Elk
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The North American elk used to be the most widely distributed member of the deer family in all of North America. Just like most other deer species, elk have two different annual coats, one for the summer and another for winter months. An elk’s summer coat is a deep, almost reddish-brown color with a rump patch that is almost orange in color. For winter months though, the coat changes considerably and becomes thicker, more of a brownish gray color, with a lighter cream-colored area on the rump.
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The antlers bull elk carry consist of a long beam, growing up and back from the top of the head. The average rack weighs about 30 lbs. During the summer months, an adult bull elk’s antlers grow and are covered with what’s “velvet,” which is actually blood-carrying tissue as the antlers grow and then harden. When fully grown and without the velvet coating, the antlers are shiny and dark brown to black.
Bull elk usually grown their first set of antlers when they’re about a year old, however the antlers are only about 10-24 inches in length, oftentimes without any tines at all. These immature bulls are called spikes.
Antlers are shed in early spring and grow back through the summer.
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