The American elk was so named by early English settlers, but some people prefer to call it wapiti, its Shawnee name meaning white rump. This impressive-looking animal is second in size only to the moose in the deer family of mammals. The average weight of an adult male is 315 kg, and some individuals attain weights of 500 kg. In summer, the wapiti s coat is sleek and tawny brown, with a large buff-coloured rump patch.
Elk are the most vocal members of the deer family.
The bugling of the stags is a form of challenge and carries for about a kilometre on a clear day. Once found in the Eastern Townships and the lower Ottawa Valley, they are now restricted to western Canada.