Luxor Creek Outfitters - British Columbia Big Game Hunts & Guide Outfitting

(Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

The first elk in North America migrated from Siberia across the Bering Strait land bridge. They almost certainly originated in Tibet and western China, before dispersing in all directions from their original homeland. The elk that ventured westward became the red deer of Europe and western Asia. The herds that traveled south became the famed Barasingas of India, and those that went eastward became the North American elk (Cervus elaphus) that we know today. Of these North American elk, the Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), are the most abundant on the continent, ranging from the mountainous regions of New Mexico and Arizona, all the way to the Yukon. As a rule, elk tend to share lands inhabited by mule deer in this range, and vice versa, although elk are much heavier and

sturdier in body physiology than mule deer. They have an unsurpassed vitality, and still thrive in many of North America's largest wilderness areas that are still intact. Bulls are able to run at about 35mph, and are exceptionally strong long-distance swimmers. They are also known to be extraor-
dinary survivors, as any elk hunter who has tracked a wounded animal can attest.

By their nature, elk tend to be shy and suspicious of people. However, with elk gravitating towards wildlife sanctuaries such as Yellowstone, Banff and Jasper National Parks (where they are protected from hunting), they often become so tolerant of people that they become a nuisance, and on certain occasions, even a public menace. The area of Jack-
son Hole, Wyoming, is renowned as a winter haven for thousands of elk every year, and the tales abound of elk strolling through town, and even chasing foodservice purveyor trucks after having tasted such delicacies as potato chips.

Elk are the second largest species of deer, and the second largest antlered big game animal in North America after the moose. The bull is characterized by thick and widely branching antlers that grow from the large burrs located high on the animal's head. Each of the elk's antlers is constructed of a heavy beam with several smaller tines that sweep forward, ending in sharpened points. During the summer, the pelage of the elk is suede brown, with darker hair on the face, belly, neck and legs, and a pale-colored patch on the posterior of the animal. In the winter, the head, neck, belly and legs turn a deeper shade of brown, while the back and sides grow more pale in color. The elk bull is further endowed with a long dense mane of dark brown hair. The size of an elk bull ranges from 7.5 to 8.9 feet, while weighing in at 584 to 1,100 pounds. An elk cow will be from 6 to 8 feet in length and 414 to 660 pounds in weight. Elk reach maturity at two years, with a life expectancy of 14 to 26 years. Stags begin to engage in the rut by four to five years of age, although antlers may continue to increase in size for a further two years.

The diet of the elk consists largely of grasses, herbs, and woody plants, but they are known to strip the bark from trees in the event that grasses and shoots are difficult to come by.

They will eat almost any and every plant that grows, whether native or introduced by man. Elk tend to live in woodlands, open mountain meadows and foothills, and are frequently spotted in swampy terrain, coniferous forests, and freshly cut areas where they can easily find food.

Aside from man, the known predators of the elk are grizzlies, moun-
tain lions, wolves, lynx and coyotes. Unprotected young elk are often preyed upon by black bears, wol-
verines, bobcats, and even golden eagles.

The elk is one of the most vocal of all North American big game animals. Its readily-identifiable bugle is higher pitched than other members of the deer species, presumably because elk tend to prefer forest-edge and more open habitats in which the higher-fre-
quency of the sound travels more successfully over open space. Since elk are "harem breeders" by nature, the bugling of the male is used to declare his size and strength with the end result being that he will lure cows into his harem. Elk are known as the most polygamous species of deer in North America, and it is not unusual for the strongest and most clever bulls to

gather the largest of harems, some-
times consisting of as many as sixty cows.

There is strong evidence that fe-
males choose the males during the annual rut. It is believed that the male's antlers are used primarily to impress and attract females into his harem. The bull's antlers, which can weigh nearly 60 pounds and span an astonishing five feet from tip to tip, re-
quire the development of strong neck muscles. After the fall rut when the bulls are depleted of energy and reserves, their antlers tend to become a hazardous inconvenience as they make the elk more conspicuous to predators, such as wolves and bears. For this reason, elk that live in forest habitats may lose their antlers fairly early, and browse for food alone. However, elk that inhabit more open spaces may preserve their antlers for a longer period in order to battle in dominance contests to gain access to scarce winter food.

During the summer months, elk spend the majority of their time engaged in extensive browsing and grazing to accumulate sufficient fat and muscle for the fall rutting season. At this time of year, bulls are far less sociable than the females. However,

when grazing open habitats, they do tend to band together for protection from marauding predators. Of all the big game animals of North America, only caribou travel greater distances on their annual migration. Elk tend to migrate twice a year following well-defined routes, beginning from the higher ranges they inhabit during the summer, to the lower winter ranges, and then back again. It is not unusual for them to spend their summers in green meadows that are thousands of feet in elevation above their preferred valley winter ranges.

Many sportsmen consider the elk as the most noble and handsome of big game trophies. The "Royal" bull is a rack with at least six tines to a side, and the minimum legal size for taking an elk in British Columbia. Some of the largest bulls have seven points to a side.

Elk numbers declined during the 1980s and early 1990s, due to the overpopulation of predatorial wolves. Since then, the wolf numbers have been reduced and the elk are making a good recovery. For this season, however, we are recommending that elk be a second choice animal. Even though the chances are improving, we would feel uncomfortable booking a straight elk hunt. Nevertheless, there are some outstanding trophy bulls in the area, and we're getting more all the time.