Finding Elk in Yellowstone

Elk, also known as wapiti (which means “white rump” in Shawnee and Cree), are the largest species of the deer family. Males (bulls) weigh about 700 pounds and are about 5 feet high at the shoulder; females (cows) weigh about 500 pounds and are slightly shorter. Single calves are born in May to late June and weigh about 30 pounds at birth. Over the spring and summer, elk form nursery herds comprised of females, calves, and young males. The mature males go off alone or form small bachelor groups. While elk may appear quite docile, they are wild animals and are unpredictable. Females will protect their young. Yellowstone park rules require visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from elk.

Elk herd in Yellowstone National Park

Bulls have antlers, which begin growing in the spring and usually drop in March or April of the next year. In the spring and early summer the antlers are covered in “velvet”. By fall they harden and the bulls sharpen them by rubbing against trees for use in the mating season (rut) in September and October. In the fall, each bull looks to accumulate female mates which travel with him in a group called a harem. The elk bulls “bugle” to attract females and warn/challenge other bulls. If visiting Yellowstone in the fall, you will want to witness the elk rut.

Male elk with Velvet antlers Yellowstone National Park

Male elk with velvet antlers and shedding fur in early spring

bull elk in Yellowstone National Park Fall

Bull elk sharpen their antlers on trees to prepare for the rut

Male elk with his female harem in fall

Yellowstone provides summer range for an estimated 10,000–20,000 elk (Cervus elaphus) from 6–7 herds, most of which winter at lower elevations of the park or outside the park. As Yellowstone’s most abundant ungulate, elk comprise approximately 90% of winter wolf kills and are an important food source for bears, mountain lions, and at least 12 scavenger species, including bald eagles and coyotes. Competition with elk can influence the diet, habitat selection, and numbers of bighorn sheep, bison, moose, mule deer, and pronghorn. Elk browsing and nitrogen deposition can affect vegetative production, soil fertility, and plant diversity. Elk feed on grasses, sedges, other herbs and shrubs, bark of aspen trees, conifer needles, burned bark, and aquatic plants. Changes in elk population over space and time can alter plant and animal communities.

Where to See Elk:

Look for elk grazing in the edges of meadows near forests, especially in the early morning and evening when they are most active. Elk can be found throughout the park, but some areas are more predictable:
Spring & Summer: Gibbon Meadows, Elk Park, Lamar Valley, Mammoth area, Swan Flats, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone area, Canyon Junction area, from the road along Hayden Valley the slopes on the far side of the Yellowstone River, Blacktail Deer Plateau
Autumn, during “rut” or mating season: northern range, including Mammoth Hot Springs area; Madison River.
Winter: migrate north to the northern range and around Gardiner, Montana; <100 year-round along the Firehole and Madison rivers; south to the Jackson Hole Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.

Other elk viewing opportunities exist throughout the United States. I have had good experience observing elk in: Grand Teton (Wyoming), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), Redwoods (California), Olympic and Cascades (Washington) National Parks. They can be found in many National Forests. They are visible throughout higher elevation areas in the summer and migrate to lower elevations in the winter. They are quite prevalent in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho. Elk have been reintroduced in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. They have migrated into Virginia and West Virginia.