Miscellaneous Elk of Yellowstone National Park

66 images of Elk in Yellowstone National Park, including close-portraits,
a bull elk feeding a cow at sunrise, a bull climbing an incredibly steep slope,
a herd of cows and juveniles crossing the Madison River, and other images.

Most of the wildlife images from Yellowstone were prepared without title bars.

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Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Elk at Dawn Lower Mammoth 9996

A bull elk tasting estrus pheromones at dawn in the hills southeast of Lower Mammoth.

Estrus pheromones are produced during the estrus cycle, which only lasts a day or two,
although if the female is not bred during this period she will have another cycle three to four
weeks later. Bull elk taste the pheromones to determine if a particular cow is ready to mate.

Elk at Dawn Lower Mammoth 0075

A bull elk poses for a close portrait in the hills southeast of Lower Mammoth in northern Yellowstone.
Elk in Yellowstone National Park are Rocky Mountain Elk, one of four subspecies in North America.

Elk are one of the largest animals in the deer family, and are only surpassed by the moose. Elk
were originally named by early European explorers who thought that they resembled a moose,
so they gave it the name elk which was the common name for European moose. The native
Shawnee name for the animal was Wapiti (literally: white rump), and this name is used for
Asian subspecies because in Eurasia the name Elk is still used for the Eurasian moose.

Elk at Dawn Lower Mammoth 0225

A bull elk poses at the top of a hill with cows and a juvenile at dawn in northern Yellowstone.

Elk Herd at Sunrise Lower Mammoth 0233

A bull elk drives his harem across a valley at sunrise in the hills southeast of Lower Mammoth.

During the breeding period, a mature elk can acquire a harem of up to thirty or more cows, about
half of which are in prime breeding condition. There may also be a yearling bull (known as a spike
for its single point antlers) or an older but less mature hanger-on, a young bull who is attracted to
the herd but is subordinate to the dominant bull. This herding pattern only occurs during the rut.

During the summer, cows, calfs and yearlings usually run in large herds, and bulls are either
solitary or run in small groups of two or three. In the winter, bulls congregate in bands known as
bachelor groups, and the cows, calves and immature bulls run in herds numbering in the hundreds.

Elk in the Greater Yellowstone area take part in the longest elk migration in the continental US.
Elk in the southern Yellowstone area migrate to Jackson Hole, WY to winter in the Elk Refuge.
Elk in the northern areas of Yellowstone migrate to lower altitudes in north and west Montana.

Elk in Cottonwoods Lower Mammoth 8025

Bull elk in the cottonwoods at dawn, in the Lower Mammoth area of Yellowstone National Park.

Elk at Sunrise Lower Mammoth 8073

A 500mm telephoto close portrait of a bull elk in the golden light of sunrise in the Lower Mammoth area.

More images of elk in the Lower Mammoth area are displayed on the Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs page.

Elk in a Snowstorm 5719

A female elk peers at the photographer through a late April snowstorm on the Gibbon River in Yellowstone.

Elk Portrait Yellowstone 0991

A 135mm extreme close portrait of a female elk in southern Yellowstone.

Elk Dunraven Pass Yellowstone 9987

A bull elk poses in the scrub at the edge of the woods in the Dunraven Pass,
north of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.

Images of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are on the Rivers and Waterfalls page of the Wyoming Scenic
section, which displays many images of geothermal and other scenic areas of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

Elk Dunraven Pass Yellowstone 9994

Elk Dunraven Pass Yellowstone 9989

Elk Dunraven Pass Yellowstone 9997

A bull elk poses for a mid-afternoon portrait at the edge of the woods in the Dunraven Pass.

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Elk Herd at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1269

A bull elk (resting at far left) and his harem in a meadow near the Madison River at sunrise.

During the breeding period, a mature bull elk can acquire a harem of up to thirty or more cows, about
half of which are in prime breeding condition. There may also be a yearling bull (known as a spike
for its single point antlers) or an older but less mature hanger-on, a young bull who is attracted to
the herd but is subordinate to the dominant bull. This herding pattern only occurs during the rut.

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1289c

A bull elk poses at sunrise in a large meadow along the Madison River in Yellowstone.

The linked images in this group are all in the 0.9 to 1.1 MB range,
due to the amount of detail in the autumn grass in the background.

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1296

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1292

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1297

A bull elk carries a succulent mouthful of grass to a favored cow in his harem at sunrise.

Elk Feeding Cow Madison Meadow 1301

The female elk assumes the posture of a juvenile asking for food as the bull elk approaches.

Elk Feeding Cow Madison Meadow 1304

A female elk takes an offering of grass from her bull at sunrise in Madison Meadow.

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1306

A bull elk carries a mouthful of grass while posing in a meadow alongside the Madison River at sunrise.

Elk Juvenile at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1310

A juvenile elk poses for the photographer alongside his mother.
Note the radio collar on the mother, used to track this herd of elk.

Elk Bugling at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1312

A bull elk bugles to his harem at sunrise in a meadow along the Madison River in the west end of
Yellowstone National Park. Elk bugle in different ways for several reasons: to communicate to their
harem that they are in the area, to warn the cows that they are straying too far, and aggressive calls
to other bulls that they are getting too close to the harem or as a challenge to the other bull elk. The
sound of a bugling elk is distinctive, beginning low in the throat and rising to a whistling scream,
then falling to a series of hollow grunts. The primal scream of the bugling elk is as identifiable
as the sound of a howling wolf. It awakens ancient aboriginal memories and once you have
heard this haunting cry you will never forget it. Female elk (cows) are attracted to bulls
which bugle louder and more often, so during the fall rut the sound is omnipresent.

Elk Bugling at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1321

A bull elk bugling to his harem in Madison Meadow at sunrise.

Elk bugle during the rutting period which occurs from late August through early October. The breeding
period, or rut, occurs primarily in September, but may begin in mid-August or extend into mid-October.

Elk at Sunrise Madison Meadow 1325

The bull elk poses for the photographer at the end of his performance.

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Elk Gibbon River 8755c

A bull elk with an exceptionally wide rack of antlers poses at the edge of
the Gibbon River below the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park.

Antlers grow from two pedicles, which are specialized bone-follicles on the head. Every spring, layers of cartilage called velvet antlers grow from the pedicles. Antlers grow faster than any other animal bone, and can grow up to an inch a day. They are covered with velvet, a vascular skin which provides blood, nutrients and growth hormone to the developing antler. Antlers grow from the tip, and the cartilage below is gradually mineralized into bone. Once the antler has reached full size, the velvet falls away or is rubbed off, and the bone dies. The mature antler retains grooves showing the path of blood vessels from the velvet, and North American Elk antlers can weigh up to 40 pounds and have a spread as wide as four feet.

Antlers differ from Horns in several ways:

Horns are a layer of Keratin (like fingernails and hair) over a living bony core. Antlers are true bone structures.
Horns are slow-growing and permanent (not shed each year). Antlers are fast-growing and are shed each year.
Horns are usually grown by both sexes. Antlers are usually grown only by males (except for reindeer or caribou).
Horns are usually single tines, often curved or spiral, and exhibit annual growth rings indicating an animal’s age.
Antlers are associated with testosterone and are often branched. The number of tines do not indicate the age.

Elk Gibbon River 8761

The bull elk climbs up the slope, emerging from the forest at the edge of the Grand Loop Road and poses to stop traffic.

Elk Gibbon River 8767 M

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without the title bar.

Elk Approaching Steep Slope 8768

A bull elk crosses the road on the way to a steep (66 degree) slope,
which he will then climb to enter the forest above the Grand Loop Road.

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8771c

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8772c

A bull elk climbing a very steep slope over the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone.

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8773c

A bull elk strikes a majestic pose as he climbs a steep slope over the
Grand Loop Road, above the Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park.

This impressive feat stopped traffic, as the bull weighed at least
700 pounds and the slope was well over 60 degrees in most places.

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8774c

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8776c

The bull elk struggles to mount the ridge atop the steepest part of the slope over the Grand Loop Road.

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8777

The bull elk scrambles onto the ridge above a steep slope over the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone.

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8779 M

Elk Climbing Steep Slope 8784 M

You can see how much effort the bull had to expend to drag himself onto the ridge. I was amazed...

Elk Gibbon River Slope 8789

The elk pauses to rest after he climbs a dauntingly steep slope over the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone.

Elk Gibbon River Slope 8790 M

“Whew! That was a major effort...”

Elk Climbing Slope Gibbon River XXL

A 1500 x 1273 version of the 12 image XXL Composite (6110 x 5185)
showing a bull elk climbing a very steep slope over the Grand Loop Road
above the Gibbon River, near Gibbon Falls in Yellowstone National Park.

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Elk Crossing Madison River 0784

Elk Crossing Madison River 0796

A herd of female elk and a juvenile prepare to cross the Madison River in the late afternoon.

Elk Crossing Madison River 0787

Female elk prepare to cross the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park.

Elk Crossing Madison River 0804

A low angle shot of a herd of female elk preparing to cross the Madison River in Yellowstone.

Elk Crossing Madison River 0810

An adventurous female ventures across the river... somebody has to be the first.

Elk Juvenile Madison River 0863

Elk Crossing Madison River 0817

Telephoto portraits of a juvenile and a female elk crossing the Madison River in the late afternoon.

Elk Crossing Madison River 0826

Elk Crossing Madison River 0819

Close portraits of a female elk crossing the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park.

Elk Portrait Madison River 0842

An extreme close portrait of a female elk at the Madison River.

Note the horizontal pupil. This is a common feature amongst prey animals, whose eyes are on the sides of their heads. While this eye placement gives poor depth perception, the combination of the eye placement and horizontal pupils gives prey animals an extremely wide angle view of their surroundings. Predators typically have their eyes placed in front of the head, giving them binocular vision which increases depth perception and allows them to better judge distances, and their pupils are either vertical or round. The horizontal placement of pupils in grazing species allows the pupil to be vertically oriented when grazing, increasing their depth of field when their head is lowered to graze. Predators with slit pupils have vertical pupils since they hunt with their head raised, so this gives them the best depth perception when hunting.

Round pupils permit a clearer image at night compared to slit pupils, as they are able to maximally dilate and receive light from any direction. Round pupils lack the ability to close quickly in bright light and do not block excess light as well as slit pupils. When constricted they reduce the amount of light available from the higher frequencies of the spectrum (blue light). A slit pupil allows the entire diameter of the lens to be utilized, even in bright light, and drastically reduces the amount of light during the day. Slit pupils are able to constrict more rapidly as well.

Elk Crossing Madison River 0848

A herd of female elk and a juvenile cross the Madison River in the late afternoon.

Elk Crossing at Sunset Madison River 1111

Elk Crossing at Sunset Madison River 1066

Female elk crossing the Madison River at sunset.

Elk Crossing at Sunset Madison River 1081

A herd of female elk at the edge of the Madison River wait for one of their number to decide to cross.

Elk Crossing at Sunset Madison River 1083 16x9

A herd of female elk at the edge of the Madison River watch one of their members decide to go back.

Elk Crossing at Sunset Madison River 1099

A female elk crosses the Madison River in Yellowstone at the height of the golden light at sunset.

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Elk at Rest Norris Junction 9007

Charger at rest in the mid-afternoon in the meadow behind the Norris Ranger Station.

Elk Norris Junction 9177

Charger, a renowned 6 point bull elk, poses near the Norris Ranger Station in Yellowstone.

This 6 point bull elk is actually the second to carry the name. The original Charger was an
8 x 6 point bull elk in the Norris Junction area who was killed by an illegal hunter in 1993.
The poacher was turned in by a taxidermist who recognized Charger’s antlers from a
magazine article and contacted investigators. 6 point Charger, with his distinctive
shoulder scars, was named for his habit of charging at tourists who get too close.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 9837 M

Charger stares down the photographer in this 600mm telephoto portrait taken at sunset.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 9844

Charger and a cow in his harem bask in the golden light of sunset in a large meadow at Norris Junction.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 9864

A 300mm close portrait of Charger tasting estrus pheromones at sunset.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0725 M

A 1200 x 1600 extreme close portrait of Charger at sunset (420mm).

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0781

Charger poses in the waning light at sunset as a pair of bison pass by in the background.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0787

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0790

Charger approaches the photographer in the large meadow behind the Norris Ranger Station in Yellowstone.

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0830 M

Elk at Sunset Norris Junction 0835 M

Charger’s Last Huzzah. The bull elk raises his head and bugles as the sun sets over Yellowstone.

More images of this renowned bull elk can be seen on the Charger: a Bull Elk of Yellowstone page.

Images in this section are in three different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Elk Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Charger: a Bull Elk Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs Miscellaneous Elk

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Charger: a Bull Elk of Yellowstone page.

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Elk of Mammoth Hot Springs page.