Today, there are about 1 million wild elk living in 24 states and five Canadian provinces. The scientific name for elk is Cervus elaphus. Elk calves are born in late May or early June. Rocky Mountain elk have the largest antlers of the four subspecies, but the Roosevelt's elk has the largest body size. The tule elk is the smallest subspecies.
Elk have four-chambered stomachs and chew their cud.