Videos recorded by Ahto Täpsi and Kalle Pihelgas
Translation Liis
A group trotting away after noticing humans. In the video we see that the younger elk bull still has its antlers, usually male elks are ”bareheaded” by February.
Elk, European elk; Moose (US) Euroopa põder or põder Alces alces
What animals did our forebears hunt? Bone findings from nine thousand years ago confirm that both elk and beaver meat was used for food.
The elk, with a large head, hooked nose and a beard tuft can be held to be among the most majestic of the mammals in our wildlife.
The movements of elks in winter are not the same as in summer – food plants, areas and the amounts of them differ.
The powerful creature, a representative of our ancient nature, has no fear of starvation although in February-March the foraging activities of elks lessen. They move along paths where abundant willows can be found or young pine stands. When they have eaten their fill somewhere they move on to a calmer spot where they can lie down to rest and ruminate. An elk does not scrape the ground surface down to the soil but flops down on the snow – in a 24-hour period it leaves marks of some ten resting places on the snow, coloured yellow from its fur. In winter we can come across small groups as well as solitary individuals busy on their own.
Hopefully we will discuss elk tracks next time when we have got more good visual material.
Afternoon doings of a solitary elk at a forest verge
