Another was shot during the 1995 deer season. The rest are doing fine and the herd has grown steadily. With 25 calves, the Wisconsin herd has at least 50 animals. Anderson said calf survival has been excellent with few losses to winter stress, though two elk calves were killed by bears. The big difference between deer and elk, the researcher said, is that elk cows try to protect their young while deer flee.
Flight allows deer to protect themselves so they can reproduce again.
Elk are big enough to discourage most predators and elk calves are very mobile within three to five days. Elk can elude bears whereas deer fawns are vulnerable for about 12 days. In studying elk calf survival, researchers captured and radio-collared 18 bear and two wolves. Elk calf survival is encouraging considering that predators annually take about 23 percent of the deer fawn crop in Wisconsin, Anderson noted. Elk pellet studies, browse surveys and urine analysis found the animals were eating well and remaining healthy despite 30 plus inches of snow and record low temperatures in the Clam Lake area.