Looks like a good hatch this year.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:59 pm....for the elk that is. 
Lately, on my morning walks, I've been doing pretty well with my elk sitings. This morning was no different.
I spotted these two bulls from about 500 yards. It just so happened they were on the powerline we follow back to the wooded are I walk most days.
At 200yards, I put the dogs on a sit-stay and proceeded with the cell phone camera ready to take pics if I could get close enough.
as I crested the hill, I could see both of the bulls but, I knew i wasn't getting closer. so I snapped a couple cell pics and hoped they turned out, they didn't really look to good. Here they are but, they were a good 50 yards away so even after I zoomed them on the phone the pics are lacking.They were still feeding in the first pic. the second pic is as the bigger bull busted me.
About a 1/2 mile away and I spotted a big cow. So I put the boys on another sit-stay again. I moved with brush between myself and the one elk I had seen. As I made my way over toward them, I saw a few other elk on the powerline strip.
Just as I came through the blackberries, 10yards in front of me and, laying facing straight away from me, were 7 calves. I took one pic right before I could see there ears in the tall grass and then tried to take as many as I could as they got up and left. Most of these calve pictures I am standing 10 yards or less. When they all first started standing up, it was like none of them knew the drill yet. There were actually 3 that turned and looked and didn't even get up with the first 4 of them. I'm guessing if I were a predator, I'd have eaten very well today.
The calves that stayed after they saw me did eventually realize to run.........but which direction was not decided as a group and it was a free for all.
Of course, there is always one in the crowd that just doesn't get it. This guy just stuck around and I almost had to chase him off, so he wouldn't be left behind by the herd.
Lately, on my morning walks, I've been doing pretty well with my elk sitings. This morning was no different.
I spotted these two bulls from about 500 yards. It just so happened they were on the powerline we follow back to the wooded are I walk most days.
At 200yards, I put the dogs on a sit-stay and proceeded with the cell phone camera ready to take pics if I could get close enough.
as I crested the hill, I could see both of the bulls but, I knew i wasn't getting closer. so I snapped a couple cell pics and hoped they turned out, they didn't really look to good. Here they are but, they were a good 50 yards away so even after I zoomed them on the phone the pics are lacking.They were still feeding in the first pic. the second pic is as the bigger bull busted me.
About a 1/2 mile away and I spotted a big cow. So I put the boys on another sit-stay again. I moved with brush between myself and the one elk I had seen. As I made my way over toward them, I saw a few other elk on the powerline strip.
Just as I came through the blackberries, 10yards in front of me and, laying facing straight away from me, were 7 calves. I took one pic right before I could see there ears in the tall grass and then tried to take as many as I could as they got up and left. Most of these calve pictures I am standing 10 yards or less. When they all first started standing up, it was like none of them knew the drill yet. There were actually 3 that turned and looked and didn't even get up with the first 4 of them. I'm guessing if I were a predator, I'd have eaten very well today.
The calves that stayed after they saw me did eventually realize to run.........but which direction was not decided as a group and it was a free for all.
Of course, there is always one in the crowd that just doesn't get it. This guy just stuck around and I almost had to chase him off, so he wouldn't be left behind by the herd.