Understanding how often elk need water is important for locating elk. Knowing where water sources are located and how often elk visit them can help you make a plan to intercept them.
Water is an important component of elk habitat. An elk drinks about 4 gallons of water per day. Elk also get water from the vegetation they eat. To get the water they need, most elk will travel to water at least once each day, often more.
How Much Water Do Elk Need?
Determining water consumption of wild elk is very difficult, so the numbers presented in this article are from studies of captive elk. As a rule of thumb, elk consume about 4 gallons of water per day. One study gave cow elk 14 quarts (3.5 gallons) of water and found it to be sufficient (source). Another study estimated that calf elk consumed about 16 liters (4.2 gallons) of water each day by the time they were weaned from nursing (source).
These amounts give an estimate of daily water consumption by elk. However, an elk’s actual water consumption will vary based on the vegetation it eats, the habitat it lives in, and the time of year and temperature.
Elk Get Water From Their Forage
In addition to free water from springs, streams, and ponds, elk intake water from the plants they eat. The amount of water available in plants varies depending on the temperature, time of year, and life-cycle stage of the plant. Young plants that have sprouted during a cool, wet spring will have more water content than desiccated plants at the end of a hot summer (source).
The more water that is available in an elk’s forage, the less free water it needs to drink from other sources. So, during hot summers elk are going to need more drinking water than at other times of the year.
Water Needs Change with Temperature and Habitat
When the temperature is warm elk use more energy to keep themselves cool. Warm temperatures also cause elk to loose more water through sweat and evaporation. Warm temperatures also dry out plants so elk get less water from the forage.
All this means that elk are going to rely more on surface water sources during hot times of the year. Multiple studies have shown that during the summer elk tend to stay closer to reliable water sources (source).
The type of habitat elk live in also affects how much water they use and, thus, how much water they need. Elk that spend more time in dense cover consume less water than elk in sparse cover, presumably because it’s shadier and cooler (source).
Elk may even choose habitat locations based on their ability to stay cool rather than the ability of food and water at that location (source). This is one reason elk often bed on north-facing slopes. Elk also wallow in water to stay cool on warm days.
Seasonal Water Use By Elk
By now you probably realize that elk are going to need water more at certain parts of the year than others (source). I want to focus on this some more because understanding seasonal water needs will help you locate elk at different times of the year.
During the spring, there is high moisture content in the soil. This soil water is readily available for plants to absorb as they grow. When elk eat the young plants they also ingest the water. For cow elk, water is extremely important during spring and summer because they are preparing to give birth and nursing calves. Because many cows have calves, which are not as mobile, they often stay close to water (source).
Surface water sources are not as important to elk in late fall and winter. As temperatures cool and snow begins to fall elk need become less reliant on surface water for two reasons. First, they are losing less water to sweat and evaporation. Second, they can get water from the snow.
Yes, elk eat snow to get water (source). That means if you’re sitting near a pond waiting for an elk to come to get a drink while there’s snow on the ground, you could be waiting a long time and never see an elk.
How Far do Elk Travel for Water?
The distance elk travel to water varies by time of year. In the winter elk may not travel to water at all if there is enough snow on the ground for them to eat. This can be very beneficial for seasonal migration. In the summer, elk need water frequently enough that they usually don’t venture too far from water sources.
For the most part, elk stay within half a mile of water (if you need 4 gallons a day you don’t want to have a long commute). That means the farthest elk travel to get water is about half a mile (source). Cows often stay a little closer to water (about a quarter to half a mile away), while bulls tend to venture a little farther (up to about a mile) away (source). Studies have found these distances to be about the same in both dry and wet areas. For example, distances from the forest in northern Idaho are similar to distances from central Arizona and the open country of eastern Washington.
Conclusion
Understanding where elk get water and what times of the year they most need water will help you locate elk more regularly. Water is an essential element of elk habitat and elk require enough water each day (about 4 gallons) that any location without water nearby probably won’t hold elk regularly. Finding water sources will help you find the areas the elk are hanging out.
