But they can't always find plenty of grass. So the elk's diet changes with the seasons. Summer's table is filled with a feast of the same lush grasses, leaves and forbs for elk. But when fall arrives, many of those green grasses and plants start to dry up. Elk depend more on forbs and woodier plants, like bushes and shrubs.
Winter snow covers most grasses, forbs and shrubs.
But these foods don't always provide enough nutrition, making it hard for many elk to survive until spring green-up begins again. Although winter-killed elk may seem sad, it is nature's way of ensuring there will be enough food for the healthy elk next year. Elk are ruminants. So are deer, cows, sheep and buffalo. It has to do with how they turn their food into energy.