Roosevelt Elk

Roosevelt elk are the largest of North America's four elk subspecies by body mass — among deer, only the moose outweighs them — and they inhabit the temperate coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, historically ranging from the San Francisco Bay area up to Vancouver Island. Bulls run 740 to 1,100 pounds, cows 380 to 640; both sexes carry a dark head, neck, and legs against a lighter brown body and a cream-colored rump. Mature bulls grow large, multi-branched antlers, while young spike bulls carry shorter, unbranched ones instead. The subspecies was nearly hunted to extinction by the early 20th century, and has since recovered through sustained conservation work.