Elk, like other members of the deer family, and bison, cattle, horses and many more have hooves. Which are like toenails and do not freeze. Hooves do not need a lot of blood supply, but the legs do. So they have a similar physiological adaptation as the birds, called a countercurrent exchange. Where the cold blood returns to the body right next to warm arterial blood moving down from the heart. Going back to the hooves, they act as an insulating layer between the legs and the frozen ground, snow or ice.
As well, to survive the winter, they have a thicker insulating coat. Made of two layers, a dense coat under long guard hairs. The guard hair looks like honeycomb, thousands of tiny air pockets fill each hair, helping them to be waterproof and warm. Every winter I have seen this heavy winter coat at work, being thick enough, the fallen snow on the elk will not melt. On very cold winter days, the thick coat reduces the amount of heat lost, by lying down. Less heat lost through their belly, chest and legs this way.
Elk will use stored fat to get through the winter, only around 30 percent of the winter energy requirement is met this way. Remaining energy comes from additional adaptations. Elk reduce their metabolism by one-third. They will also go into a dense stand of trees where possible, the trees hold warmer air near the ground and as well catch snow before falling on them and the ground they are on. As well, help reduce the wind speed. Some elk in the mountains will migrate to an area where terrain difference can help them reduce the amount of energy they need each day of winter.
For many animals, winter is a time of survival until spring brings all- you-can-eat buffet.
