Bull elk, antlers bearing velvet, Gibbon Meadow. Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone National Park. More than 30,000 elk from 8 different herds summer in Yellowstone and approximately 15,000 to 22,000 winter in the park. Bulls grow antlers annually from the time they are nearly one year old. When mature, a bulls rack may have 6 to 8 points or tines on each side and weigh more than 30 pounds. The antlers are shed in March or April and begin regrowing in May, when the bony growth is nourished by blood vessels and covered by furry-looking velvet.
Species: Elk, Cervus canadensis
Location: Gibbon Meadows, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13154
Bull elk in sage brush with large rack of antlers during the fall rut (mating season). This bull elk has sparred with other bulls to establish his harem of females with which he hopes to mate.
Species: Elk, Cervus canadensis
Location: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 19702
Sunset at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, with sandhill cranes silhouetted in reflection in the calm pond. Spectacular sunsets at Bosque del Apache, rich in reds, oranges, yellows and purples, make for striking reflections of the thousands of cranes and geese found in the refuge each winter.
Species: Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis
Location: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico
Image ID: 21804