Elk

The North American elk or wapati (Cervus canadensis) is the largest member of the red deer family; a mature male, or bull, weighs between 661 and 772 pounds and stands 59 inches tall at the shoulder. The females, or cows, are significantly smaller, weighing at maturity 551 pounds. The males have large branching antlers. They are ungulates and are vegetarian. The term “wapati,” or “white rump,” is a Shawnee traditional name, but it is also used by the scientific community to disambiguate from European “elk,” which is actually a relation of the moose. Elk is both a historic and contemporary food throughout the animal’s range, and it is both hunted in the wild and farmed. Elk can be found in a wide range in western North America, and they are hunted during a short season in the autumn. Elk live on the edges of forests and feed on grasses and twigs. Elk farming remains a minor industry; elk require high fencing and large areas, but they can be raised on forage supplemented with grains and alfalfa.