Madison Elk Herd The elk is the most abundant of the big game animals of Yellowstone Park. Oftentimes reaching the size of a large horse, elk can be seen throughout Yellowstone year-around. The cows and calves oftentimes travel in large groups of a hundred or more during the summer months, while the males tend to travel by themselves or in very small groups, feeding on grasses and tree twigs. During the summer months, Elk can usually be seen in the Lamar Valley and in the northwest sector of the Park. The very mention of the the word Wyoming evokes the essence of the American West. Wyoming is all that innumerable movies, novels and legends have tried to capture. This Western Spirit thrives to this day in the Cowboy State. The name Wyoming has its origins in an Algonquin word meaning \"large prairie place \".