Roosevelt elk are the largest subspecies by body mass.
Of the four subspecies of elk found in North America, two reside in British Columbia. Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) can be found on Vancouver Island. Roosevelt elk are larger with larger and more rugged antlers than other members of the species. These elk are also know as the Olympic elk or Roosevelt’s wapiti.
Elk have a golden brown coat during the summer and a longer, grayish brown coat during the winter. Their legs, head and neck remain dark brown year round. Mature bull Roosevelt elk have rich brown antlers with ivory tips and long cylindrical beams that sweep upward and back. Bull elk will shed their racks every March.
An elk’s diet primarily consists of sedge, grass and ferns, but is supplemented by highbush cranberry, devlil’s club and newly planted seedlings of Douglas fir and western red cedar. They are also known to eat blueberries, lichens and salmonsberries. These elk herds live in the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. At maturity, a cow will weigh about 600 lbs and a bull will weigh about 900 lbs. Elk meat is leaner and higher in protein than both chicken and beef.
Photocredit: Betty 4240
