Elk are members of the deer family, which also include moose and caribou.
Only the bull elk grows antlers. They are grown each year and shed, usually in late winter. Elk antlers can weigh 40 pounds for the pair.
Elk feed primarily on grasses and woody plants.
Elk are preyed upon by man, mountain lions (cougars), bears, wolves, and coyotes.
There are about 1 million elk living in the United States.
Elk are farmed in the United States for meat, and for the velvet that their antlers produce. The velvet is a primary ingredient for holistic medicines.
Elk live 8 to 12 years.
Elk can weigh from 500 pounds (cow) to 700 pounds (bull).