How big are rocky mountian elk.

uplander01 · Sep 27, 2026

My experience having put 5 bull elk and 3 kudu bulls on the ground, though I never weighed them, elk bulls seem larger to me. I'd say a fully mature Roan bull and Rocky Mountain Elk bull about similar size.

BryceM · Sep 27, 2026

Elk always look bigger than they really are due to the shaggy hair. Kudu have just a skiff in comparison. That said, it takes a really big kudu to rival an average bull elk.

If you’re solo hunting, elk double in size between the shot and the walk up (well, in body, not always horn). They double again during the pack out.

Ontario Hunter · Sep 27, 2026

This one must have been +800 lbs on the hoof. Dad thought it was a thousand pounds. Curious thing is it had small feet. I was tracking in snow and hoping it would be a spike or maybe a cow that would take me to a herd. I pulled the carcass down the mountain whole ... after tying it up to gut it! Very steep and snow. Keep em moving so they can't stiffen up and their live weight will work in your favor. I don't think Dad ever believed I did that. My brother followed me up there the next season and saw the flagging where the bull dropped. He believed it! Mountain goat habitat.

This one had bigger rack but much smaller body. That one still required two weeks with horses to get the quarters out. We had real winters back in those days.

fourfive8 · Sep 28, 2026

DLSJR said:
I hunted on the Baca Ranch in New Mexico back in 1987, before it was donated or sold to the Federal Government and became the Valles Caldera National Monument. They had extensive records that had been kept from most of the elk shot on the ranch over the years, as they tried to bring in as many bulls whole and ungutted as possible. I don’t recall the exact average live weight of Baca bulls, but it was approximately 925 pounds.

The same thing was done on the Vermejo a few years earlier, prior to Turner’s acquisition. The results were similar. I noticed references made to Gila (NM) elk. Some truth to it I believe. Also interesting that at one time, during a series of years, late 60s through early 70s in the Gila, that unusually large mule deer weights from Oct-Nov hunting seasons were recorded by packing/processing houses. Variability in weights of game may have something to do with season of harvest and the series of prior years strung together of favorable weather and abundant food supply that would allow for larger structural size… max potential from pre-natal pregnant female condition through growth to adulthood,

Ontario Hunter · Sep 28, 2026

For those real men who decide to quarter their meat in the field and pack it out, count up three ribs from the back to separate the carcass in half. That way the quarters will be about equal weight. Otherwise you may need Hulk Hogan to load the front quarters on a horse. Ask me how I know. Ugh!

Back in my day anyone who boned out animals in the field (I.e. the "boneless method") was considered a slob hunter.

Altitude sickness · Sep 28, 2026

Just like most species, a mature animal will dwarf a yearling. Looking at a spike bull compared to a 10 year-old bull is as drastic as a young Eland
and a mature Eland.

They don’t look like the same animal.

bashaw · Sep 28, 2026

Roosevelt Elk are 1/3 bigger in my opinion than Rocky Man Elk, a spike Roosevelt where I live is as big or bigger than a Mature Rocky Bull. I think your weights are pretty close. Beef have a 50% ratio Elk should be higher because of not having the fat of a domestic Beef.

How big are rocky mountian elk.

uplander01

BryceM

Ontario Hunter

fourfive8

Ontario Hunter

Altitude sickness

bashaw

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