(From PGC June Elk BULLetin Newsletter)

The elk rut or breeding season always gets lots of attention, but what happens after that is arguably one of the most important parts of the elk’s life cycle: pregnancy and the birth of the next generation. The rut occurs in September and October, with over 70% of the cows being bred by October 15th. Gestation for cows is about 245 days (+/-10 days) or about 8 months. That puts the calving season around the last week of May through the first 2 weeks of June, with a peak around June 7th. Newborn calves typically weigh 25-30 pounds and can walk within 30 minutes. They’ll then gain over a pound a day from mom’s milk and begin eating vegetation around 4-6 weeks old. Twins are extremely rare, occurring in less than 1% of births and have never been documented in Pennsylvania

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