If there is
one big animal that you are almost sure to see during your visit to Banff
National Park, it is elk. This deer is at the top of the list of animals wanted
by wildlife observers. After moose, elk are the largest deer in the park. There
are also caribou, mule deer and white-tailed deer.
Elk are also
an essential part of the ecology of Banff National Park, where it is the most
common herbivore. It is an important food source for predators such as the
wolf.
Elk has
always been part of the park's natural ecology, but in the past, it was less
abundant than it is today. At the time of the park's creation in 1885, only a
few individuals lived in the Bow Valley. In 1906, the elk population was so low
that the species appeared to have disappeared. Ten years later, however, the
population had increased, both naturally and through the introduction, from
1918 to 1920, of 235 individuals from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Currently, elk are among the largest mammals in the park, with close to 350
animals, including over 200 in the lower Bow Valley near the town of Banff. We
will explore the 4 best broadheads for elk followed by their natural habitat.
Description
Elk has a
light brown coat, but the face, neck and legs have a dark hue. It has a cream
rump and a truncated tail. The mature male is very impressive. Its imposing
antlers can have up to 1.2 meters wingspan and length and weigh up to 22
kilograms. The animal weight varies from 180 to 450 kilograms. The female has a
weight less than one-third that of the male and is devoid of antlers. In the
male, new woods begin to grow each spring and then fall the following winter.
Body language
Elk also
communicates by its postures. During the period of love, the deer stand with
slender body and side to show his woods and all his power in order to manifest
his dominance. To keep hinds in his harem, he can tilt his antlers backward as
a warning. At any time of the year, elk can show its irritation by grinding
teeth, tucking its lower lip or setting its ears back. It is important to
recognize these behaviors when we see elk.
What does elk eat?
Most members
of the cervid family, including moose and mule deer, are grazers; they feed
almost exclusively on twigs, tree leaves and shrubs. Elk, meanwhile, also
grazes the soil. He has to spend a lot of time feeding himself. In the summer,
he eats a lot of grass, plants and leaves to build up the fat reserves he will
need during the breeding season and the long winter that follows. During the
cold season, dry woody substances such as dried grass, twigs and bark, which
take longer to digest, form the major part of their diet. If you are looking
for the best
broadhead for elk, then you need to learn more about elk.
Most elk
move in search of the best available food. Those who frequent Banff National
Park are considered partial migrants. This means that some of them migrate or
disperse at certain times of the year. Others remain in the same territory
throughout their lives. Still, others may be sedentary for some time and
migrate in some years depending on habitat conditions.
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