Tule Elk in Velvet

A tule elk stands with antlers in velvet.
Tule elk with antlers in velvet, Point Reyes National Seashore

There are three things in the photo above that say it’s spring to me.  The first thing is the flowers.  The second is the change occurring in the elk’s coat from a warmer (longer), lighter-colored, winter coat to a cooler (shorter), darker, summer coat.  The third thing is the early-stage growth of antlers.

During the winter season the Point Reyes tule elk shed their antlers.  Almost immediately after shedding them they began growing new antlers.  Under that velvet skin the antlers are engorged with blood.  At this early stage you can easily see evidence of blood-rich tissue.  Below is a cropped version of the above photo showing the blood-rich tissue.

Close-up profile of elk in velvet
Close-up of Tule elk in velvet

0 Responses

  1. That’s a beautiful shot of the elk, and I love that you caught such an early stage in the growth of what will probably be a huge rack. Did you know that antler velvet is produced commercially as a human health tonic?

    1. Thanks John. No, I didn’t know that per se, but it doesn’t surprise me given that some snake oil salesmen use ground up antlers for similar purposes.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share this:

More Posts

Elk Calf in Hiding, Montana
Elk Calf Won’t Move This calf was seen very close to the road just north of Yellowstone National...
Read Article
Bighorn Ram, Yellowstone National Park
I haven’t been to Yellowstone for several years and planned to go this year until the big flood...
Read Article
A Red-winged Blackbird Stretches Its Wings
Red-winged Blackbird, Point Reyes National Seashore I think that for every female or sub-adult male red-winged...
Read Article
A bald eagle grabs a fish in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
View Galleries

Prints for sale

Browse my selection of photos for sale as fine art prints

Filter by category