WHEN YOU
LOOK
Western Bluebird
Elk/Wapiti
When you look at this elk, you see wounds.
Unseen Wounds
When you look at this elk, you see wounds. In the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural history, right as you walk into the door, you can see the elk among various large animals. It is a beautiful beast with its tans and browns in its coat and large, gorgeous antlers. Elk are large, herbivorous land mammals that are found in a majority of the United States and Canada. They feed on many grasses, shrubs, and the bark of trees. They are most known for their majestic beauty. The male (bull) elk have gorgeous antlers which makes them one of the most photographed animals in Yellowstone. This peaceful beast holds with it a lot of pain. That pain is the product of many wounds. Some of those wounds are necessary, such as hunting. Other wounds are much more difficult to heal, such as environmental damage. Wounds can also leave scars, reminding us of our past.
Elk or Wapiti from the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History.
Some Wounds are Necessary
For centuries, hunters have used elk to heal the wounds of their hunger. I have personally, and so have countless others. The Native Americans see this necessary wound and commemorate the elk in various stories and ceremonies. The Nez Perce tribe shows the elk and its wounds through the story “Coyote Visits Elk and Fish Hawk.” Mainly focusing on the elk-oriented half of the story, Coyote visits the Elk family and Elk went to his wife to cut off her sleeve. He then cooks the sleeve which magically turns into a delicious cut of cooked meat. This story shows how, to many, wounding the elk is necessary for nourishment.
Chart of venison cuts. Image from Pantry Paratus.
Some Wounds are Difficult to Heal
Some wounds are hard to heal. One of the greatest wounds seen in the elk was Yellowstone National Park. The elk population was allowed to grow too much, causing drastic damage to the ecosystem that they were a part of. When ecosystems are wounded, they fester. Biodiversity plummeted, causing massive damage to the ecology of the area. The overpopulation of elk also wore down the aspen population. Elk eat the bark of aspens, and if eaten too much, the aspen can die off. Without trees, the soil got loose, and the rivers strayed off in various directions. Through hard fought efforts like the reintroduction of wolves, the ecosystem was able to heal slowly.
Diagram showing the before and after aspects of wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone. Image from Oregon State University and National Park Service.
Lastly, elk remind me personally of my own life’s wounds and the scars left behind. I used to hunt elk with my grandpa and dad. My grandpa and I had an amazing hunting trip together when I was little. He called me is "lucky hunting charm." A few years after our best hunting trip together, my grandpa was lost to cancer. My dad hunted with me after, but we never really got along. He had a habit of making poor choices. I shot a beautiful six point elk one fall, but when it came to packing it out, my dad only cared about the antlers. We lost the meat, and eventually his numerous other poor choices tore us apart. For me, the elk will always be a reminder of these painful wounds, forever leaving their scars.
Some Wounds are Difficult to Heal
Image of my elk that was hunted with my father.
