Jan. 19, 2008

Nature Notes ~ Elk Tracks & Droppings

The beautiful majestic Elk (Cervus elaphus) also known as wapiti a Shawnee word meaning 'white deer' are the second largest member of the deer family. Only the Moose (Alces alces) is larger. Elk are herbivores and during the winter months they will eat grass when it is available but when the ground is covered in snow they readily eat woody twigs, shrubs, leaves and have even been known to eat conifers like the Douglas fir!

They are very vocal and always travel together in a herd. You can hear them grunt and call to each other and it is very eerie in the night to hear them crashing through the bushes and calling out. If you have never heard one click HERE to listen.


They are becoming exceedingly brave and last night there were at least 20 of them on the front lawn!! They don't even move for the dog anymore, instead they give chase and spar at him with their antlers :) This afternoon we went out to see what sort of tracks they had left behind. Above is some of their droppings. I put a penny next to them so that you could get a feel for how big they are.


Obviously one of them is not getting enough fiber! LOL.
You would think with all of the apple tree branches they've been munching on this one would be exploding with roughage. *grin*


Above is an imprint of one of their hooves in the wet grass.

This is what a clear imprint of an Elk hoof looks like. We are going to get some materials so that we can start taking molds of animal tracks we find.


Unfortunately Elk are a big nuisance in the wet season because they destroy the fields and lawns with their hooves by making deep ruts and holes in the ground like the above photo....


and as a result a whole herd can destroy large areas very quickly. This is only one of the spots on the lawn that is in need of some repair :)