The Rocky Mountain Elk had been known to be indigenous to most of the United States and southern Canada with a population of upwards to 10 million, but now are typically found only in the Rocky Mountains ranging from New Mexico all the way to British Columbia due to hunting in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Today the biggest herd of approximately 300,000 elk is known to live in Colorado. Elk are usually found in the higher elevations during the summer months then migrate to the lower elevations during the winter months when the snow covers the foliage. Rocky Mountain Elk have also been reintroduced into the eastern region of the United States, primarily North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. Currently their range is the Appalachian Mountains which includes Virginia and West Virginia. Rocky Mountain Elk have also been reintroduced to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. There are estimates of 1 million Rocky Mountain Elk in the North American wild, with the majority of about 750,000 in the Rocky Mountains.

Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Karges II, Robert

Rocky Mountain Elk primarily eat various grasses that are plentiful during typical years, as well as eating foliage from shrubs, trees and bushes. During years of drought, elk have been known to eat the non-favorable sage brush.

Rocky Mountain Elk calves are usually born from mid-May to mid-June and weigh between 30 to 35 pounds at birth. Calves are born with spots which are gone by the end of summer. The calves are weaned from their mother’s milk at two months of age, leaving the comfort of their mother just before the breeding season begins in the next year.