Our Neighbors Are Back

[COSteve]

Deleted

[FWiedner]

For being forced into sharing habitat with humans, those critters look to be pretty well fed.

[Dave]

I know you want to shoot an elk close to the road if you can but that is a little too much to have him fall that close to the freezer.

[model55]

A freezer on casters and an extension cord you'll be right there!

[abcollector]

I'd say well feed is being nice... how 'bout fat as a tick!! Do they not have to worry about predators?

[Kansas Ed]

I'm bettin he's corn fed. There's a herd of deer that run the outskirts of Jackson Wy, and are pretty much exclusively people fed. That bunch will eat right out of your hand. Don't think I would be interested in Hand feeding that bull though...

Ed

[RIHMFIRE]

WOW

[COSteve]

Actually they are definitely not hand fed. Our valley has a couple of 'Park Rangers' (they're really naturalists hired by the HOA) that chase them off people's property all the time. After you've lived with large game you don't think they're that cute anymore because you have to deal with all the eaten shrubs and piles of poop.

Nope, both the deer and the elk get fat because of all the flowers and shrubs that are watered around people's homes plus the fact that they have between 6,000 and 7,000 acres of undeveloped open space which is protected habitat that they can live on.

There are predators in our valley too with mountain lions, coyotes, and foxes are the elk's (and their newborn young's) main danger. I don't think that the Golden Eagles could lift them ( ) so I think it's safe to say that they are safe from aerial attack.

[Aussie Chris]

Wowsers! I think that is cool!

[piller]

Those elk are nice looking. I hope they survive to pass on their genes.

[Griff]

I'm a sinner. So easily tempted. Good thing I don't live in that neighbor... the "Rangers" wouldn't need to chase them outta my yard!

[missionary5155]

Thanks for the pictures... I am afraid I would be too tempted to stick some sharp pointed object from a 52# recurve into one of them.

[gamekeeper]

Real cool neighbourhood you've got there Steve...

[Pop Watts]

All I can say is @#**%@!!!!!!!

I could not even imagine something like that in any Sydney suburb.

I to am a sinner and would work out a way to grass one of those big boys if they walked into my back yard.

Pop.

[Streetstar]

Truly beautiful animals . I lived off Ken Caryl for a period of time --- is this area reasonably close to that ? (OPSEC in place on exact locations is understood completely tho )

[COSteve]

Truly beautiful animals . I lived off Ken Caryl for a period of time --- is this area reasonably close to that ? (OPSEC in place on exact locations is understood completely tho )

Take Ken Caryl Ave west till it ends through the cut in the hogback and you're in Ken Caryl Valley.

[Rusty]

I think I'd have to shoot them varmints for tearin up my garden.

[Warhawk]

My son spent 4 years at the Academy in the Springs. They have loads of mulies, and a few get hit by cars every year. But elk are a very rare and he only saw elk (at the Academy) twice in 4 years.

[JohndeFresno]

Beautiful animal - and great photos. Thanks, Steve.

[Blaine]

Wonderful.......I couldn't shoot the Pet Elk or Deer unless I was real, real hungry with no chance of getting anything else to eat....

[quietman]

Elk are not like deer, especially the bulls. Hand feeding them- not a good idea. Quick trip to the hospital can result.

We've had plenty of moisture this year. Everything is still green in August. That's why they're so fat and the antlers are so big.

I keep counting the one thinking I'm double counting but I still come up with SEVEN points.

Gorgeous bulls those 2