Elk in Alaska are limited to island habitats with temperate, maritime climates. They feed on a variety of plants at different times of the year. During the summer months, they favor grasses, forbs, willows, and other leafy greens while in the winter they munch on branches and twigs of trees and shrubs. The last native elk were found in interior Alaska during the “Ice Age” and died out many thousands of years ago. Modern elk populations were derived from Washington and Oregon elk being transplanted to islands in southeast Alaska and Kodiak.

Elk are members of the deer family and share many physical traits with deer, moose, and caribou. They are much larger than deer and caribou, but not as large as moose. Distinguishing features include a large yellowish rump patch, a grayish to brownish body, and dark brown legs and neck. Unlike some members of the deer family, both sexes have upper canine teeth. The males have large antlers sweeping gracefully back over the shoulders with spikes pointing forward. Elk shed their antlers during the winter each year and grow new ones the following summer. The fossil record indicates another sub species of Elk was found in interior Alaska during the Pleistocene, a geological epoch that ended over 11,000 years ago and began over 2.5 million years ago, which is often referred to as the most recent ice age. Elk currently found in Alaska are not native to the state. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game introduced elk to Alaska to increase recreational hunting and provide additional food supply. Elk in Alaska are descendants from both Roosevelt (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) and Rocky Mountain (Cervus elaphus nelsonni) elk populations. Elk were originally transplanted from Washington in 1926, 1928, and 1929 to Kruzof Island in Southeastern Alaska, followed by additional introductions from Washington and Oregon. Elk are now established on Afognak and Raspberry Islands (near Kodiak) and Zarembo and Etolin Islands (Near Petersburg in Southeast AK). Elk have been reported to disperse to neighboring islands in southeast Alaska where they may be considered invasive.

Early attempts to introduce elk into Southeast Alaska were unsuccessful. Alaska legislature passed a law in 1985 that required another attempt to introduce 50 elk to Etolin Island in Southeast Alaska. In 1987, 33 Roosevelt elk (C. e. roosevelti) from Jewell Meadows Wildlife Management Area and 17 Rocky Mountain elk (C. e. nelsoni) from the Elkhorn Wildlife Management Area in Oregon were translocated to Southeast Alaska and released on Etolin Island. Due to the tumultuous history of elk introduction in Alaska and the legislature passed by the state to have elk as a food source and hunting opportunity, the AWCC brought elk into our care to help supplement the wild populations should they experience a decline while the newly introduced animals were establishing. The elk living at AWCC are descendants from individuals transplanted from the Yukon Wildlife Preserve (formerly Yukon Game Farm) outside of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Over time, additional individuals have joined the AWCC herd from other ranches to maintain a genetically diverse population. Since the populations released in Southeast Alaska became stable, the need for a release program with individuals from AWCC fell through. The elk now living at AWCC will remain in human care. To maintain a healthy and happy herd our permit allows us to breed for a stable herd size. The herds a AWCC are large enough that we are not currently breeding, and the males and females are separated to maintain that.

An elk runs near water while ducks fly away
An elk runs near water while ducks fly away
An elk runs near water while ducks fly away

Discover the WILD of Alaska and come meet the locals! Walk on the Wild Side Tours are available year-round and include an animal encounter. Summer Moose Encounters (feed a moose!) & Summer Bear Encounters (feed a brown bear!) are available. Book early to ensure your spot!