Went for a bit of a drive today. Started in Rocky Mountain National Park, but wasn't satisfied, so I kept going til I started pushing 4 digits... Couldn't get pics of everything with the icy roads, snow and failing light, but you get the point with a couple of these big herds.

Kinda hard to get an idea of how many are in the park herd, but it's quite a few.



Couple little bulls too:




It took a couple more hours, and some crappy roads, but I finally found another big herd, and yes those are all elk.



[img]http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/...2012%20wildlife/DSC04255_zps0858dffc.jpg[/img]

Next herd:

[img]http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/...2012%20wildlife/DSC04269_zps96bd10ba.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/...2012%20wildlife/DSC04267_zps6133cf6c.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/...2012%20wildlife/DSC04266_zps3a36df51.jpg[/img]

And some other stuff:

Is that an albino in the top of the picture?!

I don't think so, but I do know where to find some albinos, including bulls...

Looks like there might be a lot ground without any elk at the moment.

I really want to arrow an elk... thanks for making me want to go more.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing.

This is painful. We have 9 months until hunting season.

This has been a strange year in my area. I still don't see any elk on winter range. They're usually all over the place this time of year.

Wondering if that is those big herds north of Antero Junction before you get to Kenosha Pass.

Different big herds, this is in North of i70

Back not to many years ago you could drive north of Rexburg, Idaho and see groups numbering in the 100's, if not more. The wolves have now reduced that population significantly, last time I was there in the winter of 08/09, only scattered bunches of 20-40.

Wow, unreal the numbers of elk RMNP is one of the most beautiful places I've visited and fished.

Elk are beautiful animals.....

taste good too...........

As far as Ashton?

From what I've read, the wolves don't so much take out that many elk as much as they keep them dispersed into smaller herds that keep moving instead of staying in one place and destroying the food sources by overgrazing.
In that sense, they are good for the elk herd so the food sources last longer and propagate earlier in the year and last longer into the winter season.

I'll go get my Nomex underwear on now.....


Bob

1948
There is a paved county road out of St Anthony that goes up through the dunes way to the north. From the dunes down to Sage Junction on the west side is winter range. They come out of the hills from Harriman State Park and Jellystone to winter in that country. Only not nearly as many as in the 70's and 80's. It would be W/SW of Ashton. A very large block of public and private irrigated hay ground. Last elk I killed there was about 85 or 86 and we took two out of a herd of 400 or so. We counted 56 branch antlered bulls in the herd. We were near the state wildlife management area, which I can not remember the name.

Great elk pictures, thank you for sharing. Nice mule deer too!

Nice pics...winter is a great time to go animal sight seeing. My wife even enjoys going along because unlike hunting, we usually see plenty of game.

Nice photos, thanks for sharing and putting in the miles to get them! Did you see any wolves out there?

Eric

Thanks, we get the occasional wolf or two in Colorado, but I've never seen one and don't think there are any breeding packs yet. If Wyoming, Montana and Idaho keep up their harvests, plus Utah in their delisted zone, it should delay the likelihood of pack formation here for a while.

Where about did you find those big herds? I have a few days off and a nice drive sound s good.

Cool pics. Love those big winter herds