It’s important to remember that while elk are beautiful creatures they are also aggressive. The front tines protect their eyes during these battles. The cows, or female elk, are smaller than the male and do not have antlers. Weight 500 pounds (225 kgs) It should be noted that the average measurements vary by subspecies. In the middle of the night at Yellowstone National Park, two giant bull elk are caught on video fighting for the affection of the females in the group. Shoulder Height 4.5 feet (1.3 meters) Avg. Research shows that female elk heavily favor suitors with more antler points.Īdditionally, elk antlers function as weapons in fights with other males vying for status within the herd. These antlers can spread more than 5 feet. Female elk are called cows, and the typical size of a cow follows: Avg.
#Female elk antlers plus
A point or tine is a 'prong' on a fork in the antler.Īfter six years, a bull elk’s antlers may have six plus points or tines on each side and grow to a spread of more than four feet.Įlk antlers serve in attracting mates. Additionally, elk antlers function as weapons in fights with other males vying for. Typically, elk will grow one additional set of points each year. Research shows that female elk heavily favor suitors with more antler points. The average weight of adult males is only 450 to 550 lb (200 to 250 kg) and females have an average of 375 to 425 lb (170 to 193 kg). This soft hair called velvet carries blood and contains nerves.īull elk grow their antlers in a matter of a few months, starting in April and can be fully grown by August.Ī number of circumstances determine how large the elk antler rack will grow including the age, environment, available food and hereditary factors. Description Considered the smallest of the elk subspecies in North America, the tule elk were the dominant large ungulate in California prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Elk antlers in the summer growth period will be covered in a hairy, fuzzy velvet while developing. This velvet supplies the growing antler with nutrients and oxygen.Īn elk’s velvet antler is the elastic tissue covering the bone or the elk antler in a pre-calcified growth stage. Developing elk antlers are covered in velvet. Within days of the elk dropping their antlers, new antlers will begin to grow. Although it may look unpleasant, shedding or dropping their antlers is not painful for the elk. At this time, the bull elk testosterone levels are at their lowest, causing the base of the elk antler to deteriorate and eventually fall off.Įlk antlers are composed of bone. The elk herds in the black hills of South Dakota shed their antlers in the late spring months of March & April. Pronghorns, sheep, goats and bison continue to grow horns throughout their life. Almost all deer species including elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and moose are annually deciduous. Meaning, similar to deciduous trees or a snake shedding its skin, elk shed their antlers every year in the winter months.
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