Williams News Logo
Grand Canyon News Logo

Trusted local news leader for Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon

Co-existing with Arizona’s largest mammals<br>

Elk are members of the deer family and belong to a group of animals called ungulates. All ungulates have hooves, and are divided into two groups: even-toed (deer, elk, big horn sheep, etc.) and odd-toed (horses, elephants, etc.) Within the deer family, all male animals grow antlers. An exception is caribou, where both males and females grow antlers.

Elk in Arizona have several hoofed neighbors – mule deer, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep. Although their habitats may overlap, each species has several adaptations and forage preferences that allow them to coexist peacefully.

At first sight, the obvious difference between deer and elk is their size – elk are massive. Males, called bulls, can weigh in at 750 pounds, and that’s without their antlers. Female elk, called cows, are a more “petite” 500 pounds. A bull can stand 54 inches at the shoulder – my Toyota Corolla is 54 and a half inches high. A cow elk can measure more than six feet from nose to rump, a bull up to eight feet. My Corolla is only 66 inches wide. Get the idea of an elk’s size?

In addition to their body mass, a full-grown bull carries an additional 40 pounds on his head in the form of antlers. Antlers are the crowning glory of male elk, and their size and beauty are awe-inspiring. So what’s the purpose of carrying all that weight on your head? Hormones, pure hormones.

With the exception of caribou, antlers are a male thing. Elk grow antlers to impress the ladies, to show their dominance and to prove they are healthy and capable of finding lots of food. In late spring, longer days trigger the increase of the hormone testosterone in a bull elk. Two pedicles – bony bumps on top of a bull’s head – start growing antlers. And they grow fast, faster than any other kind of bone. A healthy, mature bull can grow antlers up to one inch a day, going from zero to a 40 pound, four-foot-wide rack in six months. It takes a few years for a bull to achieve that size, however. Two-year-olds grow a skinny pair of spike antlers, which prove their youth and immaturity to the cows. By the third year, a bull may have a respectable rack, with a few branches, called tines. It’s not until the sixth or seventh year that a bull features his “adult” rack.

The amount of tines does not indicate the age of the animal, but it does indicate the maturity and strength of the male. Think of the neck muscles required to carry around that weight, as well as the athleticism required to run full-speed through the forest with a four-foot spread on your head.

Since antler is bone, it needs nourishment to grow. As the layers of cartilage grow and mineralize into bone, a soft covering called velvet protects the antler and carries blood to the growing tissue. The blood stops flowing in August, when the bone hardens. At that time, elk use trees, bushes, sides of houses, cars, and whatever else is available to rub off the annoying velvet. During the process, a bull elk’s rack takes on a chandelier effect, with drying velvet hanging in long fringes. Perhaps it is as comical a sight to the cow elk as it is to human viewers, but soon the bull will be ready for the mating season with his crowning glory to impress the ladies.

The mating season, known as the rut, usually occurs in September. Fueled by testosterone, bulls assert their authority over younger bulls and fight to acquire a harem of cows and the opportunity to mate with them. While few people witness the battle between two full-grown bulls, many are privileged to hear the bull’s bugle. Like the howl of a wolf or the cry of a loon, an elk’s bugle is one of the most magnificent sounds in the wilderness.

Once the mating season is over, the testosterone level in a bull elk drops like a rock – and so do his antlers. Testosterone is the “glue” that holds antlers in place. Once it’s gone, so are the antlers. Antlers don’t drop off simultaneously; and a bull may carry a lopsided 20-pound cargo on one side of his head for several days before he is fully released of his burden. A brief hormonal rest period during the winter allows elk to keep up energy levels during a time of less food. In the spring, the bull is ready to grow a new set of antlers and start the cycle again.

As a side note, many people believe that antlers are horns. There is a notable difference between antlers and horns, in their makeup, their appearance and their wear.

Cattle, goats, bighorn sheep and pronghorn have horns. Horns are usually dagger-like, and have a bony core, and are covered with a thin sheath of keratin. The sheaths are shed occasionally, although not every year, still leaving the bone underneath. Both sexes usually grow horns, and their age is often indicated with yearly growth rings on the horn.

Elk, deer, moose and caribou grow antlers. With the aforementioned exception of caribou, only males grow antlers. Antlers are branched and are shed yearly. Their size doesn’t indicate age of the animal.

As far as predators, elk have few. In Arizona, the mountain lion is the main predator, and even a mountain lion is smart enough to leave a full-grown elk alone. Injured, old or very young elk are usually the cougar’s prey. As prey animals, elk have tricks to deter predators. Apart from the mating season, bulls travel in bachelor groups made up of similar-size males. The remaining elk travel in herds made up of cows, young bulls that have not reached maturity, and calves. When danger threatens, the cows circle the calves and face outward towards the intruder. Strength in numbers and strong hooves usually deter a cougar from any advanced threats.

The biggest threat to elk today is loss of habitat and increased roadways through existing habitat. Put an interstate freeway between an elk’s grazing grounds and water source, and someone is going to suffer. Motorists who choose to ignore wildlife signs and drive at high speeds often observe their first elk on their car bumper. When traveling through elk country, slow down and remember that a 700-pound animal may be ready to cross the road just in front of you.


Donate Report a Typo Contact