National Park Service photo

The canine teeth of elk are known as "ivories", "buglers" or "whistlers".

Elk Ivory

Although it is considered uncommon for an animal to have antlers and canine teeth at the same time, elk are one of the few that creatures that possess both. These teeth are located on the upper jaw near the front of the mouth, just behind the sharp incisors used for cutting grass. They erupt in an elk after about one year of age and are not fully formed until the animal is between 2 and 3 years old. Many scientists believe that these teeth are the remnants of tusks from the elk’s prehistoric ancestors.Other names for them include “ivories”, “buglers’, and “whistlers”. These teeth are quite unique in that they are considered to be ivory and have a rather rich history.

It is believed that these teeth have been seen in cultural use dating far enough back in history to be considered among the first jewelry ever worn. Since each animal only produces two of these teeth in its lifetime they were considered quite valuable. They were used as a currency among some Native Americans for many years. Other uses included jewelry and decorating ceremonial shirts worn by both men and women. One ceremonial shirt or dress could be decorated with as many as 400 of these teeth! Again, because of their rarity this was seen as quite a status symbol among many tribal peoples. 

In more recent times, biologists use the teeth to tell the approximate age of an elk based on how much of the crown has erupted and how much wear it shows. These teeth are also still used as personal adornment. They were very sought after and used as part of a watch worn by members of the fraternal Elk’s Club. Many pieces of jewelry are still made from these elk teeth and as the only legal North American ivory there is considerable demand for it. Some companies have even taken to producing fake “ivories” for use in jewelry. The ivories from an adult bull elk will sell for around $15 per tooth. 

Smoky Mountain Elk Herd News

Spring has arrived and with it has come several changes in the Smoky Mountain elk herd. Unfortunately, late winter and early spring have taken their toll on a few members of the herd. On Saturday, February 9, cow elk #91 was heard on mortality and found dead in a drainage near the Rough Fork/Caldwell Fork trails junction. The carcass was packed out and taken to University of Tennessee for necropsy. Test results came back inconclusive and it is unknown why this animal died. #91 was three years old and produced her first calf last year (#123, female).

On Monday, March 17, cow elk #47 was heard on mortality and her remains located on some private property in Ela, south of Cherokee. #47 remained almost exclusively in this area, only travelling north to Oconaluftee and joining the elk there briefly during the fall rut before returning to Ela. It is unknown why cow #47 died, though she was approximately 14 years old, which is considered quite old for an elk. 

All of the adult bulls have shed their 2007 antlers and new sets have started growing already. At this stage the antlers are not much larger than a person’s hand, and almost the same shape. Growing at a rate of up to an inch a day they are among the fastest growing tissue in the world. A healthy set of antlers also indicates that there is an adequate food supply available to the animals. 2007 produced the largest antlers ever seen in Cataloochee indicating that the bulls are finding a lot of rich food and they are in good health. Hopefully 2008 will produce even more spectacular antlers! 

The start of calving season is only a couple of weeks away and this should be a monumental year for the Smoky Mountain herd. Many of the younger females were old enough to breed last fall and we are expecting to have more calves hitting the ground in 2008 than any other previous year. While it is not entirely common for a female to breed the first year she is able, behavior last fall suggests that we will have a few cows producing their first calf this year! 

The Cataloochee Elk Bugle Corps is also getting ready for their second season of service. This group of volunteers dedicates their time and energy to providing education and visitor assistance to elk-watchers in Cataloochee Valley. The program was a huge success in 2007 and should be even better in 2008! There will be two upcoming training sessions in May for anyone wishing to help out as a volunteer. If you are interested in working with this enthusiastic group of people, or would like more information about them, please contact Mark LaShell

Report by Joe Yarkovich
Elk Management