Aspens and Elk

Overlooking the Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs

Hurray for fall! What could be better than a day in one of my favorite places during my favorite season? Michigan fall will always be THE best for me, but Yellowstone National Park plays a pretty good second fiddle. 

My objective for this trip was simple ~ golden aspens and rutting elk. When we want to make sure that we see elk, we head straight to Mammoth Hot Springs. We hiked there back in June and saw them, so we returned to the Beaver Ponds trail and started up. It was a great day for a hike: cool but not cold, partly sunny, and once we left the Terraces, we saw only four other people. I was a little disappointed that the aspens hadn't turned much yet, but we did find a few to photograph.  


After we had hiked more than two miles, we still hadn't seen any elk, despite plenty of sign ~ tracks, scat, and flattened grass where they had bedded down. I was just starting to think that we weren't going to see them when a very distinctive sound cut through the quiet air. Nothing else sounds even remotely like the bugle of a bull elk. We quickly set off in the direction of the sound. An elk bugle can carry a long way, so there was still no guarantee we would locate him. But we sure were going to try. After nearly a mile of quiet stalking with frequent stops for listening, we finally spotted our quarry ~ a nice 5X6 bull with a small harem of cows. We carefully worked our way closer and got some pictures. But he wasn't the only bull in the area. We were hearing more calls from right, left, and in front of us. So we moved cautiously through the trees and soon spied another bull, then another and another. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon stalking one bull after another. (Better than hunting, because there's no bag limit!) Even as the shadows grew longer and we knew we had to head back, another bull would bugle nearby and we were hard-put not to set off in pursuit once more. 

Bull Number Two

Leaving Mammoth, we felt sorry for the crowds of people taking pictures of the elk on the courthouse lawn. Yes, the bull that they were seeing was bigger than any we had seen, but I couldn't help but feel that I was the lucky one. 

These little bluebirds added to the day's entertainment. 

Elk shed their antlers every year. Dan found this nice specimen.