Even if you’re an experienced elk hunter with years of hunting under your belt, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re also an expert on the animal as well. Elk are truly fascinating animals if you take the time to learn a little bit about them. Let our team at Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch share some of the most exciting elk facts as you prepare for your hunting excursions.
- If you’re wondering how big do elk get, they can weigh anywhere from 325 to 1,100 pounds. Even so, the animal is not even as big as a moose—but are still much bigger than deer!
- The iconic bugling sound that elks make is made by not only their mouths and lips but also their nostrils. The vocal cords and whistling through the nose work together to make the noise, specifically. We would say this is one of the most interesting facts about elk!
- How tall are elk? In total, they can grow up to nine feet tall—but around four feet of that height is from their antlers alone. That loosely translates to the animals standing at about four feet tall at their shoulders.
- Just like plants, elk antlers grow faster in sunlight. On average, they grow about one inch per day. Who would have thought? These elk facts just keep getting more interesting.
- Once fully grown, male elks have a velvet-like substance on their antlers. Although, this is rubbed off when they fight other males to decide which will mate with a specific female elk.
- How long do elk live? In the wild, the animals live about eight to 12 years.
Additional Elk Facts From Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch
If you’re interested in learning more elk facts, check out our website to learn about subspecies, diet, and more. When you stay at Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch, you’re 100 percent guaranteed to have a successful hunt, so you can plan on taking home one of these magnificent beasts, also called wapiti. For more information about accommodations with us, visit our website or give us a call at 208-351-7301.