The Elusive Elk

Posted on September 13, 2012

While many U.S. hunters have thoughts of doves and deer on their minds now, there are hunters who are heading afield in search of much bigger prizes—elk. The archery hunting season for elk is open now in many regions of America.

So what is everyone hunting for?

Much larger than your average white-tailed deer, a mature bull elk will stand around 5 feet tall at the top of the shoulder and can weigh 700 or more pounds. The average antlers on a mature elk can weigh 50 or more pounds. To escape hunters, elk often flee into forests and tilt their heads back and hold those antlers along the side of the neck and body, then twist their head from side-to-side to pass through small openings.

Elk hunting is not a new American hunting option. The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition killed and ate more than 300 elk on their multi-year quest across the Northwest. The good news is that more than a dozen states in the Midwest and East now have elk populations, and several of those states have hunting seasons. Kentucky’s Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources estimates that state is home turf to more than 10,000 elk and hunters there post a high success rate.

Good luck hunters, and thanks to the many hunters’ dollars that help with elk, and all wildlife, conservation efforts.

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