Yearling males successfully breed in a reintroduced elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) population in Kentucky

We examined reproductive performance of yearling males in a recently established free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni, Erxleben) population in southeastern Kentucky. Sixteen of 18 (89%) adult females bred by yearling males produced a calf. The calving period, determined for 11 cows, peaked in mid-June; however, 3 females bred by yearlings did not calf until mid-July or August. It is not possible to attribute the extended calving period to breeding by yearling males, as it may have been a result of poor physical condition of females or the disruption of social bonds after translocation the previous winter.