Elk

Relevance of Topic:

Elk are related to white-tailed deer (they are both in the family Cervidae -- hoofed mammals, with antlers that are shed each year). Yet the history of each of these species in Pennsylvania is very different. Elk were extirpated from the state, while deer have flourished.

It may be interesting to have students look at the similarities and especially the differences between these two species which resulted in their populations responding so dramatically differently. How might these differences lead to differences in the way the two species are managed?

PA Environment & Ecology Standards Reference:

Grade 7 Grade 10

4.2.7 A2

4.6.7 A2,5 4.6.10 A4, 7, 11, 13

4.7.7 A2; B4, 5, 6; C1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 4.7.10 A1, 2, 3; B1, 2; C1, 2

4.8.7 D3

Key Vocabulary:

submissive, fighting, threatening, herding, courtship, alarmed, nursery group, bachelor group, timeline, extirpated, self-sustaining, management

Suggested Sequence for Use of Video & Teacher’s Guide Materials:

• facilitate Pennsylvania Game Commission’s activity "Elk Behavior"

• show program; point out (or have students point out) when the behaviors learned about in the previous activity are seen on the video; stop video, rewind and replay, if necessary

• facilitate Pennsylvania Game Commission’s activity "Elk History and Management"

For Discussion:

The elk that once roamed Pennsylvania were the Eastern elk, Cervus elaphus canadensis. The elk that were reintroduced into Pennsylvania from Yellowstone Park were the Rocky Mountain elk, Cervus elaphus nelsoni, a different subspecies. Is that close enough?