Cervus canadensis
Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and reintroduced herds in parts of the East and Midwest. Large heart-shaped tracks, often 4 to 4.5 inches long.
What does a elk look like?
Tall tan body, dark neck on bulls, pale rump. Much larger than a deer.
What do elk tracks look like?
A heavy, rounded heart print. Much larger than deer. In snow, the trail is a line of deep paired or alternating prints.
- Large heart-shaped tracks, often 4 to 4.5 inches long
- Rounder and heavier than deer
- Pellets larger than deer, often acorn-sized, or soft pies in summer
- Pale rump patch
- Bulls carry large branching antlers
What does elk poop look like?
Dry pellets are larger and rounder than deer pellets. Summer droppings can be a soft cow-like pile. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine, including the deer tick.
Where you find it
Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and reintroduced herds in parts of the East and Midwest. Typical places: woods, field. Year-round. Bugling in early fall.
What to do next
- Stay well back from bulls in September and from cows with calves
- Do not walk through a herd
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Moose identification
- Mule deer identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
How big are elk tracks?
About 4 to 4.5 inches long, heart-shaped, rounder and deeper than deer.
Acorn-sized pellets in a pile, or a soft pie when the animal is on green feed.
How to tell a elk from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Moose. The largest heart-shaped hoof in North America. Dark brown, very tall, with a hump and a long nose.
- Mule deer. Similar heart-shaped hoof to white-tailed deer. Gray-brown body, oversized ears, black-tipped tail.
Elk field marks
- Large heart-shaped tracks, often 4 to 4.5 inches long
- Rounder and heavier than deer
- Pellets larger than deer, often acorn-sized, or soft pies in summer
- Pale rump patch
Where the sign shows up
Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and reintroduced herds in parts of the East and Midwest. Typical places: woods, field. Year-round. Bugling in early fall.
A heavy, rounded heart print. Much larger than deer. In snow, the trail is a line of deep paired or alternating prints. Dry pellets are larger and rounder than deer pellets. Summer droppings can be a soft cow-like pile.
Common questions
How big are elk tracks?
About 4 to 4.5 inches long, heart-shaped, rounder and deeper than deer.
What does elk poop look like?
Acorn-sized pellets in a pile, or a soft pie when the animal is on green feed.