Dean M. Chriss
Photography
Bull Elk, Master of the Madison, Yellowstone National Park

Bull Elk, Master of the Madison

(Click image to enlarge)

Elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis) are among the largest species of the deer family in the world and one of the largest land mammals in North America. A large bull like the one in the photograph above can weigh over 700 pounds (317 kg), stand 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the shoulder and measure about 8 feet (2.45 m) in length. Only the male elk have antlers, which start growing each spring and are shed each winter. Elk antlers can be 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) long and weigh 40 pounds (18 kilograms).