The elk is a large member of the deer family; smaller than a moose but bigger than a deer. Bull elk grow large antlers every year, which they use to spar with other bulls during the rut each fall. In the late winter, the antlers drop off and new antlers start to grow.
Antlers begin small and are covered in dark brown fuzz, called "velvet". This protects and nourishes the soft antlers with blood and nutrients until they are fully grown. In August the antlers will harden. The bulls will rub the velvet off and polish their antlers on tree trunks and shrubs.
The ‘rut’ is the breeding season for all ungulates, and happens in the fall, usually after the first few frosty nights. The "bugle" is the call of a bull elk in the rut, and sounds like a high-pitched squeal. Bulls use this to attract females and to challenge other males.
Elk graze on grasses as well as browse leaves from shrubs and prefer dry, arid habitat spotted with deciduous trees such as Trembling Aspen and Balsam Poplar, or Cottonwood. They like a combination of large grassy meadows, with nearby forest cover to hide in if need be.