Elk

Elk are in the same family as deer, suited for wintery environments. They travel in small herds usually consisting of the immediate family, though if two herds are small enough it is common for them to merge for safety in numbers against the various predators that stalk the arctic lands.

They also have a quick reproductive cycle, a necessity as they are one of the most highly hunted creatures in their native lands - a wolf would have to work harder to catch a rabbit than an elk, and the elk is a prize far more worthy for the effort of the hunt.

Because they are preyed upon so much elk are also cautious, running at the slightest noise or hint that something is wrong around them. Their herds do not usually grow large enough to be a threat if they run, but a few hunters have found themselves needing to run or find shelter when whatever predator startled them in the first place comes chasing them and decides the humanoid is a better and easier meal.

Despite bearing an impressive set of antlers and a size advantage, elk rarely use them to attack. Mothers will charge threats to their young, of course, and if cornered they will do almost anything to escape, but otherwise they seem disinclined to use what few natural defenses nature has given them and opt to run until they are far enough away from danger.

This also makes them unsuitable to be raised as livestock animals; many have tried only to be met with various disasters. Predators breaking fences, the elk themselves running off because the wind rustled a nearby tree too hard, and the creatures simply roaming off in search of food never to come back are chief among them. There are other animals of similar size and usage that are not so skittish or as easily seen as prey, and what few farmers exist in the arctic prefer to keep those creatures instead.