Another look at Fred's friend

Now that I am nearing the end of my latest Shenandoah and Benezette photographs, I figured I'd post just a couple more of the bull that was hanging around Fred the two days we were there as he was wonderful to observe and quite photogenic as well! One fun aspect of wildlife photography is catching the animal doing what it does naturally, such as grooming. People are used to seeing their pets in the position of the first photo, but most will never see an elk that way. The second photograph is a perfect example of what life for the residents of Elk Range is like... you just never know when and where you might find elk! We even saw a couple cows resting one a porch in Medix Run (although I think the owners of the house welcome it) but it was amusing to see them lying next to the porch swing watching the cars go by.

Baby fever???

No baby fever for me!!! My little ones keep me busy enough, but anybody would want to cuddle up with these two! OK, so they might not exactly be "babies" anymore but these little ones were definitely new additions to the herd in 2009 and they were just adorable in person! It was a lot of fun watching them run around a bit once the sun was shining bright on Elk Country. Maybe some Shenandoah young'ens tomorrow?

Breathtaking Bull

We came across this bull in the Medix Run area with a herd of 20-30 cows and calves along with one spike. Lighting was far from ideal for photographing him but we observed him for quite some time and enjoyed every minute! He zig-zagged through the open area then finally made his way out of our sight.

A New Year

I know today was supposed to be whitetail deer from SNP, but I just felt it fitting to start off the new year back in Elk Country. Today's photos are of the 3 collared elk we saw last weekend. (I am sure you will recognize one of them!) One nice aspect about collaring is that it makes following an animal throughout their life very easy by issuing them an identifying number. Pictured above are Bull #36, Cow # 78, and Bull #20. I will tag photos of collared animals so that as I accumulate them over time we can click on their corresponding number to watch their progress.

I hope that some positive changes are made in 2010 regarding the elk herd for the benefit of the elk themselves as well as for all those that enjoy them.

A Moment to Remember

When we arrived at the Gilbert Viewing Area our last day, we initially saw no elk. Upon further inspection, we spotted a large herd in the distance. Immediately we zipped up our jackets and headed out on an hour-long hike to get a closer look. Being that there is very little guidance as to where the public is allowed to go and where not, we were somewhat worried about getting in trouble so we just followed the path our guide took us on when we went on our day-long trek to celebrate our anniversary. If any of you have more knowledge as to where and where not we can go, please share! There are signs in some areas stating no admittance without some sort of mine training but this is where our guide took us so we really weren't sure. I e-mailed him when we got home and he just said to stay off of the rusty-colored areas.

Anyway, as we came to the crest of the hill, we looked up to find a stunning sight that just could not be captured on film (although I did try!) The perfect silence and having all of the herd members looking right at us was indescribable. We took care not to disturb them (especially since the spike was very aware of our presence) snapped just a few pictures and turned back. It was a moment will will never forget and I am making this memory my last post for 2009.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year... I thank you for your support, direction, advice and most of all friendship through our blogs and our common love of the Pennsylvania Elk Herd and all wildlife in general. Looking forward to reading all your blogs in 2010!

As Promised... Fred & Friend!

After spending 2 days with Fred (Bull #36) and his new buddy, I am curious as to how long the two have been "hanging out" together. Has anybody else seen them in town like this? They were nearly inseparable except when Fred was napping, which he did much more of than the other bull. That's when the younger of the two would roam the town himself feeding, relaxing, and posing for us but he never strayed too far from his sleeping elder. I know Fred spent the summer with a spike nearby but I did not see tat one around this trip.

As I previously stated, Fred does seem to be experiencing some difficulty with mobility due to the cold temperatures. When he would first get up, walking looked painful, but once he got moving he seemed to loosen up a bit. He did travel all across town on both days and did not stay secluded to one small area which is what many animals will do when they are not faring well, so this is a good sign.

If anybody recognizes the other bull, please let me know! I am terrible with recognizing and remembering names since they often get other nicknames as well. Thank you!

Swing Set Rescue Bull Thriving

This series of photos begins at the stop sign on Medix Run by the Elk Country Store on Sunday. December 26th. After a very successful elk viewing day, we were leaving a herd that we had been watching in a yard near the store when Anthony noticed an elk on the hillside above us. We turned around and watched as he descended down the steep terrain and across the road. As soon as I laid eyes on him I knew I recognized him from Brad Myers' and Willard Hill's blogs from earlier this year. They documented this bulls rescue from an entanglement in a swing set where his damaged antler had to be removed. There was fear that he might suffer from trauma-related complications and until seeing him for myself I had not heard of any updates on his status. Well here he is... not only alive but thriving! He appeared strong and agile while maneuvering down the hill and across the river to meet up with the herd we had been observing. I had watched the video of his dramatic rescue and am happy to give an update on his status.

I did not take much time to edit these photos as I just wanted to get them posted for those involved with his rescue to see. I know there is a way I can tweak the color of the water in Photoshop to be more appealing but I have never done it before and am still trying to figure it out so maybe my next water crossing shots will be prettier.

I also wanted to give an update on Fred... it appears he has a buddy in town this winter. He and another younger bull with a stunningly beautiful (yet not huge) set of antlers were practically inseparable for the two days we were there. Marci has informed me that last year he was accompanied by another bull named "Snowy" so I am not sure if this is the same one or not. I will be posting pictures of him tomorrow so if you recognize him, please let me know. This bull was wonderful to photograph, and his antler coloration was absolutely beautiful. Fred seemed to be having some trouble walking, it definitely appeared his arthritis was making getting around difficult in the cold weather but he was all over town on both days and seems to be faring relatively well given his age and speculated arthritis.

I will try to mix the Benezette photographs and the Shenandoah ones to keep a variety but Fred and friend tomorrow then back to the deer.

Intimate encounter

A last-minute trip to Benezette gave us exactly 1 hour of daylight to see as many elk as we could, and once again we were not disappointed! We made it to a couple of our favorite viewing areas and found a few herds in the distance.

While there, we met a couple that seemed very nice as we watched a cow and her small calf roaming in the valley. We lent them our binoculars and told them where they could see a couple herds around the area. Josephine was amazed by the "baby elk" and kept asking for the "nocolars" to see it. As our conversation with the couple went on, the man informs us he was selected for the hunt and that they were there scouting areas for next week because since he only got a cow tag he wasn't willing to pay for a guide... he'd only pay for a bull!

I couldn't believe he was telling us as we are snapping pictures that he was there scouting the very same elk we were admiring! Oh the irony! Then to top it off, when he said "I just don't know where to go." and I replied "Well there are different zones and you will be assigned to one." he tells me that Benezette IS his zone. UGH!!! I completely understand the concept of population control, but I'm kind of attached to those elk and this guy was a complete buzz kill!

Luckily on our way out a nice bull decided to cheer me up by relaxing just a few yards off of the road. It was a very intimate moment with the sun going down and him trying to get comfortable to sleep. Anthony positioned the car just right so I could try to get a couple pictures and that was it. After looking, I now notice that he seems to have a cut above his right eye, possibly a battle-wound from the rut? All in all an amazing hour but very few photo-ops and a little bit of frustration but totally worth the 5-hour round-trip!

A beautiful bull in the distance

One of the more symmetrical sets of antlers I've seen

He was as interested in us as we were him!

He eventually got bored with us!

Bull checks out horses while cow checks out men and men take picture while I shoot it all!

This spike was talking to me!

Pretty cow

You may recognize this friend!

Raining too hard to get a sharp image!

Big bull in the distance

Another view of the Big Guy in the distance