National Elk Refuge

9 February 2017

Sometimes I get hit right out of the blue with things . . . usually in the wee hours of the morning . . .  when I'm dead asleep . . . jerking me right out of a dream . . .the adrenaline rush can occasionally last for days . . .

. . . it happened Monday night . . . still haven't recovered.

I loved living out west . . . sometimes I miss it so badly I can hardly stand it . . . there are days when I just want to pack it all up and move back. You're here now though, and the urge isn't quite as strong as it used to be.

But Monday night I heard . . . clear as day . . . the shrill cry of a bull elk. Some people have compared the elk's bugle to the sound the Ringwraiths made in Lord of the Rings, and it is a pretty apt description . . . eerie . . . on the edge of terrifying. First time I ever heard it I had no clue what it was!

What a majestic animal . . . the elk . . . 700+ pounds of pure muscle . . . 5+ feet tall at the shoulder . . . 8+ feet long . . . males topped with antlers that sometimes spread 4 feet or more and weigh 40 pounds. . . rich copper brown colored fur . . . amazingly beautiful. And holy cow . . . when these boys are in rut?!? That sickening sound of antlers locking in battle can be heard for miles . . . battles so violent they sometimes result in death.

The first time I saw one, I was traveling in a motorhome . . . a herd crossed in front of us . . . one just stopped and stared right at me . . . our eyes at the same level . . . not kidding! He was massive!

Bugling

More than 24,ooo acres . . .  located just outside of Jackson Hole, WY . . . set aside by the government more than 100 years ago you'll find the National Elk Refuge. Every time I think about this place I get goosebumps! In the winter thousands . . . yes THOUSANDS of elk find their way to this place for supplemental feed during the harsh months. Elk aren't the only wildlife that wander into this protected territory . . . bison, Trumpeter swans, bald and golden eagles, and wolves are seen as well. During summer the animals find their way back to the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

When we lived in Idaho, we made regular trips to Jackson and the surrounding areas . . . even did the sleigh ride through the refuge. It's so pretty in the winter out there . . . the sun nearly always shines . . . the snow muffling all sound . . . that dry, cold air . . .

One year we were headed in, and as we rounded a curve, there . . . beside the road . . . on the ground was the biggest Golden Eagle I'd ever seen. Well, I'd never seen one that close, so of course he was huge . . . he had to be close to 4 feet tall . . . I kid you not! We stopped the car so I could get out to take a picture, and he actually let me approach him . . . eyeing me cautiously. I squatted so I wouldn't scare him, and just as I was about to bring my camera up, he took off . . . wings spreading to twice his length . . . talons huge and menacing . . . I hit the ground thinking he'd hit me on his way skyward . . . my heart racing! No . . . I didn't get a picture . . . I missed my opportunity! Wow though . . . I was soooooo close to him!

I only posted this so you could see how large these eagles actually are . . . so you know I wasn't exaggerating!