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CRITTERS OF NORTH IDAHO: The Rocky Mountain Elk

by Christian Ryan Correspondent
| September 4, 2018 1:00 AM

photo

Ryan

The rocky mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) is one of the icons of the wilderness making up the western United States, and we’ve got a population of them living in and around the forests surrounding Coeur d’Alene!

Elk are among the largest members of the deer family, dwarfed only by the moose. They are also quite widespread, with several subspecies of this genus not only living in the United States and Canada, but also throughout much of Eurasia. If you’re in Europe and you happen to see one of these animals, be careful not to call it an elk. In Eurasia, what we Americans call elk are known as “red deer,” because the term “elk” is instead reserved for what we Americans call the moose. In Asia, the elk is known as the “maral.” To avoid confusion, and since we’re living in the United States, we’re going to use the elk’s American name.

Like all members of the deer family, elk are herbivorous. However, most deer, like white-tailed deer and moose, are browsers. In other words they mainly feed on the tender shoots, leaves, and fruit from high-growing plants, such as shrubs and small trees.

While elk can and do browse on occasion, they prefer to graze on grass, much like cows do. Their grassy diet is a major reason why these animals like to live in forest-edge habitats and on open plains, where they often form massive herds as a form of defense against predators.

Unfortunately grass is very low in nutrients, meaning animals that eat it must be designed to squeeze out every ounce of it. Also like cows, elk do this using their four-chambered stomach to digest the 20 pounds of vegetation they consume daily. The diet of the Rocky Mountain elk varies with the seasons, as some of their favorite foods aren’t plentiful during certain times of the year. In wintertime, for instance, they often supplement their lack of grass by eating tree bark, and in the summertime they love to eat forbs.

During the summer, the elk herds of North Idaho have been living in their high country grazing grounds in gender-segregated herds. This all changes when the elk migrate into the lowlands where they will spend their winter. This is also when what is known as the annual rut begins!

The rutting season is characterized by testosterone-charged elk bulls battling among each other for the right to mate. During this time of year, a bull will attempt to guard his harem of at least 20 or so female elk for the duration of the rut. This leaves little time for other activities, like eating.

When rival bulls see each other, they start by sizing each other up. This is usually done by walking parallel to each other, back and forth, and by emitting loud bellowing or bugling calls elk are famous for. There is no point in either of them risking injury if one of the bulls is a lot weaker or more inexperienced than the other. If this fails, then the elks engage in an antler-wrestling match, pushing back and forth in the hopes of injuring the other. If he survives, the loser flees and the victor wins the entire harem. With all of this activity, it is no wonder that bull elk have been known to lose up to two-tenths of their body weight during this time of year.

Once the rut is over in the winter, the bull elks calm down and aside from the occasional predator encounter, peace returns to the elk herds. The following year will bring on the births of even more elk and the cycle of life for these deer will continue.

RING-BILLED GULL DRAWING CONTEST WINNERS

Emma H.

Thomas H.

Landon C.

Jamie P.

Their work will be displayed during the Art Walk at Blackwell Gallery on Friday, Sept. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Project provided by Angel Dominiq

angeldominiq13@gmail.com