[at-l] Animals on the trail

[m_factor@hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

I think the elk (wapiti) might eventually get used to humans...

When I went out to the Colorado Rockies (~1991), I wanted to see the elk so 
inquired around and was told where to go to watch them come down from the 
hills in the evening.  I was one of the first tourists there and was the 
last to leave.  I first heard and then saw the bulls come down, then saw a 
number of large herds come down, watched bulls charging each other while 
others stole cows from each other.  The ranger and I were the last to leave 
only after it was too dark to see the herds anymore.  Very cool.

I camped on the west side of the park that night in a car camping area.  I 
didn't get that area or set up my tent until well after dark.

The next morning, I started to get out of my tent, unzipped the tent fly, 
and flipped it out of the tent.  I startled an elk grazing (on charcoal from 
the fire ring, maybe?) just a few feet from my tent.  Needless to say, it 
startled me, too.

I slowly got out of the tent only to realize that I was completely 
surrounded by the elk.  The campground is in the path of the elk as they 
move back to the hills in the morning and the entire herd was grazing its 
way through the campground.  There were a number of other wondrous early 
rising tourists there, too, and we slowly just started walking with the herd 
along the road.  Nothing like observing elk from less that 10' away.  The 
bulls were watchful of the other male elk but didn't seem to mind the two 
footed creatures in their midst.  All of the people knew better than to try 
to approach the elk but the elk  would get within a few feet of us every now 
and then.

Turns out, you can't get that close when they come down from the hills in 
the evening, but when they're headed back into the hills in the morning, it 
seems to be OK.

Gotta wonder if the herds you were viewing will eventually get used to 
humans in their midst, too.

Mara
Stitches, GAME99



>From: CrzyPlum@aol.com
>Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 12:36:50 EST
>
>I wouldn't bank on that, even when those Elk were in the 750 fenced acres 
>in
>the LBL they would not let a human on foot get within a hundred yards or 
>so.

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