Elk Conservation and Management -- Part 3

Elk are known as opportunists, meaning they'll eat whatever they can find. What they eat depends on the season, the plant species available, and the geographic region (Onedale 1993). Elk in general prefer grasses when they can be found. Roosevelt elk are somewhat of an exception to this as they will graze and browse intermittently throughout the year, not seeming to have a strong preference (Graf 1955). The availability of food has a strong impact on migration. Not all elk migrate. The Tule elk seem to have all the food requirements in one range, with no need to migrate (Onedale 1993). Roosevelt elk may migrate into valleys in the winter if snow cover is very deep, but some years do not migrate (Graf 1955). Elk living in the plains don't get much advantage from migrating, as they'd have to travel quite some distance to see a difference in plant availability or weather. They will move closer to the cover of trees however. So, when discussing migration, usually this refers to elk that live in mountainous areas, and migrate to lower elevations.

Those elk that migrate are in the spring on their transitional range. They eat almost exclusively grass at this time, as it is what is most available. As soon as the new spring grass starts to come up, elk spread out to forage, they don't stick with the winter herd so much now (Rue 1981).

In the summer, as they've moved into their summer range, grasses have started to dry out, and the protein content goes down (Onedale 1993). At this time they switch to forbs and sedges. Oftentimes elk will be found near snowbanks, on north facing slopes, and under forest canopies where the vegetation is juicier, and it's cooler. As the snow recedes uphill, elk will follow its path, eating the new vegetation that has sprung up behind it (Onedale 1993).

In fall, they are again in a transitional range, mostly consisting of Douglas Fir and aspen/lodgepole pine communities (Onedale 1993). During the fall the forbs start to lose succulence and the elk again switch their diet, this time to dry grass and browse.

As it moves into winter, snow depth is a factor. The elk eat the shrubs that stick out of the snow, and as the snow grows even deeper, aspen, conifers, sagebrush willows, and other taller browse become the main components of their diet. The snow depth will push the elk down to lower elevations, to their winter range, where they can find more food (Onedale 1993). The quality of the winter range is the biggest determinant in how well the elk will survive.

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