What Elk Eat

What do elk Eat?

Two of the most important components of finding elk are knowing what they eat and where water is in the area. We’ll focus on what elk eat in this article. Print this out and take it with you on your scouting trips. It’s almost too easy. Match the plants in this article to areas where they grow wild in elk country, sit and wait for the elk to show up.

If you’re in search of a (really) big bull then you’ll want to find these plants in a location that would support just ONE elk. Which is generally a small, remote, rugged area that offers dark timber for cover and a small spring for water. Because big bulls are solitary animals until the rut is in full swing.

Elk have a very adaptive digestive system. As seasons change and the food source change the microbacteria inside the elk will change to adapt to different digestive demands. The survivability of the elk is greatly affected by this tiny microbacteria living inside them.

Here’s the list (in no particular order) of plants and grasses elk will eat regularly:

Elkweed (plant)
Pine needles
Rough fescues (grass)
Timothy (grass)
Needle and thread (grass)
Bluegrass
Elk sedge
Sweet clover (flowering plant)
Beargrass
Lupine
Sweetvetch
Arrowleaf groundsel
Aspen leaves and bark
Serviceberry
Chokecherry
Bitterbrush
Willow
Sagebrush
Mountain mahogany
Aquatic plants such as the center of cattail stems
Other grasses (Colorado has over 80 types of wild grasses)
Elk Thistle (Elk just eat the round top of the plant when it dries up in the fall)

Here are some links to photos to show you of the types of places elk feed in.

Wet meadows - Always a favorite.

ASPENS! - Aspen areas host just about the entire menu for elk.

Aspen and Pine - Where big elk live. Provides both food and cover.

Creek valleys – Provide food, water and security in a herd.

Short Grasses – Found on the tundra and lower meadows.

Bushes and Shrubs – In creek valleys.

Meadows – With nearby cover.

Leaves – Just about any leaf-bearing tree is a source of food.

Tundra – Offers both food and water all summer and through October.

Willows – Again, remote creek valleys are hot spots.

Plants with Color – Any plants with color attract elk.

Read more about elk diet and general information here.

Good news for you and me. Plants and grasses can’t run away from you so they should be easy to find. Mark feeding areas on your GPS or map. Then start walking big circles around the area looking for elk trails and fresh beds.

What Do Elk Eat?

If you can locate areas that hold an elk’s favorite food then just pull up a chair and wait. They’ll be there. Elk are grazers. They eat 1/3^rd the amount of food cattle will eat but that’s still a lot of food. The area they favor will be green, wet, and safe. I’ve seen solitary bulls work a relatively small area where small openings provided plenty of forage near ponds and small seeps. Creeks and willows are also very popular areas. In Colorado these areas can exist just about anywhere so you need to narrow it down further. Get away from roads and people. Get a good map that shows springs and creeks. Elk are large animals and need water everyday. If you are lucky enough to chase elk on private property or observe them in a Federal or State park then the rules change a little but their diet remains the same.

Elk will eat aspen bark, aspen leaves and all the grass around the willows near creeks. Cow Elk Eating Leaves On Tree This cow elongated her neck to reach aspen leaves near Lake Estes. You’ll notice all the grass from the area has been nibbled down to almost nothing. Grasses are one of the most favorite foods elk will eat. There are over 80 types of grasses that grow wild in Colorado. Elk have a four-chambered stomach. That allows them to eat just about anything they see and re-chew it later. Think of it as a buffet. If you could you’d eat a little bit of everything you would, and taste it later. You’d just stuff yourself full then recline in your favorite chair and nap or watch TV. Elk eat like the world is their buffet. They eat all they can then they go lie down and re-chew their food into smaller pieces. Since they re-chew their food they can eat things like aspen bark, willow stems and pine needles. The nutritional value depends on the plant. Elk also eat service berries (a red berry that ripens in the fall) and the tops of elk thistle (a round, tan, dry, spiked bulb that was once purple in the spring).

The grass around the base of this willow was eaten eventually down to the soil. Grass At Base Of Tree Even the tips of the willow were eaten. An over population of elk in an area can devastate the land. That’s one reason why the State’s division of wildlife will use hunting to manage the population by game management units. We returned to this exact spot in October and the elk were still there. They favored this spot in the early morning. It was just a matter of time before they returned to nibble on the rich grasses in the area. I’ve found that areas rich in good soil will produce better forage. That’s why I prefer aspen groves to just about anywhere. If you can find an aspen grove with fresh water then you’ve found a great spot for elk. Aspen Tree Aspen leaves and willow leaves fall to the ground every year. They are broken down over time by wind, rain and snow. The result is high quality mulch. Over years it turns the topsoil into rich, black soil. These aspen areas have the best, nutrient-rich, soil around. That’s why elk and other wildlife prefer these areas. They will return year after year.

Elk browse on the grasses that grow on the tundra (above tree-line) every summer. This area is very fragile. It is subject to lightening, wind, violent storms, bright sunlight, dry conditions, and heavy snow. The forage is different up here. You can’t get the same types of grasses down in the lower valleys. Bull In Velvet Elk enjoy the cool air and fewer insects at this elevation. If you are looking for bull elk, search for them in the range of 10-11,500 feet during the summer. Early mornings and late afternoons are good times to see them. You can see for miles up here so find a comfortable place to sit and use your binoculars. Pools of water, creeks, seeps and high alpine lakes are an elk’s source of water up here. I’ve seen big bulls just barely inside the trees during the day in this region. They will often bed within a few hundred yards of the open tundra in the trees, where they feel secure and can re-chew their food. Then return to the open tundra during the night and early mornings.

During spring, summer and fall most forage is available, of high quality and abundant. Even during the driest years there will be good forage. Continue to search for those wet areas with nearby cover on West and North-facing slopes. I found this aspen grove in the spring of 2002 during a very dry year in Colorado. Yet this area was very green. One of the creeks that ran through it dried up by August but a larger creek still provided water. This area held a marsh, willows, tall plants and the elk were there from April until September. The soil was rich and despite the lack of water this area was green. It’s because the aspens provided shade and enough light plus years of decaying leaves to create rich, moist, black soil for plants. This area is around 9,000 feet in elevation. The elk stayed here all summer since the forage wasn’t as good anywhere else. By September the bulls had left, in search of cows and private property. This place was very quiet during the rut. The habitat was there but the elk knew they would be uninterrupted if they located some cows and headed to nearby private lands. There is nothing more exciting than elk in the aspens during the bugling season. Walking in the aspens is generally easier, quieter (because it stays cool and moist) and just enjoyable. A bugling bull in the aspens provides some of the best background for photographing elk.

Below are pictures of different grasses and plants elk will eat. I hope this will help you locate elk in your area. Narrow down your search by using a good map to locate springs, creeks and lakes between 7,000 – 11,500 feet on North and West facing slopes. You’ll have to hike to find aspen groves, hidden meadows and small shelves. Those you won’t find on any maps.

Cows Eating Elk Grass More Elk Food