About elk in western Montana

Small elk herd in December 2008 (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

This is a photo journal of a particular group of elk in the Bitterroot Valley. The photos document movements in almost every month of the year and were collected over a period of 3 years. This group moves about on private and adjacent public land. It has been seen as one big group, or herd, of up to a few hundred, in smaller groups of around 50, and sometimes as individuals alone. The bigger bulls are the most elusive so these photos are of cows, calves and some young bulls.

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The photo journal begins in November at the end of breeding and general hunting season. For the winter months the elk have stayed mostly on private land that is very near Forest Service land. They seem to know that these private landowners don’t allow hunting and they are relatively safe there. They adapt well and their simple needs of food, water, space, shelter and a degree of safety are met.

Lone elk in April (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

Toward the end of March, the photos show them moving with the snow line up in elevation and towards Forest Service land. The newly exposed vegetation is tender and full of nutrition. The older bulls go first, then the younger bulls, cows and calves. The pregnant cows begin migrating towards higher elevations looking for thicker brush and timber. They need secure areas to give birth.

When ready to give birth, usually during mid-May through late-June, a cow will move to an area that elk seldom visit to avoid predators and protect her calf. The calf will weigh about 35 pounds and has no odor. In a couple of weeks the calf is stronger and they will reunite with other cows and calves – safety in numbers.

The bull elk shed their antlers in the winter and by May they begin growing again. In some of the photos you will see little "buttons" on their heads between their ears. In the beginning as the antlers grow, the bone will be covered by skin with numerous blood vessels (velvet). By fall the velvet dries and the bulls use rub trees to scrape it off. See a photo of a rub tree in the slideshow.

Elk nursery group with a few "button bulls" (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

During the summer elk form nursery groups where the cows take turns “tending” the calves allowing the other cows graze and rest. Calves nurse up to nine months and by fall can weigh up to 225 pounds or more.

The hottest month in the Bitterroot is August. The elk stay at higher elevations deep in the timber and draws trying to stay cool. Their movements are often at night. In September the rut (mating) begins and the bulls gather their harems, or groups of cows. The quiet of the morning or evening will be pierce with the distinct bugle of a bull as he tries to impress his cows or warn other bulls to stay away. And the cycle begins again.

For more info:

Play audio (wav format) – hear the sound of a bull bugling.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – Elk through the seasons

Kings Outdoor World – All about Antlers

Merle’s SmugMug photo site – Elk photos through the seasons

About mule deer in western Montana

Mule deer doe and fawn (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

Mule Deer - Odocoileus hemionus

Mule deer in western Montana are an interesting lot. They differ from Montana's other native deer, the white-tailed deer, in their behavior and looks.

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They are much more curious and will turn to look at you. Then if alarmed, tuck in their tail and bound off, basically leaping with all four feet together. This is called stotting. They can cover a lot of ground very quickly that way. They range more widely than white-tailed deer, especially in elevational movement, roaming higher into the mountains.

Their coats are grayish in the winter and brown in the summer. They have white rumps, chin and throat, and their tails are short with a black tip. The ears; they are called mule deer for this reason. The ears are very large and prominent, resembling the ears of a mule. On the lower outside of the hind leg, there is a slit-like scent gland up to seven inches long.

Button buck (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

Their antlers are unique; they fork, and then fork again with the short brow tines tipping forward if they are present at all. The antlers fall off in the winter and begin growing again in the spring. See the photo on the right and the slideshow for more photos of a "button buck" in the early stage of antler development.

Standing from 3 to 3.5 feet tall, mule deer are large deer. Mature bucks weigh about 250-275 pounds, some trophy bucks weigh even more. Mature does weigh from 160 to 180 pounds. They breed in late November and the fawns are born in late June. As with white-tailed deer, the fawns have white spots but their base coat is a dark chocolate brown. The fawns stay with their mother through the summer and are weaned in the fall before rut (breeding season) begins again.

Mule deer does, fawns, and young bucks are frequently seen as they move about the mountains and forage together in groups.

Wintertime (Photo by Merle Ann Loman)

Mature mule deer bucks are another story. During the rut, they will stay with a group of females tending and breeding them, but most of the year they travel alone or in small groups and are very elusive.

During hunting season, mule deer bucks quickly respond to the pressure of hunters in their area and move deep into timber, heavy brush and steep canyons. The big ones get big with good nutrition and because they are smart and crafty. Sometimes they even crawl to evade the aspiring trophy hunter or predator. They will come back out of the thickets again in late November when the does come into estrus, but that doesn't leave much time for the hunter to bag one.

It might take years of research and scouting, but finding that monster mule deer buck is a thrill of a lifetime - even if a photo is what you are after.

For more info:

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Field guide for mule deer
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Hunting guide
Mule Deer Foundation – Western Montana Chapter Spotlight
Kings Outdoor World – All About Antlers
Merle’s SmugMug photo site – see the mule deer photos in their original format