The life span of a bull elk averages 10 to 13 years in the wild. Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

How old is that elk?

COUNTING POINTS

A bull elk is defined by the number of points it produces, called “tines”. An elk with a total of 12 antler points (6×6 or 6-point) is called a ‘“royal” bull; one with 14 points (7X7 or 7-point) is an “imperial”, and one with 16 points (8X8 or 8-point) is a “monarch”.

Most mature bull elk are 6x6s. An elk’s first antlers are usually spikes. In a good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. Its best antlers, however, usually come at age 9-1/2 to 12-½. Some bulls never grow the sixth point, and some grow a seventh, and rarely, even more. Most mature bull elk are 6x6s.

Generally speaking, a bull’s antler rack becomes larger and wider the older he gets. The term “trophy elk” means the elk is 6-10 years old. 

Bulls retain their antlers through the winter. Those with large antlers that are retained longer are at the top of the elk social structure, allowing them preferential access to feeding sites and mates.

ANTLER QUICK FACTS

• Antlers are usually symmetrical and occur in males or, very occasionally, females.
• Bulls shed and grow a new set of antlers every year.
• New antlers are covered in fuzzy skin called velvet. Antlers harden by late summer and the velvet peels away. By September, antlers are solid bone.
• The antlers of a typical, healthy bull are 55–60 inches long, just under six feet wide, and weigh about 30 pounds per pair, but can weigh up to 40 pounds.
• One-year-old bulls grow 10–20 inch spikes, sometimes forked. Two-year-old bulls usually have slender antlers with 4 to 5 points. Three-year-old bulls have thicker antlers. Four-year-old and older bulls typically have 6 points; antlers are thicker and longer each year. Eleven- or twelve-year-old bulls often grow the heaviest antlers; after that age, the size of antlers generally diminishes.

To learn more about the elk at the Valles Caldera, visit the National Park website.

To learn more about the wildlife of the Pajarito Plateau, visit the County Living With Wildlife page.