What's on this elk's neck?

[Paul in Idaho]

My wife and I went for a drive today, hoping to see elk and blue sky (If you have ever seen an inversion in the Boise valley, you know what I mean).

We headed up the Banks-Lowman road, and found deer and elk near the road. I stopped to take photos when it was safe. There was one herd of elk very close to the road that had no trouble with me snapping their photos. When I got home and looked at them on my computer, I was surprised to see a nasty-looking mass on this cow's neck.

There are smaller gray knots further down her mane, which makes me think maybe it's just a bunch of burrs, but that top mass is ugly. What do you think? Burrs or some skin problem or tumor? The buck I shot in 2011 had some golf ball sized gray tumors hanging off him, and this looks similar but much bigger. The rest of her was very clean, so I don't think she laid in a manure pile or something.

 

[Oak]

Probably cutaneous fibromas. Not usually fatal unless they are in a location that affects sight, breathing or eating, and the animal is ok to eat if harvested.

 

[ardrhi]

I shot a cow elk this year that had several burr balls, some even bigger than the one in your photo. Your photos look like the same thing.
Cutaneous fibromas (deer warts) are usually darker and push the hair away from the growth, but it looks like the hair is pulled into the ball in your photo.

 

[BuzzH]

Looks to me like that elk got into some common burdock?

 

[cornfed]

Looks like burdock to me also. Some of our whitetails get it real bad but usually only in the tail.

 

[Oak]

Yeah, does look like burdock, actually. I have some photos of some elk covered in it, but can't find them.

 

[AH64DMatt]

Can't a cow take a nap in a pile of poop without getting photographed anymore? These paparazzi are too much...

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

I think it's friggin Frostbite! John