Young Cow Elk

This time of year, herds of “bachelor” elk are coming down from the high country, converging with females and their offspring.

A herd of about two dozen elk cows and calves were grazing on crested wheat in the broad open valley. Behind them, nearer the trees, about half that many bulls with newly emerging antlers began moving toward the road ahead of me. I knew they would cross long before I could reach them, and then the cows began moving in the same direction as the bulls. The race was on!

The bulls crossed in front of me; Alas! too fast to catch with a steady focus. The cows and youngsters were another matter. I intercepted them before they got to the road. They milled about for a few minutes, sniffing the air (tracking the males) before deciding to go for it.

They raced across in front of me, dashed down into a deep ravine and up the hillside into the cedars.

Timing is everything!