Each summer more than 18,000 backpackers travel the Philmont back country. The land survives this staggering number because of careful management. Philmont's administration has established specific land use techniques to best serve Scouts, wildlife and habitat. Mammals Elk are the largest mammals at Philmont. Residents of mountain meadows and timbered slopes, elk can weigh 400 to 800 pounds at maturity.
Bucks grow antlers each year that reach five to six feet in spread.
Mule deer inhabit mountains and foothills. Bucks grow antlers that are covered in velvet each summer, as elk do too. The velvet hides a network of blood vessels that bring nutrients to the antlers. The back country supports a number of rodent species, most of which are only rarely seen. Philmont and Wagon Mound.