Elk are a member of the deer family.
Later, scientists adopted the same name. Elk were once found throughout most of the United States and southern Canada. By the mid-twentieth century, hunters had killed so many that they survived only in the region west of the Rocky Mountains. Successful conservation and reintroduction efforts have brought elk back to several regions. Adults reach a shoulder height of 4 to 5 feet, and a length up to 9 feet or more, with a body thickness of about 6 inches.