Elk are also called wapiti, a Native American word that means "light-colored deer." (From http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/elk/). Just a little trivia. I was asked a couple of months ago to do a commission pencil drawing of an elk. The drawing would be given as a gift to someone who has just gotten into the hobby of keeping elk. Luckily, I had a reference photo from Yellowstone.