[birdman]

Understanding Elk

Social Structure
Elk often group together with the cows and calves in one herd, the older bulls in another herd, and the younger bulls in still another herd, although young and old bulls may be found together. During the spring and summer, cow elk travel in large herds with their calves. These herds are often made up of an older dominant cow, her sisters, their daughters and their daughter's daughters. The bulls often remain apart from the cows until the beginning of the rut in late August/early September, and stay with them until November. However I have, seen bulls with cows as early as July. After the rut the bulls generally form loose groups and go off by themselves. Elk of both sexes and all ages may be found together in the winter, especially when food sources are limited.

Habitat

Elk are grazing animals; therefore they are primarily a species of plains, open forest and forested mountains. However, they are very adaptable and thrive in the sparsely forested areas of the badlands of the Dakota's, and the semi-desert areas of New Mexico, Arizona and Oregon. In Minnesota and Michigan elk inhabit mixed hardwood forests near agricultural lands in the proximity of humans.
In mountainous regions elk utilize open coniferous forest in foothills or mountains near creek and river drainages. These areas provide a mixture of different habitats meeting in edges where several forage species occur and where there is fresh water for daily use. Studies show that elk prefer to stay within 1/2 mile of free flowing water. Preferred edges include drainages where evergreens meet aspen, alder, willow and shrubs, and where those species meet meadows or wetlands. Scientific studies show that the edges between two different types of habitat provide twice the number of species and amount of food than fifty yards into either habitat. Because of this elk use declines after 100 yards into specific habitats. Habitats covering 30 to 80 acres satisfy the normal biological needs of elk for feeding or cover.

Meadows

Elk prefer feeding areas with from 0 to 25 percent cover and 20 to 45 acres in size. They routinely cross openings of 490 feet. When openings reach 985 feet elk prefer to travel around rather than across the opening. Elk use open mountain top meadows adjoining forests on two or more of the mountains, because these meadows offer forage, cover and access to different microclimates within a relatively small distance. Meadows provide the grasses, sedges and forbes (wild flowers and weeds) that elk prefer to feed on.

Slopes and Drainages

The angle of the slope has a noticeable effect on elk use in mountainous regions because of plant growth and microcline (temperature). Elk use increases with the steepness of the slope to a maximum of 30 to 40 percent, with use of preferred slopes between 15 and 30 percent. There is a noticeable decline in elk use when slope angles exceed 40 percent. Upper slopes are preferred over middle and lower slopes in both summer and winter. River drainages and valleys are used extensively in the summer because they provide thermal cover and late summer food, and they are often used as travel lanes. Northeast slopes are heavily used in summer and early fall because they retain more moisture and provide succulent forage for the animals to eat. South facing slopes are used twice as heavily in winter as north facing slopes, probably because of solar radiation, which causes snow melt and exposes available forage. The steep, rugged terrain of mountain slopes offers escape routes and provides succulent forage in late summer.

Coniferous Forest; Thermal and Security Cover, Bedding Sites

Coniferous (evergreen) forests offer escape and security cover for elk by providing protection from heat through shade, protection from the cold by holding in heat, protection from the wind and windchill factors by reducing wind speed by 50-70 percent, and protection from precipitation. The preferred coniferous forest for thermal cover (shade in the summer, wind protection in fall and winter) is ponderosa pine/Douglas fir or other mixed conifer types. Thermal cover needs to be 30 acres or more in size in order to reduce wind speeds. Ponderosa pines 40 feet or more in height, without lower limbs and sparse ground cover, are used in hot weather because they provide shade and still permit cooling breezes to occur.
When security cover is used for hiding, the forest overstory is usually of moderate height with downed woody material and abundant browse, with approximately 200 trees per acre. Preferred security cover is 600 feet wide. This same type of cover is used by elk in cold weather to reduce heat loss. Elk use of security cover declines between 450 and 600 feet into the cover; elk don't often go deeper into heavy cover than 600 feet. When fleeing danger, elk move an average of 375 feet into cover before feeling secure.

Preferred bedding cover for elk is often 75 to 100 percent closed, and 30 to 60 acres in size. During warm periods elk day beds are often found on north facing slopes; night beds are often found on south facing slopes, often in open areas. During cold periods day beds can be found on south facing slopes; night beds are usually on the downwind side of hills. Most bedding sites are found near timber clumps, with the exception of warm weather night beds, which are often in open areas.

Forage

A study of Roosevelt Elk showed that from June through August their forage consisted of approximately 20 percent forbes, 20 percent browse and 60 percent grasses and sedges. Their diet changed from September through November, when 20 percent was browse, and 75 percent was grasses and sedges. This change can be attributed to the lack of succulent forbes later in the year. Preferred forbes of Rocky Mountain elk during the falI include Common commandra, Slimpod shootingstar, American licorice, Dotted Grayfeather, Alfalfa, Yellow sweetclover, Mountain bluebells, Cord-leaved montia, Siberian montia, Alpine forget-me-not, Wilcox pentsemon, Columbian goundsel, Sitka valerian, Wyethia and Common beargrass; preferred fall grasses and grass like plants include Bluestem wheatgrass, Bearded bluebunch wheatgrass, Blue wildrye, Idaho fescue, Sheep fescue, Pary Rush, Millet woodrush, Timothy, Bluegrass, and Needle-and-thread; preferred fall trees and shrubs include Curlleaf mountian mahogany, Quaking aspen, Bitter cherry, Antelope bitterbrush, Prickly rose, Willow, Blueberry elder, Blackbead elder and American mountian ash. Elk are opportunistic feeders and relish the upper boughs and needles of freshly fallen spruce and pine, the bark of freshly fallen aspen, and acorns where available.

Bulls and cows often use differing amounts of the same food sources. In one study bulls used 10 percent more grass, and cows 10 percent more Salmonberry in September than they did in August. There was a marked difference in the amount of food intake between bulls and cows in mid-November, after the rut. Overall cow intake was reduced from September to October, while bull intake was highest after the rut. This is probably due to the fact that bulls need to put on fat to get them through the rut, and the cows eat less because the calves have begun to forage more and drink less milk. Elk eat between 1.7 and 2.9 pounds of dry meadow grass per hundred pounds of body weight; large bulls may eat from 12 to 18 pounds a day.

[D Winkler]

Good info

Thanks Todd