Manitoba elk are large and found only in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Tule elk are the smallest subspecies, weighing approximately half as much as other elk subspecies, and are found only in California. There are four subspecies of elk in North America: Tule elk, Roosevelt elk, Manitoba elk, and Rocky Mountain elk. While elk are found in North America and Eurasia, this factsheet only covers the North American subspecies. Males shed their antlers in March or April and begin to grow a new set soon after shedding. Males have large, branching antlers that can grow up to 5 ft/1.5 m tall and 6 ft/2 m wide. Most adult elk stand at 4.5-5 ft/1.3-1.5 m tall at the shoulder, with males weighing 600-900 lb/272-408 kg and females weighing 450-600 lb/204-272 kg. Calves have a light brown coat with white spots. He then retreated, circled the three bulls, stalked and killed a yearling bull within 150 yards of the others.Elk are light brown, with dark brown shaggy manes (especially in winter) and yellowish, light-colored rumps. In Hornocker's study, he observed an interesting and possibly relevant situation involving a 68-kilogram (151lb) tom puma and several bull elk: "This lion stalked three six-point bulls until he was apparently within attacking distance. Regardless of how this turned out, it seems clear the puma was slinking near enough to assess its chances. So who knows whether this puma might have been able to land one of these formidably proportioned elk? In the video, the hunters can be heard speculating the cat might be targeting the smaller-racked, and possibly younger, bull. One study from northeastern Oregon found that most kills of bull elk by pumas (which, again, were primarily toms) took place during or just after the rut. In this diminished condition – and, for that matter, in their distracted state during the breeding season – bulls may be more vulnerable to predation by pumas, as well as wolves and grizzly bears. This time of year, bull elk are just past the significant rigours of the rut – an exhausting season for many of them, as they're constantly occupied holding harems of cows, mating, driving off sneaky rivals trying to dart in for some action, and actively fighting other males – and they're looking to restore at least some of their energy reserves ahead of a tough winter. In a classic study of puma predation in central Idaho, Maurice Hornocker suggested a bull's size was one complicating factor for a hungry puma, but, given that some cow elk reach the proportions of younger bulls and are nonetheless readily preyed upon, the hefty tined antlers of a full-grown male elk (a "branch bull") also probably play a role: "Lions must attack the head region of elk to kill them effectively," Hornocker wrote, "and the heavy antlers may be recognised as formidable weapons." (Toms in general seem to hunt elk more frequently than female pumas regardless of age/size class females, in turn, go after deer more intensively.) Along with the occasional adult moose, they occupy the uppermost end of the puma prey spectrum, and research suggests large male pumas, or toms, are more likely to attack them than female and subadult cats. Mature bull elk, however, are challenging targets. Pumas avidly pursue elk across western North America along with deer, these animals are the big cats' favoured prey in many areas. Conditions look on the breezy side, so it's quite possible the elk had scented the creeping cat. The bulls – one with a significantly bigger antler rack than the other – appear edgy throughout the encounter, staring in the general direction of the puma and ultimately bolting into the timber. We don't know the outcome of this Montana stalk: the YouTuber who posted the video, Montana Sportsman, wrote, "Unfortunately, the cat pushed the elk further onto private property and we never got the chance to see them again." Heck, spotting a mountain lion at all isn't easy: the odd backyard visit notwithstanding, these tawny, ropey big cats – the second-largest felids in the Western Hemisphere after the jaguar – are famously phantom-like, and many human residents of cougar country go a lifetime without seeing one. It was only recently that we featured some dynamite pics from south-central British Columbia showing a puma killing a mule deer, but spotting a mountain lion in predatory performance is far from commonplace.
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