Hot elk

"Let's rumble!"

"Hey, we were pretty good"

"The youngsters still haven't got the 'horns' to challenge me."

OGALLALA, NE - - We've left the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and a crossing the long (mostly) rolling plains of Nebraska.
     A lot of the time we spent in Rocky Mountain NP we were listening to the bugling mating call of the bull elk.  This is "The Rut."  Basically the males vie to see how many hot dates they can find and entice into their 'harem.'  They fight.  They bugle their call.  They have fun.
     We've camped in RMNP before but always in the Spring.  Then it's the ladies and their offspring who are showing off.  Most males are nowhere to be seen.
     Now, back to the 'bugle boys.'  We searched two days and only found two guys hiding in the woods.  Today, once out of the park and just aafer I had muttered how bummed I was at not finding any elk to shoot we encountered at least four males and lots of harem ladies.
     The above photos made me feel a bit better