Community Chat

[croemer]

Photographer meets an Elk...lets say head on.

VIDEO from youtube

[Cakers1]

croemer: I can't get the video to play. I'm thinking it's the same one I saw before?

The elk at the Rocky Mountain National Park have never approached humans and we've been just a few yards away from them during rut season. Beautiful creatures. But they are used to people; they laze around on people's lawns in town. lol

[scotttie]

Hey Cakers, this one was in the Smokey Mountains.

Croemer: What an amazing video. I would have done just as what he did. Hunker down. Except maybe he should have stopped snapping photos. It seemed to tick off the Elk.

[croemer]

On 4/5/2014 beammeupscottie said:

Hey Cakers, this one was in the Smokey Mountains.

Croemer: What an amazing video. I would have done just as what he did. Hunker down. Except maybe he should have stopped snapping photos. It seemed to tick off the Elk.

I agree...I think the camera looked threatening to the Elk.

[croemer]

On 4/5/2014 Cakers1 said:

croemer: I can't get the video to play. I'm thinking it's the same one I saw before?

The elk at the Rocky Mountain National Park have never approached humans and we've been just a few yards away from them during rut season. Beautiful creatures. But they are used to people; they laze around on people's lawns in town. lol

Hmm...wonder why it will not play for you?

[Cakers1]

On 4/5/2014 beammeupscottie said:

Hey Cakers, this one was in the Smokey Mountains.

Croemer: What an amazing video. I would have done just as what he did. Hunker down. Except maybe he should have stopped snapping photos. It seemed to tick off the Elk.

Hi scottie - ok - that's the one I saw before. I guess the elk in the Smokies are not as serene as the ones in Colorado. lol - maybe they need a toke or two on sumpin'.

[Yuban3]

What I noticed was the guy would put his head down, and then the elk would put his head down.

That's what male elks do when they want to try and dominate each other.

Maybe if the guy hadn't put his head down first, the elk would not have seen that as a challenge.

In other words, keep his head up, but look away. Don't make direct eye contact.

[croemer]

On 4/5/2014 Yuban3 said:

What I noticed was the guy would put his head down, and then the elk would put his head down.

That's what male elks do when they want to try and dominate each other.

Maybe if the guy hadn't put his head down first, the elk would not have seen that as a challenge.

In other words, keep his head up, but look away. Don't make direct eye contact.

Great observation.

[JustJules]

On 4/5/2014 Cakers1 said:

croemer: I can't get the video to play. I'm thinking it's the same one I saw before?

The elk at the Rocky Mountain National Park have never approached humans and we've been just a few yards away from them during rut season. Beautiful creatures. But they are used to people; they laze around on people's lawns in town. lol

I used to live in Colorado and we would often go up to Estes Park and the Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park to see the Elk during "bugling" season. I agree, they are magnificent creatures and seem so used to having lines of cars to watch them they don't care...perhaps it's because they are distracted by love? LOL

Croemer, as for that photog in the video, no offense, but he is a bit of an idiot. I love the disclaimer in the beginning of the video "A photographer, from a safe and respectful distance, was photographing elk in the Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park." Seriously? Safe and respectful? Is there such a thing when invading the territory of wildlife? Obviously the elk felt otherwise, although in watching the video, it seems the elk was more curious at first than confrontational. He wasn't even a full grown elk, just a young guy, and it appeared he was more playing with the photographer just nudging and poking at him. If he had been really aggressive he would have charged him, and could have put his horns through him. The guy was foolish, he had a long camera lens, no need to invade the elk's space. Once the elk seemed bored and moved behind him, he should have calmly stood up and walked away, even his sudden movement startled the elk. This guy clearly isn't familiar with photographing wildlife.

As for what I would have done, I would have stayed inside my car and taken any pictures from there.

[croemer]

Ah...Jules...you are so reasonable. I too thought...an Elk may not have felt the photog was at a respectful distance.