were nearly extirpated from much of the United States by the early 1900s but recovered through hunting regulation and reintroduction, including the famous Yellowstone herds. Today they are Least Concern globally, though local herds face habitat fragmentation and chronic wasting disease in some regions.