'Hey Mom ... wait for me!'

During one of my recent travels in Boundary County I sighted a cow elk, her young calf and twin yearling elk from last year.

I was waiting by Myrtle Creek when I heard the sound of a large animal or animals crossing nearby. As I readied myself to take a picture of the animal or animals they came out on the other side of the creek. I was surprised to see a spike elk show up first, followed by a yearling female cow and then the mother cow and her young calf. The mother soon sized up the situation and observed me on the other side of the creek and quickly signaled to her young calf and last years’ twins to vacate the premises. The young calf seemed to say “Hey Mom wait for me” as he rushed after her fleeting hooves. Last years’ twins were soon to follow as they disappeared in the timber. In a flash they were gone, they had vanished as soon as they had appeared and the only evidence of them being there were the pictures in my camera and hoof prints on the creek bank.

Elk females or cows usually give birth to their calves or young elk late May through early June. At birth, calves weigh between 33-35 pounds. Most cows give birth to one calf, but occasionally they will give birth to two calves. The elk cow leaves the herd to give birth to her babies.

Like deer, elk calves are born spotted and scentless. These adaptations help camouflage the calf as it lies motionless in the grass. Elk calves will lose their spots by September. They are able to nurse off their mother for two to five months, and rejoin the herd with their mother after two weeks. Calves start eating grass younger than one month old.

At about six months, the young elk calf is about the size of a full-grown whitetail deer. The elk calf stays with its mother until the next spring when the cow has new babies. On some occasions last year’s calves will still stay in the vicinity of the mother and not interfere with the new offspring. A female elk calf can reproduce at one year of age. Male elk or bulls are not sexually mature until two years of age. A yearling bull elk is called a spike.

Survival of elk calves depends on a number of factors, including disease, predators, nutrition maternal care, weather, and accidents. Generally, highest mortality in elk calves occurs during the first month of life, where predators can take a high percentage of calves. During the mid-summer through fall period, elk calves generally have higher survival rates. Survival during winter varies considerably depending on how harsh winter conditions are and what predators exist in the area. Elk calves are generally reliant on milk for the first month, but will continue to suckle for several months if allowed by the mother. Within a couple of weeks of birth, elk calves begin to eat natural vegetation, and by a couple of months old are capable of surviving without milk. A significant factor when considering whether orphaning of elk calves results in higher mortality is whether the calf joins other elk. Generally, by July elk cows and calves begin to form small groups. Orphaned elk calves that remain in an elk group are generally expected to have higher survival rates.

If you travel Boundary County looking for elk, the time they are most active is at dusk and dawn. They are strictly herbivores or plant-eaters and their diet is based on tree sprouts, forbs, grass and bark. An average adult elk consumes about 20 pounds of food per day. Natural enemies of elk are black and grizzly bear, mountain lions, coyotes and wolves.

Elk typically live to around 12 years old in the wild. Captive elk have been known to live 25 years.

Discover Boundary County’s wildlife, there is a lot of nature to enjoy.

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