RHH's photos with the keyword: elk

These elk were wintering in the fields just outside Yellowstone National Park when we saw them. It is spring, so the males have dropped their antlers and many of the cows are pregnant.

These elk were photographed along the Madison River and the weest entrance road into Yellowstone National Park.

This bull Bison was photographed along the Madison River and along the west entrance road into Yellowstone National Park.

The Madison River is one of many rivers in Yellowstone National Park and flows out of the park to the west. The west entrance road follows the river and is a beautiful fourteen mile drive.

This photo was taken in the town of Mammoth at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park where elk can often be found wandering around the town. The young bulls were practice sparring outside one of the park buildings. The photo was taken by my wife with her phone.

This Bull Elk was lying down in a meadow near the north entrance station to Yellowstone National Park. We could see nothing of him but his antlers which were so large that we took a photo anyway.

After spending the night in a layby south of Cape Meares we continued driving down the coast of Oregon. Near Pacific City we stopped to photograph a herd of Roosevelt Elk feeding in a meadow. As we watched them several others stopped and a long-time resident of Pacific City said he had never seen them before in the area, so we counted ourselves very fortunate to have come on them. The Roosevelt Elk is the largest of four subspecies of elk in North America. It is found in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and is protected there. We have seen elk many times before, but these animals are huge! They certainly seemed to know they are protected, too, as they payed us no mind at all, though we were quite close to them with the car. As to our sleeping arrangements, we have a minivan and take the back seats out or fold them down when we are traveling and use our backpacking sleeping bags and pads. My wife has made curtains and I've made screens for the windows (if it is hot) and we are as cozy as can be. We use our backpacking stove for cooking and coffee and are completely self-sufficient that way.

These cow elk were photographed near Gardiner, Montana and were being guarded by a large bull who had periodically to chase away several younger bulls who were trying to steal his cows.

This is a bull elk chasing some younger bulls that had dried to separate some of his cows from his herd. He was photographed near Gardiner, Montana.

After driving into Yellowstone National Park and finding no campsites available we left the park by the north entrance and spent the night near Gardiner, Montana. On our way back into the park the next morning we saw a herd of elk in a field along the road and stopped for photos. This was the bull of the herd and while we were watching some young bulls who were hanging around tried to cut some of his cows (see inset) out of his herd. He is eyeing them here and soon began to chase them away (see inset) and to bring back the cows who had strayed.

After driving around to the west side of the Olympics we headed up the road to the Hoh Rainforest and near the parking area saw several Roosevelt Elk, inlcuding this bull. Roosevelt Elk or Olympic Elk is a subspecies of elk that is the largest in North America.

This Elk was photographed in Jasper National Park by my wife. I got quite a few photos as well but hers was better, so that's the one I posted. The American Elk is Cervus canadensis and this is a nice adult male, though his antlers are not yet that large.

This is another of my wife's photos, taken along the road as we drove through Yellowstone. We did not see a lot of elk but the few we did see were in fine form for the rutting season in the fall. The area was burned in one of the many fires that have burned through parts of Yellowstone in recent years and the grass and other vegetation is just starting to come back in the area.

Along Highway 90 near Columbia Plateau State Park.

Along Highway 90 near Columbia Plateau State Park.

Photographed in Jasper National Park near the Maligne River.