Help with understanding elk spawn conditions, biomes/regions and commands

[SmidgeCake]

I literally just want to capture an elk but i can't find them anywhere, not even in the spot where i found one elk before. i looked on the wiki and they have a list of spawn conditions for elks but no explanation about how to find the info in game, so i discovered the .debug wgen command and /wgen pos climate command, but they still don't quite give me the right information, so i then found the /debug spawnheatmap command, again with zero information on how to use it or what exactly it does apart from the fact that it COULD show a map of where a specific entity spawns. im not going to cheat, im just trying to learn what the climates I need look like. 

Any information on the commands or where to find visual guides for everything I've mentioned would be much appreciated because the wiki is not the best.

[LadyWYT]

Welcome to the forums! Finding elk in the wild is possible, as I've done it a few times, but they aren't a creature I would really consider a common find. The best place to start searching is the Cool climate zone, given they prefer taiga as habitat. For a temperate start location though, you'll be wanting to search high altitude plateaus, as these are the only places that are cool enough to their liking. It's also better to stick to open grasslands, shrubland, or sparse forest, as I don't believe they will spawn in deserts or dense forests(in this case though, if they do spawn, they'll be difficult to spot).

Basically, if the climate is cool enough to qualify as a taiga, and it's a grassy area or sparse forest, it's a prime elk hunting location. However, it's easier to find a climate they could spawn in, than it is to find the actual elk themselves. Also keep in mind that you need a baby elk specifically to capture and raise in order to tame your mount, and since I don't think it's possible to breed deer like you can with livestock(I could be wrong), that means you'll be relying on a baby elk spawn specifically.

Honestly, unless you're playing Homo Sapiens or just incredibly intent on taming your own elk, it's much less hassle to just fork over some gears to your friendly local treasure hunter for a trusty mount instead. If you do try to tame your own, the best strategy once you've found them, is probably to try breeding them first(I'm pretty sure this doesn't work, but just in case!), or otherwise barbecue them and wait for them to respawn(rinse and repeat if there are no baby elk when they respawn).

[OBAMFSpike]

On 11/19/2025 at 5:30 PM, LadyWYT said:

since I don't think it's possible to breed deer like you can with livestock(I could be wrong)

Im attempting this as we speak. I don't see it happening. Nothing is reading other than Elk (Female) Weight Good and Elk (Male) Weight Good. Full troughs of grass and four block high fencing (I have trust issues with bears) as well as four torches in holders on all interior corners of the enclosure.