The elk bugle is late March through late April, overlapping the red stag roar.
Introduced in 1909, courtesy of president Theodore Roosevelt.
Safari Club International book of records:
Wapiti typical category lists a 472 2/8” bull as world record, which was hunted here with us.
Wapiti non-typical category lists a 591 5/8” bull as world record.
Rocky Mountain Elk is the largest big-game species in New Zealand. Mature bulls often range 300–500+ sci.
Yes, New Zealand is home to elk, which are locally referred to as Wapiti. Venator offers world class New Zealand trophy elk hunting in the South Island of New Zealand.
Elk hunting in New Zealand runs from late February through early May, aligning perfectly with the peak roar of our Red Stags and Fallow deer. Incorporating a world-class nz elk into your custom hunting itinerary delivers an unrivaled multi-species safari in the heart of the South Island.
Yes! Our private ranch welcomes both traditional elk rifle hunting enthusiasts and dedicated archery elk hunters throughout our entire season. If your goal is bow hunting bull elk, our terrain and guided setups are tailored specifically for elk bow hunting, giving archers close-range encounters during the peak rut.
Across the United States, the elk season typically runs from late summer through winter, depending on state regulations, weapon type, and public versus private land rules. At Venator’s private Ranch in Oklahoma, our prime guided hunting season for elk operates from September through November, directly aligned with the peak rutting season. During this window, the increased activity and vocalizations of elk create the ideal conditions for hunting.
Although elk belong to the deer family (Cervidae), they are vastly superior in size, with mature elk bulls weighing upwards of 1,000 lbs compared to a 200 lb white-tailed deer and are easily identified by their massive, backward-sweeping antlers, dark shaggy neck manes, and powerful rutting bugles. At Venator’s Ranch in Oklahoma, we host world-class herds of North America’s largest elk and red stags, providing discerning sportsmen with an elite, 5-star guided hunting experience unlike anywhere else in the USA.
Elk are opportunistic herbivores whose natural diet consists primarily of native grasses, legumes, forbs, acorns, and woody browse like aspen and willow.
Mature elk males (bulls) typically weigh between 700 and 1,100+ lbs, while females (cows) average between 500 and 650 lbs. An Elk’s size and body mass varies based on age, diet, subspecies, and season, with bulls reaching peak weight right before the rut.
Yes, Venator proudly holds multiple world records, including the Safari Club International (SCI) World Record typical elk (472 2/8”) and non-typical elk (591 5/8”). At Venator’s Ranch in Oklahoma, we leverage these exact world-record genetic lines to offer hunters an elite big game hunting experience right here in the USA - delivering giant, mature elk bulls with world-class antler scores.