Is It Elk Or Caribou? Is It Right Or Wrong?

On our trip back from Leavenworth, Washington, I spotted a herd of wild animals on the side of the road. Since I wasn't sure if they were elk or caribou, I looked online to find the difference.

First, I learned that elk are larger than caribou. Unfortunately, this didn't help me much because I didn't see them together to compare.

Second, I discovered that both male and female caribou grow antlers, but female elk do not. Also, male caribou shed their antlers in autumn, but female caribou and male elk shed their antlers in spring. Therefore, a male elk or caribou with antlers in winter would have to be an elk. Unfortunately, this didn't help me either because I didn't get out of my car to see if the ones with antlers were male or female. Believe it or not, even I didn't think this would be safe.

Anyway, the information that did help me solve my perplexing question was that elk have dark, shaggy necks and light-coloured rumps, whereas caribou do not.

Now that the puzzle is solved, my mind is at peace. The animals I saw were elk. Below are some pictures I took of them.

A male elk.

A female elk standing next to her young.

Another female elk, the telltale light-coloured rump clearly visible.

These elk are just babies.

I wanted to take this one home with me, but resisted.

For a time, I was confused about whether the animals I saw were elk or caribou, and it was nice to be able to search the Internet and be enlighten so that I could finally have peace of mind in knowing the truth. God's Word is the same. If we have any questions concerning life, we can go to His Word and find the answer. God's Holy Spirit is also there to direct us to the right verses and to teach us what we don't know or understand.

"For God is not a God of confusion

but of peace."

1 Corinthians 14:33a (NASB)