How cold before elk start seeking warmth?

[Pony Soldier]

Maybe the issue is whether you are on summer range or winter range and whether your herd migrates.

Where I grew up along the Idaho border in northwest montana, the elk did not migrate and didn't move much.

Along the Comtinental divide, when their noses get cold they start the migration to the valley floors which may be 20-30 miles away.

They don't return until May 15th or so. The bulls usually linger behind the cows by 1-3 miles and about 500ft of elevation except for the little bulls which usually stay with mama.

 

[3forks]

Maybe the issue is whether you are on summer range or winter range and whether your herd migrates.

Where I grew up along the Idaho border in northwest montana, the elk did not migrate and didn't move much.

Along the Comtinental divide, when their noses get cold they start the migration to the valley floors which may be 20-30 miles away.

They don't return until May 15th or so. The bulls usually linger behind the cows by 1-3 miles and about 500ft of elevation except for the little bulls which usually stay with mama.

Over the millennia, elk evolved to deal with cold in a couple of specific ways.

Primarily, their coats that have hollow guard hairs that they can make stand on end to trap warmth, and they also have a countercurrent exchange system in their lower legs that keeps them from getting frostbite. I find it hard to believe that elk would evolve with these two specific attributes to deal with cold down to -40 below, yet their noses haven’t evolved similarly and are the chink in their armor that determines when they’re cold.

Also, when elk are pushing snow with their noses to get to feed, don’t their noses get cold (especially when it’s windy)?

 

[3forks]

Are their noses cold?

If I find a herd this winter that is as low as they can be in sub zero weather and they let me get close enough that I can touch their noses… I’ll let you know.