The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is the smallest of North America’s elk subspecies and is endemic to California’s Central Valley and coastal ranges. Biologists recognise six elk subspecies and note that the tule elk has the smallest body size. Mature bulls of other elk subspecies may weigh around 700 lb and stand 5 ft at the shoulder, but tule bulls average about 400 lb and cows around 300 lb. Their summer coat is copper‑brown, turning light tan in fall and winter with darker neck and legs and a pale rump patch.
Tule elk hunts are extremely limited and are allocated through state lotteries and special permits. Successful hunters usually pursue them on private ranches or designated wildlife areas in California’s oak savannas and tule marshlands. Spot‑and‑stalk techniques are common—hunters glass open hillsides at dawn or dusk and plan careful approaches aided by prevailing winds. Because of the elk’s smaller body and antler size, most shots occur inside 200 yards and moderate‑caliber rifles are sufficient.
By the late 1800s the tule elk was thought extinct due to overhunting and habitat conversion. A small remnant herd was discovered and protection allowed populations to recover to several thousand animals today. Calves are usually born in late May or early June, and cows raise their offspring in nursery groups while bulls gather harems during the autumn rut. Conservation efforts focus on maintaining wetlands and grasslands, controlling invasive species and using limited trophy hunts to fund habitat work.
Elk are ruminants with four‑chambered stomachs that rotate their diet seasonally—tule elk graze on green grasses and forbs in spring, shift to dry grasses in summer and browse shrubs and tree bark in winter. Their ivory canine teeth are evolutionary remnants of ancestral tusks and are treasured by hunters. Tules contribute to the ecological diversity of California’s refuges and are symbols of the state’s conservation success.
Tule Elk can be found in the following location:
Tule Elk has the following variations:
- (Varieties to be confirmed)
