"A Sand County Almanac"

"THERE ARE SOME WHO CAN LIVE WITHOUT WILD THINGS AND SOME WHO CANNOT."
"FOR US IN THE MINORITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GEESE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TELEVISION.".....Aldo Leopold




"LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE, AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER".....Albert Einstein


“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves”.....John Muir


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Pennsylvania Elk Range, Day Four


Pennsylvania Elk Range, Day 4
We were up early on day four, and didn’t waste any time heading for the elk viewing areas in Benezette.  The road mostly followed  creeks and bottom land, but we could see fog on the mountains.  We encouraged each other with the notion that Winslow Hill wasn’t all “that” high.  Alas, when we arrived, it was socked in by heavy fog with very limited visibility…
 
 
It was eerie to stand in the heavy fog, listening to bull elk bugle all around us.  Occasionally, a ghost-like figure would emerge briefly from the fog and then disappear again just as quickly…
 

At one point a large bull elk came within 25 yards and bugled as he passed by.  Having never experienced anything quite like it before, I am sure it was something I will never forget…
 
 
Various cows and bulls moved through the fog as the photographers and wildlife watchers waited for the fog to burn off…
 


Suddenly a bull bugled very close to us.  He was chasing a cow that was trying to escape his control to join another harem.  When he ran after the cow we could hear each hoof beat, and even the contents of his stomach sloshing, as he made sharp stops and turns to keep her in his herd…

When the fog finally moved off, the elk had moved to a nearby hill side to bed down and chew their cuds, out of the direct heat of the sun…


Several hours passed before the elk re-emerged into the grazing area where many onlookers waited…
 
 


Bulls were kept running as they tried to keep their harems together and away from other bulls…





 
 
 
Once again, two bulls seemed to be challenging each other as they circled and sized one another up... 
 


 
It was all just for show.  When the dominant bull pressed the subordinate one he just walked off and bugled his frustration...
 
 
As the sun began to set, the light on the field changed to a warm golden color...




 We left soon thereafter to return to the campground for our last night in Pennsylvania. 
Check back soon, for the last update of our visit to the elk range.

 

3 comments:

  1. Hi!
    Lovely and interesting Pictures.
    They are magnificant animals almost like our moose.
    Must be a lot of them because the are so near the villages.
    Majsan//

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Steve
    I like the hirs in the mist most. They are very interesting animal. I saw the last week also in our country.
    Greetings Bets

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you both for your comments. There are about 850-900 elk in Pennsylvania this year. Many of the buildings are isolated hunting camps, but they do come into some of the small towns to seek food. I hope to return for more photos but it is a four hour drive each way.
    Steve

    ReplyDelete

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