Elk
rutting activity was very slow on Thursday--at least where I was--but
it picked a bit on Friday. That morning was extremely foggy, as is usual
for Pennsylvania elk country. As the fog started to lift a bit, I
pulled into a Game Commission parking lot and heard bugling coming from a
nearby meadow. Upon checking the situation out, I found several cows
and calves feeding along the tree line at the edge of the meadow while a
bull watched them from just inside the woods and bugled periodically.
At first it was so foggy that the bull was almost impossible to
photograph, but then the fog lifted and suddenly a larger 6x7 bull came
running in from behind me and to my right and locked antlers with the
smaller bull.
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| 6x7 Charges Smaller Bull |
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| Bulls Fighting |
They
locked antlers several times and fought violently for brief periods
before the smaller bull ran off and left the 6x7 in control of the
harem.
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| The Victor |
That
evening I decided to check out a favorite scenic overlook and found a
Wildlife Conservation Officer there. While we were talking he suddenly
whispered, "look behind you" and I turned to see a beautiful bull
walking directly toward us along the rim of the overlook. I had the 70D
around my neck with the 17-40mm attached so I brought it to eye level
and took several photos. This was the Conservation Officers' first trip
to elk country and he was very impressed with the experience.
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| Overlook Bull |
I
saw more elk including a few bulls before darkness fell, but the photo
above was the highlight of the evening. These events raised my hopes
for the remainder of the weekend, but the trend did not continue, and
activity was flat on Saturday and Sunday.
The
highlight of Saturday was the Benezette Elk Camera Club Picnic. I wish
to thank the club for the opportunity to address them and play a few
banjo tunes. I also thank them for the courtesy and kindness the
members extended to me.
Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.
