Elk reference · Size + weight
Horse-sized, taller than you at the shoulder, and four to six times your weight. Bull, cow, and calf weights, how tall an elk stands, antler spread, size by subspecies, and how the second-largest deer on Earth stacks up against a human, a horse, a moose, and a deer.
The quick answer
The elk is the second-largest deer in the world, behind only the moose. A mature Rocky Mountain bull averages around 700 pounds and can push past 1,100; Roosevelt elk, the biggest subspecies, reach roughly 1,300. Cows weigh 500 to 600. Stand one next to a horse and the comparison holds — which is exactly why people who’ve only seen deer are stunned the first time a bull steps out of the timber.
By the numbers
| Animal | Weight | Height | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull (male) | 700–1,100 lb | 4.5–5 ft at the shoulder | Roosevelt bulls, the largest subspecies, reach ~1,300 lb |
| Cow (female) | 500–600 lb | ~4–4.5 ft at the shoulder | Smaller-bodied, no antlers |
| Calf (newborn) | 30–35 lb | Knee-high | Reaches 100+ lb by first winter |
| Antlers (bull, pair) | Up to ~40 lb | Spread to ~4 ft | Grown and shed every year |
For scale
Frequently asked
A mature bull elk weighs 700 to 1,100 pounds, with the largest Roosevelt elk reaching about 1,300 pounds. Cow elk weigh 500 to 600 pounds. Newborn calves weigh just 30 to 35 pounds but grow past 100 pounds by their first winter. The Rocky Mountain bull — the most common subspecies — averages around 700 pounds.
A bull elk stands about 4.5 to 5 feet tall at the shoulder; cows are slightly shorter at around 4 to 4.5 feet. With the head and neck raised, a bull's total height is well over 6 feet. Add a set of antlers that can reach 4 feet above the head, and a standing, alert bull towers far above a person.
An elk is much bigger than a human. A bull stands taller at the shoulder than most adults are tall, and at 700–1,100 pounds it outweighs an adult human four to six times. Standing with head and antlers raised, a mature bull is one of the largest land animals a person is likely to encounter up close in North America.
No — a moose is bigger. The moose is the largest member of the deer family at 1,000 to 1,500 pounds and 6 to 7 feet at the shoulder, while the elk is the second largest at 700 to 1,100 pounds and about 5 feet. An elk is, however, much larger than any deer — three to five times the weight of a whitetail or mule deer.
The Roosevelt elk of the Pacific Northwest coast is the largest-bodied subspecies, with bulls reaching about 1,300 pounds. The Rocky Mountain elk is slightly smaller in body but often carries the longest antlers. The smallest is the Tule elk of California, with bulls at 450 to 700 pounds.
Pillar
The elk guide
The full field reference.
Reference
Elk subspecies
Roosevelt (biggest) to Tule (smallest).
Comparison
Elk vs moose
The one deer that outsizes it.
From the page to the field
Elk Glade guides bull elk on GMU 59 limited entry, on the south slope of Pikes Peak — inside the largest elk population on Earth. Archery, muzzleloader, and four rifle seasons.
