Weighing in at almost 700 pounds, the North American elk exists as one of the largest deer species on earth. But don’t be fooled by their large stature, a mature bull elk can run up to 40 miles per hour!

Reintroduced elk on Afognak Island in Alaska have been known to swim three miles to nearby Kodiak Island. While being pursued by wolves, elk may retreat into waterways that largely protect them from predation.

Even a dead elk might kill you if you do not watch your step. Some elk areas are also bear areas. In most situations, a black bear is no more dangerous than a deer. But grizzly bears can kill you.

During the day, hunt in jungles of lodgepole pine or second-growth Douglas fir. In warm weather, look for elk to bed high on north slopes where timber is thick but breezes keep flies at bay. Elk like to forage in the open, mostly early and late in the day.

Time of Day: Elk, like many animals, are most active during the morning and evening hours. Middle of the day hunts may be effective during the rut, but if you are looking for the most activity, shoot for early morning and dusk.

During rainy weather, elk will often be up feeding, you need to move slow enough to see them moving before they spot you. And don’t forget to hunt with the wind in your face. Something else to consider. To really be effective still hunting, you need to know elk are in the area.

Active member. My experience is elk “prefer” to bed on the north facing slopes, because these slopes are out of the direct sunlight which equates to a lot of things (typically cooler, more vegetation for security, moist soils, etc.). The key word is “prefer”.

Water is an important component of elk habitat. An elk drinks about 4 gallons of water per day. To get the water they need, most elk will travel to water at least once each day, often more.

Unlike deer that are opportunistic browsers, elk will consume a favorite food (aspen, choke cherry, oak) until there is no more left. They will then eat their second favorite food until it is also gone, followed by their third, and so on. Heavy elk browsing can significantly reduce plant diversity in an area.

As everyone else has said, they’ll water whenever they’re thirsty, and at all 24 hours. That said, I certainly would sit water at least from mid-afternoon till dark. I usually try to be on a stand or in a blind by 1:00 or so, as I’ve seen some very big bulls water as early as 2:00.

Last year, the timing was perfect for calling in an aggressive bull during Colorado’s muzzleloader season—unless you’re one of those hunters that swears a full moon shuts down or delays the elk rut. No elk movement during daylight. And a bright, full moon each night.

The 1st – 4th provides a good moon, but going that early could be a little risky. As we get into the mid-season, this is usually my favorite, preferred time to hunt elk. The bulls are aggressively establishing dominance and their harems, which makes them susceptible to calling.

Elk Calves Elk females or cows usually give birth to their calves or young elk late May through early June. At birth, calves weigh between 33 and 35 pounds. Most cows give birth to one calf, but occasionally they will give birth to two calves. The elk cow leaves the herd to give birth to her babies.