![]() ![]() ![]() Elk meat is leaner and higher in protein than both chicken and beef. At maturity, a cow will weigh about 600 lbs and a bull will weigh about 900 lbs. These elk herds live in the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. They are also known to eat blueberries, lichens and salmonsberries. Bull elk will shed their racks every March.Īn elk’s diet primarily consists of sedge, grass and ferns, but is supplemented by highbush cranberry, devlil’s club and newly planted seedlings of Douglas fir and western red cedar. Mature bull Roosevelt elk have rich brown antlers with ivory tips and long cylindrical beams that sweep upward and back. Their legs, head and neck remain dark brown year round. These elk are also know as the Olympic elk or Roosevelt’s wapiti.Įlk have a golden brown coat during the summer and a longer, grayish brown coat during the winter. ![]() Roosevelt elk are larger with larger and more rugged antlers than other members of the species. For this reason, it is important to keep elk herds from becoming too large in relation to the available food supply. Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) can be found on Vancouver Island. Summer: By late August the bull elk's antlers stop growing and soon the rutting season begins.Of the four subspecies of elk found in North America, two reside in British Columbia. Older males form separate bachelor herds or remain solitary through the summer. Later the cows and calves join the herd of females and young males, which is led by an older cow. About a week later they begin to grow new ones at the rate of 10 to 12 inches per month. Calves are born May and June and remain hidden from predators for the first week or two. Spring: In February and March, males shed their antlers. Winter: Due to the mild climate of the Northern California coast, elk in this area do not need ot migrate. Seasonal changes mark the behavior of elk herds.Īutumn: The breeding or rutting period occupies elk from late August to mid-October. Mature males boast large multi-branched antlers, while the shorter antlers of young males (called spikes) usually are unbranched. Both sexes have a dark head, neck and legs, with a light brown body and a cream-colored rump. Adult males (bulls) weigh 740 - 1,100 lbs. Always observe them at a safe distance.Įlk are the second largest members of the deer family. They are particularly dangerous during calving and the fall rut. Watch the roadsides and open/grassy hillsides for feeding animals.īe careful: elk are wild and unpredictable animals. They are more active in the cooler hours of the day, early morning and late evening, these are the best times to view elk. Roosevelt elk behavior is much the same as other elk subspecies. ![]() Permits will not be required from October 1st - April 30th. This is great viewing and can be in close proximity to the elk so please use caution and do not approach or disturb them.ĭue to the volume of visitors, California State Parks / National Park Service will require Day Use Permits to access to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon from May 1st - September 30th. Here you can frequently find elk grazing right along the beach, just off to the side of the road. to improve the elk range on state lands in Elk and Cameron counties. Gold Bluffs Beach: Continue on Davison Rd for another 6 miles and you will arrive at Gold Bluffs Beach. By Joe Kosack, Wildlife Education Specialist- Eastern elk once ranged statewide. A short way further down Davison Road are restrooms, picnic facilities and the Trillium Falls trail. Elk are frequently to be seen on the prairie, and there are many excellent viewing stations along the Parkway and within the campsite.Įlk Meadow, just off Highway 101 on Davison Road, has good parking and visibility for elk viewing. Two areas in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park have been designed to provide excellent and safe viewing of the Roosevelt elk:Įlk Prairie, on the Newton Drury Scenic Parkway, is the central park location with a visitor center, camping and many trail heads. Now the elk number in the thousands and they are being reintroduced to many areas of their original range. Hunted nearly to extinction by North Coast settlers, there were only a few hundred animals left when conservation efforts began. Roosevelt elk are a major conservation success story. One of the largest members of the deer family. ![]()
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