Elk Adventure (along with deer and a moose)

Ian's Cub Scout group went on an outing to Hardware Ranch last Saturday, and families were invited along. It has been several years since we last visited, so we bundled up and joined in the fun. On the drive through Blacksmith Fork Canyon, we saw over a hundred mule deer--one is ALWAYS guaranteed to see live deer along the sides of this canyon road during the winter.




When we arrived at the ranch, we stopped in the Visitor's Center and looked at the various displays. Erin said the big stuffed bull elk was "too scary," so we were a little worried about what she would think of the sleigh ride out in the middle of the live herd.

Fortunately, she was excited about the ride when it was time to go on it, and we all boarded the sleigh. We saw nearly 600 head of elk at the refuge, with several big bulls (one of which Kevin claims he saw during the bow hunt last fall). The guide said they will break off into groups of about 12 when they leave later in the spring. He also told us the bulls would start dropping their antlers in a couple more weeks. If only they would let the scouts return to collect dropped antlers!

For the nature education of cousin Scotty, we present a video so that he can learn to recognize elk. We expect his parents to provide him with more details, but here is a start. The video even features an exciting stampede scene which we witnessed as we were leaving. We have no idea what spooked the elk, and we were jealous of the group in the sleigh who got to watch them up close.

After the elk adventure, we drove back down the canyon and April spotted this cow moose resting and chewing its cud next to the river. It was our second moose sighting for the year so far.