Topic: Photography: Roosevelt Elk

[Peggy]

Hi Everyone,

Late in June I got to work with my husband. That day he had to go to Eureka, CA to fix an ATM machine. 

On the way back home near Orick (Humbolt County?), I spied a herd of Roosevelt Elk in a pasture with horses. 

My dear husband knowing how much I love to try and take great pictures pulled over and let me try to take pictures.

In the group there were at least two bulls.  They horns were just starting to come in and still had the velvet on them.  When we first pulled up, I spied three  babies with spots on them, but as I moved closer to get pictures and they raised up to get ready to run (which I didn't mean to get close enough to cause that)--I found that there were seven babies, and all had their spots on!

I tried to take good pictures, but to be honest none of them are spectacular.  What is spectacular is that I got to be in the presence of these wonderful animals.  That they put up with me walking around their safe place and home. 

Today I finally edited the photos, and made a little slideshow.  IF you are interested the slideshow is here:

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/Elk/?ction=view&current=6030eb61.pbw

and the photo album on photobucket is here:

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/Elk/

Enjoy!! Peg

[Jim]

Great shots Peg.  Are these Elk being raised on a farm in captivity or did they just decide to join the horses?  They look quite happy to have their picture made.

[Dianna]

Peg, those are beautiful pictures. How close were you actually able to get before they would start to run?

[Peggy]

Great shots Peg.  Are these Elk being raised on a farm in captivity or did they just decide to join the horses?  They look quite happy to have their picture made.

The Elk preserve is actually right up the road.  They are just loose wild Elk who decided to join the horses outside of their allotted space, which happens to be an old converted mill area.

Peg, those are beautiful pictures. How close were you actually able to get before they would start to run?

Thank you, they actually let me get within about 10 feet... keep in mind that I was on one side of the fence and they on the other though.

Hugs, Peg

[Patty S]

Peggy, I know the exact spot where you were, cuz we go past there when we go down to California every year.   I think that elk are amazing critters.  Back when we were hillbillies & did a lot of hunting, I was in awe every time I saw how gracefully those huge animals move, even when they're on a dead run!

....they actually let me get within about 10 feet.

You make me nervous & I'm surprised that Clyde even let you do that! (Course, then again, I've never known Clyde *or anyone else* to stop you, when you have your head set on something.) Even though those creatures are on another side of a barbed wire fence, & even though they might be used to seeing people, they're STILL wild animals, & can't always be trusted.  Especially when you're so close to a Mommy/baby situation!  (Jack Hanna will even tell you that.)   Elk aren't known for charging when another species approach their babies (or just cuz they feel like doing it), but with your kinda luck, I sure wouldn't press it!  All I can say is that you're darned lucky you weren't sneaking up on a moose or a bison with a baby... or an elk during their rutting season, cuz you would have been showed "what for"! 

I'd never want to get that close to a big animal like that, unless I was getting ready to field dress it! I think your pics are spectacular & I don't mean to hijack your topic, but here's a pic of "Elwood the elk", who lives on the wall at Dave & Amy's house now, cuz when we moved here, we forgot about our "interior decorating requirements", & didn't buy a house with a vaulted ceiling!
     
Elwood is the Yellowstone elk that I bagged in 1985... the last time I hunted.  Even though we always hunted for food rather than sport, Elwood would have been a hard act to follow.  At that point, I felt as though I'd "done it all", cuz I'd helped to stock our freezer with my fair share of deer, grouse & elk over the years, & was getting too old to be out jumping stumps in the cold, anyway.

If you ever get attacked by a huge wild animal, Peggy, I'll never speak to you again! PLEASE be careful!

Check this out! (Select the appropriate connection for your computer & watch the video.)

I've backed into Elwood while vacuuming, & trust me on this... those antlers HURT, even when they don't have "animal momentum" behind them! I wouldn't want to get charged by one of those things, horns or no horns!