Elk on the Road

 5"X7"  Oil on board

Driving back up the road from Needlerock we met this gentleman, we had encountered his harem on the way down. The ranger had warned us that he was ornery and had attacked a hiker recently.
Needless to say we were very respectful and kept well behind him as he sauntered along in front of us. He wasn't in any hurry and would occasionally look behind to see if we were still there.

He is a Roosevelt elk. They really are quite spectacular, it is hard to convey the size and majesty of these animals. They look so much like deer in their colour and shape but are closer in size to a moose.The local herd was exterminated more than a century ago, but these were reintroduced from Prairie Creek State Park and seem to be thriving.