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While all game animals are fascinating in their own way, few animals are as captivating as the Elk.

Elk are found all over the world, with the largest populations often found in North America. They can be found frequently in woodlands, but they also enjoy mountains, swamps and even plains.

This powerful and beautiful animal is one of hunter’s favorites, not only for their stunning looks but also because how challenging they are.

Things You Need to Know About Elk

If you’re curious about going out and hunting elk, consider this:

While they aren’t that good for long distance running, Elk can reach a speed of up to 45 miles per hour, even in difficult terrains such as snow and rocky paths.

This gives them the ability to run away from even the most seasoned hunter if they’re not careful.

They might not look like powerful jumpers, but they can leap up to eight feet with little problem.

This ability tends to frustrate not only hunters but also farmers, as elk tend to jump over fences in an attempt to reach more food.

Elk are wolves’ favorite prey, as they’re large enough to feed a whole pack, even if they’re harder to take down than deer and smaller prey animals.

Mountain lions and bears also love this animal so whenever you’re out hunting elk, bear in mind you might not be the only one.

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Nutrition Benefits Of Elk Meat

Elk meat is savory, surprisingly tender and delicious. It has a lower fat content than beef, pork and even chicken, as the animal roams around so much. This lower fat content also makes it low calorie, with a single serving of 100 grams containing around 150 calories and only one gram of saturated fats.

That’s pretty amazing!

If that wasn’t enough, elk is also packed with iron, proteins and vitamins, some of which are fantastic for you:

Not enough benefits?

What about the fact that elk meat has no carbohydrates or sugars, and has very little sodium, which in excess can increase your blood pressure and lead to heart disease.

Of course, there’s such thing as “too much of a good thing” and elk tends to have a high cholesterol content, though no bigger than most red meats.

This means that, while undeniably good for your health, you should still eat it in moderation.

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What Does Elk Taste Like?

Since the diet of elk consists mostly of grass, trees and bushes, their meat is lean with subtle sweet tones to it, which makes it even more delicious than beef.

That said, the lower fat content does mean that you won’t get the same fat marbling you’ll get with beef, which means it’s a little chewier and tougher to eat.

If you don't know how to cook elk, see below video:

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Things to Keep in Mind

As you can imagine, elk is a rather hard meat to come by, particularly if you’re not a hunter.

Because of this, finding elk in the grocery store can be challenging and, if you find it, quite expensive.

Sure, there are specialty stores that sell it and you can even go online to dedicated elk ranches to buy from them but, for the most part, you’ll find that elk is an expensive dish better saved for special occasions or the occasional treat.

If the health benefits weren’t enough to sway you, bear in mind that elk meat tends to have a much lower ecological footprint than other kinds of meat, as they are indigenous to a lot of areas in North America and have very little impact on the ecosystem, as trees don’t have to be cut down to raise them and they are already part of the food chain, not disrupting a thing.

Sure, overhunting can be an issue but that’s why there’s such thing as ‘hunting season’s and if you’re against hunting in generals? Remember, there are such things as dedicated elk ranches where you can get this meat without hunting it yourself.

So, there you have it! That’s how elk tastes like and the reasons why you should consider eating it from time to time.

Do you have any questions? Suggestions? Leave a comment!

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