Furry Friday — Mother Elk

By Andy Ames

It seems like elk have been in the news a lot lately with 3 attacks by cow elk here in Estes in the last week. While this is an unusual number, these elk are displaying normal behavior.

Prior to giving birth, cow elk leave their herd to find a secluded spot to give birth. This may be more difficult this year with all our construction and congestion. For the next several days after birth, the new mother will leave her calf behind, sometimes for long periods of time. She does this not only to not attract attention to the calf but also to feed. This distance may vary depending on food sources. As a ruminant, she must forage for long periods to fill her stomach before laying down to chew her cud and digest. It will be a couple of weeks before the calf can start nibbling on vegetation. While mom is away the calf’s only defense is to hide and stay as still as possible. If threatened it will lay as low as it can, ears pinned down and not move a muscle in hopes of staying undetected. Naturally, this can be a very stressful time for both the calf and cow.

Mother elk display several responses when threats appear. First, she may stay hidden herself, carefully observing and evaluating the threat. Another option is to run away. This puts all the attention on herself, potentially luring the predator away from the area her calf is hiding. Her other option is to drive the threat away. This may just be walking toward the offending party in a threatening manner - ears back with head forward. The elk may even charge. If that doesn’t do the trick an attack may ensue.

How close is too close? That can vary by individual, by circumstances, by habitat, and many other factors. So what can we do to keep ourselves and the elk safe? Always be aware of your surroundings. Elk can appear in unusual places this time of year. If you spot an elk, whether a calf, cow, or even a bull give it plenty of room, even if that means changing your route. Elk are most threatened by things that resembles a predator. That could be a dog, a child, or anything out of the ordinary. The elk calving season runs from mid May to the end of June. During this time we should all be hyper vigilant and support our community’s new mothers.