EMSC
Well-known member
It's that time of year when the Elk drop down out of the high country and rut before winter sets in. Took the family up to free day in RMNP which is only an hour away (well, on free day Estes park is beyond a zoo so a bit more than an hour). Had a nice picnic lunch and a short hike before the Elk drop out of the trees and into open meadows just before the sun sets for the day. If you catch the right meadow on the right day it can be quite mesmerizing watching all the elk with the bulls calling and rounding up harems and occasional fights breaking out among both the males for the harem and even among females on occasion (using front hooves).
This year we initially picked a meadow that did not have much action on that particular day and drove over to a different one just as the sun set where there were lots of Elk. In RNMP there are no wolves and no hunting is allowed so the Elk herds tend to ignore cars and people unlike in other areas of the west. Allows you to fairly safely get up quite close (relatively speaking). Lots of pics as usual for you. First some fall and hiking pics:
(more Elk pics to come in a reply)
This year we initially picked a meadow that did not have much action on that particular day and drove over to a different one just as the sun set where there were lots of Elk. In RNMP there are no wolves and no hunting is allowed so the Elk herds tend to ignore cars and people unlike in other areas of the west. Allows you to fairly safely get up quite close (relatively speaking). Lots of pics as usual for you. First some fall and hiking pics:
(more Elk pics to come in a reply)
