Tour Rosse Posse Acres Elk Farm in Molalla, Oregon

Did you know that a bull elk weighs over 800 pounds? Did you know that their velvet-covered antlers grow an inch or more every single day during the summer? Did you know that most elk calves are born during the month of June? Did you know you can learn just about everything there is to know about Rocky Mountain elk by touring Rosse Posse Acres in Molalla, Oregon? Established in April 2005, Rosse Posse Acres is a licensed working elk farm and bed and breakfast offering tours, a petting zoo, and elk meat for sale. The view of Mount Hood from the Ross family's ranch is pretty spectacular, too!

Elk are actually a member of the deer family, and are also known as "wapiti" - a Native American word meaning "white rump." It's rare to see large numbers of them together in the wild, so the opportunity to get up close to 70 magnificent animals at Rosse Posse Acres, with only a fence between you, is truly a treat. The hour-long tour not only allows you to take good photos, but you'll be educated and entertained along the way as well. The friendly farm dogs love to join the tours and even bump noses with the elk through the fence! But don't try that yourself!

The tour begins in front of a huge antler display in the barn. You'll learn from a Ross family member tour guide that an antler grows from bony bumps called pedicles on the head of the bull (male) elk. The regeneration of this new antler is influenced by hormonal changes, which are seasonally regulated by the change in daylight. As the antler grows, it is covered by "velvet." By fall, the bulls have full racks and will rub off the velvet to expose the impressive hard antler. You can even tell the health of an elk just from his antlers. For example, if a branch of an antler is abnormally shaped, it usually indicates the elk has suffered a wound or infection.

Leaving the barn, the tour moves on to the "Elkatraz" - a hydraulic squeeze chute used for handling wapiti during weighing and health inspections. Next comes the elk photo op! Thanks to enticement from a bucket of whole oats, the elk come right up to the fence so you can get a close up look. Notice each animal has an ear tag. The males (bulls) are tagged in the left ear and females (cows) are tagged in the right ear. If you ask why the cows are tagged in right ear you'll hear, "because girls are always right!"

Although you can't pet the elk, after getting your fill of photos and knowledge, you can head over to the petting zoo and befriend cute Pygmy goats, miniature donkeys, a Patagonian cavy, and a Wallaby named Tucker. The tour concludes in a gift shop stocked with souvenir t-shirts, coffee mugs, jewelry, and even elk dog chews. Elk burgers and elk steaks are also available. If you've never tasted it, know that elk is as easily prepared as beef, but has a higher nutritional value and is very low in fat and cholesterol. The kids in the Ross family will tell you they prefer elk over conventional hamburger any day!

Rosse Posse Acres, Inc.

32690 S. Mathias Rd.

Molalla, OR 97038

Phone: 503-829-7107

Tours are $5.00 per person; groups of 10 or more are $4.00 each. Please call ahead to schedule your tour.