Pregnancy lasts eight and one half months. Twins occur rarely. Calves are spotted on the top and sides, but not as much as a newborn deer. They weigh about thirty five pounds at birth. The elk calves can walk within minutes after birth, an escape response to potential predators.
Elk die from hunting, predation, starvation, disease and harsh winters.
Mountain lions are their main predators, but wolves and grizzly bears can also prey upon the elk. Harsh winters, with deep snows and inaccessible forage, can significantly reduce a herd size. Elk are great runners. The arrangement allows for a forward-backward motion of the attached bones, thus keeping the limb movement to one plane.