Elk are large animals, with bulls typically weighing between 500 and 1000 pounds, and cows weighing between 300 and 500 pounds. They can grow up to 5 feet tall at the shoulder and can be up to 9 feet long. This makes them the second largest species of deer and one of the largest land mammals in North America. Elk antlers are a spectacle of their own. The antlers are used primarily for display and combat during the mating season. They can grow up to 6 feet long and weigh up to 40 pounds. The antlers are shed and regrown each year, with the size and shape of the antlers depending on the age and health of the bull. Elk are a popular attraction for tourists, particularly in areas where they are accustomed to human presence.
is home to a very healthy elk population that draws in tourists for miles to see these beautiful creatures. The excessive close encounters with these wild animals is bound to lead to some bad interactions. This one from a few years back certainly isn’t a great encounter. A group of tourists is seen watching two bull elk from a very reasonable distance. The larger bull elk must have just been tired of being watched and decided he had enough. He turns on a dime and comes running straight for the group of people on the other side of the road. The people scatter quickly, but one old man is just too slow. The bull elk pushes his massive antlers right into his back causing him to crash down hard. Luckily it appears that he wasn’t seriously injured, but remember people, these are wild animals… they can and will run you right over. This just goes to show that we really need to be careful around these wild animals, especially in the parks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfhyaPGemEo