At birth, an elk calf weighs about 35 pounds (16 kg) and can gain two pounds (one kg) a day for the first few weeks.

At the start of its first winter, an elk may weigh five times as much as when it was born.

Cow elk can weigh more than 500 pounds (225 kg), stand 4-1/2 feet (1.3 m) at the shoulder, and measure 6-1/2 feet (2 m) from nose to rump.

An average bull weighs 700 pounds (315 kg), stands 5 feet (1.5 m) at the shoulder and measures more than 8 feet (2.4 m) from nose to rump.