You just can't get a real sense of an elk's stature from a photo. The
fact that they can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, and stand five feet tall
and up to ten feet long, not including a bull's antlers (or "rack")
that can span 5 feet across, doesn't convey the power and majestic
presence of these magnificent creatures in person. They're a symbol of
the wild spirit of the American West, inspiring an awe and appreciation
of nature in people from the beginning of time.
The elk is also known as Wapiti, an Algonquin word for white, a
reference to the white patch of hair on most elks' rumps. Arizona's
high country, the White Mountains, and the area between Flagstaff and
Sedona in particular are prime habitats for elk, which prefer sparse
forests dotted with plenty of open meadows for grazing. Elk will spend
eight to twelve hours a day feeding on grasses and leaves, and like
domestic cows, regurgitate partially digested food back up for another
chew before fully digesting it.
Don't let the serene expression of a grazing elk cow fool you into
thinking an elk's life is all contemplative munching, however. These
powerful and volatile creatures, particularly the males, are known for
their dramatic behavior when threatened or during mating season. In the
fall, bull elk compete with one another for mating rights to "harems"
of cows. They engage in an assortment of posturing to convince the
girls that they're the biggest and baddest boys in these parts, which
include strutting, bugling, wallowing in mud and urinating on plants
which they then drape on their antlers. (Want a good laugh? Imagine an
amorous human male engaging in that last ritual. It gets funnier every
time.) A particularly successful male can lay claim to a harem of up to
60 cows. In some Native American symbolism, the elk is linked to male
seductive power and virility, and a man who's particularly lucky in
love is said to possess "Elk Magic."
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