The only areas elk shy away from completely are tundra, deserts and the gulf coast. They seem to love the cold and craggy terrain of the Rocky Mountains and can be found throughout that region in states including Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and Idaho. Rocky Mountain elk is a subspecies plentiful throughout the Rockies and western United States, and has been reintroduced on a smaller scale to certain parts of the eastern U.S.
Heavy pockets of elk can be found in northern California, throughout much of Oregon and in many of the coastal regions of the state of Washington. Due to human encroachment, few elk are found in the heavily populated areas of central and southern California. The hustle and bustle of human activity usually sends them in search of a quieter environment. Other western states which play host to elk to a lesser extent are Arizona and Nevada, primarily in the sparsely populated mountain regions.
While elk once roamed freely by the millions over the Great Plains area, the population has been reduced to almost nothing. A few small herds still exist in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arkansas as well as in the mountains surrounding El Paso, Texas. Elk generally travel into higher elevations during summer and come back down to the lowlands during the winter. On the east coast, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are the few places where elk are found.
Elk have traditionally been sought during big game hunts. To a lesser extent, some restaurants and grocery stores sell the meat as a specialty item. There are a few small-scale operations around the country which breed and harvest elk in captivity for this purpose. Elk meat is high in protein, low in fat and falls on the taste scale somewhere between beef and venison.