Tule Elk Calf, Point Reyes National Seashore
This is one of two calves I photographed a couple of days ago in the elk preserve. The other was much smaller (and younger). It was also noticeably darker.
Tag: tule elk
A Tule Elk Calf Stands in Tall Grass
This tule elk calf is big enough to run with the adults so it no longer needs to hide for periods of time. It was the only calf with a group of 25 adults and yearlings. Most of the cows with calves that I’ve been seeing are staying farther away from the road than the other elk.
Bull Elk at Sunset
This bull was standing at about a 45 degree angle to the sun before it set. This made for some strong sidelight and backlight. He’s still wearing some of his winter coat. He looks very healthy, but I think he’ll have to undergo a big growth-spurt to have a chance to breed this fall.
Cow Elk Being Groomed by Starlings; Point Reyes National Seashore
This cow is being cleaned of parasites by some starlings. She’s also ear-tagged. She has a yellow tag in her right ear that is numbered “85” and a silver tag in her left ear that is numbered “8527.” I don’t know why the tags were put on her, but she may have been tagged when the Park Service was experimenting with birth control in the late 90s. If so, she’s quite old. All I do know for sure is that I see her a lot and she sees me a lot. When I’m upwind of her that nose gets a real workout.
It’s hard to tell from this little jpeg, but it appears that the starling on the cow’s head is missing toes on its right foot.
Another Elk Dustup
The times I’ve seen these sparring sessions they only last a few seconds. I saw a video once where two deer threw rapid punches for quite a while. Maybe I’ll witness one of those with the elk. What I like about this particular moment is the expression on the young bull’s face. I wonder what he’s thinking? Maybe it’s “You’re next buster.”
Large Bull Tule Elk in Velvet
This 6×7 bull is probably the largest one I’ve seen on the Tomales Peninsula. However, you won’t see him in the elk enclosure. He and four other bulls live outside the enclosure. They escaped some time ago and I don’t think there is any plan to try to capture them and return them to the preserve. I think this is the same individual I posted on this blog roaming around inside a corral at the Kehoe Ranch months ago. I’ve seen him on his own several times over the past year. The other four seem to stay together.
A Young Bull Tule Elk Finds An Antler to Chew On.
The young bull tule elk on the left is fortunate to have found a shed antler to chew on. Shed antlers are an important source of minerals, such as calcium. He laid down and worked on the antler for about half an hour. The other young bull would like to have it. Such is life.
A couple of days ago I remembered that I started this blog when I was in Yellowstone in May of last year. I checked and found that I published the first photo on May 13, 2010. A year ago today.
