Elk, also known as wapiti, are the largest of Colorado’s native deer. Not only is elk hunting in Colorado a big deal, but elk are literally the biggest of the big game! Elk range from 7 to 9 feet long, with a 4 to 6 inch tail and can weigh anywhere from 450 to 900 pounds! The animals are brownish tan in color, with a yellowish rump and a dark mane on the shoulders. Mature males, or bulls as they are commonly called, have large antlers, typically with 6 tines branching from each beam.
Elk range throughout mountainous parts of Colorado, foraging in meadows and alpine tundra on grasses, forbs, and browse. They are herd animals, sometimes moving in herds of 200 to 300 individuals. Colorado is the elk capital of the world with more than 280,000 elk! And since the state of Colorado has more elk than anyone else, who better than to teach even more about this majestical creatures?
The newest video in the “a.m. Colorado” series takes you to a mountain meadow in Arapaho National Forest where you will spend an autumn morning in the company of a herd of Rocky Mountain elk. In this video, you can watch from your front-row seat as magnificent bulls tend their harems of elegant cows and sleek calves. Hear the mighty bugling of the bulls, and listen to the seldom-heard vocalizations of the cows as they communicate with the herd.