Crystals of erbium vanadate were flux-grown and magnetic measurements carried out on the single crystals for the first time in the temperature range 300-13.2 K. At room temperature χ > χ ; a crossover in Δχ is observed at about 130 K. Our magnetic data and that of Kuse on crystal field excitations were analyzed invoking an effective crystal field of D 2 d symmetry; the theoretical values provide an excellent agreement to the observed data. The principal susceptibility (χ ) did not show any sharp change in its behavior down to 13.2 K, which rules out a structural or magnetic phase transition in this range. The computed Stark energies led us to locate a Schottky anomaly in the electronic heat capacity. The quadrupole splitting of r 1 6 7 Er due to crystal held effects has been computed; the hyperfine heat capacity displays a sharp peak at about 4.8 mK.