October 13th, 2006
Roosevelt Elk at Prairie Creek
Another first on this trip. Over the past week, I’ve been seeing Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) at several locations near Prairie Creek in the Redwood National Forest. The first time that we came upon a herd, we pulled off the highway to watch them grazing in a field at dusk. The whistling call of the bull elk could easily be heard from considerable distance. It turns out that the elk are a common sight along Hwy 101 as the animals are often seen wandering across fields or around buildings on either side of the road. The elk in this photo was seen along Davidson Road when we were on our way through a section of the park. It was foraging for long grasses that were growing beneath an old piece of equipment. Although the elk seem unconcerned by spectators watching from their automobiles, there are warning signs posted instructing visitors not to approach the elk (seems like prudent advice as, despite their placid appearance, they are not tame). More information on the Roosevelt Elk can be found on this page.
Tags: Roosevelt Elk, Cervus elaphus roosevelti, Prairie Creek
October 13th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Bev – those are handsome critters, robust and hairy and very very big! I would think twice before chasing one of them out of our house enclave. (In fact, there are times when our itty bitty deer will act out a token challenge when I confront them. They only startle me for a second when they do that, but I suspect the elk would be a bit more forceful.)
October 13th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
There are, of course, lots of elk at Yellowstone. The park rangers warn people to keep a good distance away – around 100 feet if I recall. They like to tell people that someone was injured just yesterday by an elk (or buffalo, depending on which you’re watching). They also mentioned in early September that male elk are more dangerous during rutting season.
October 13th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Wayne – Yes, the elk are quite large. I suppose that, having worked around horses as much as I have, they didn’t seem quite so large as I had expected. Still, they have very impressive antlers and having watched some laidback jousting between a couple of young males, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of even a gentle prod.
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Mark – I’m sure that the males or even female elk defending their young, could be very dangerous. I have to say that I was constantly amazed (more like freaked out), by the number of men who got out of their vehicles and walked toward the elk while imitating the whistling call of a bull elk. What *are* they thinking?? I know that, up in my area, hunters attract bull moose by clashing a dried branch against other branches and imitating rutting sounds with moose horns, etc… but that’s with the hope of attracting one to shoot. I’m not sure what these guys would do if a bull elk ever decided to “answer the the call”… !!!
October 13th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Oh, I love this journey so much. You are traveling roads that Roger and I have traveled for years. The elk at Prairie Creek always delight us. Such magnificent looking creatures.
October 13th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Robin – I’ve thought of you many times while wandering around the coast — wondering if you had been to this or that place — as I’m certain you must. When I get home, I’ll be putting together a better collection of photos from our journey. You may find many familiar places among those that we visited along the way.