Smaller cows usually weigh 500 to 600 lbs. Elk have slender legs and a thick neck. Their legs, head, and thick neck fur are a darker brown. Their rump patch and very short tail are a light tan color. An elk calf is light tawny-brown with white spots that are lost during their first change of coat in August.
Elk feed on all kinds of plants, but are primarily grazers of grasses.
Adult male elks, called bulls, have a dark brown mane or ruff on their throats. Their huge antlers can weigh 25 lbs. The antlers may reach 5 feet in length and usually have five tines projecting from the main branch for a total of six points per side. About one week afterwards, males begin to grow new ones. In the spring, after calves are born, elk move slowly back up to higher mountain pastures.