Naches feeding station

[jeeperman]

Went East today along the Yakima river and then Northwest up the Naches and back with a stop in to on of our Elk feeding stations. Because it can be difficult for the young to survive the winter and we would like the Elk heards to strengthen, there are feeding stations set up all over the state. The animals come down from the higher mountains from miles around to get a free meal through the winter. Today there was over 750 Elk.
Many were calfs, only around 3-4 spikes that I saw. Likely 30 + bulls and many cow. There coats are already starting to look pretty ragged. Another couple months and they will have the summer coat.

[Donald]

It's great to read about wildlife conservation work like this going on. I hope it's not like here in Scotland where what are euphemistically called the 'sporting estates' - the vast tracts of lands owned by individuals (usually with no connection to Scotland whatsoever) for purely pleasure purposes - do feed the red deer over the winter, but only so that they can then entice other foreign tourists in to pay lots of money to shoot them during the shooting season.

Isn't sport wonderful!

Cynical? Me? Nah! The fact that Scotland remains gripped by the most archaic and unfair land ownership rules in Europe can conveniently be ignored. How is that an individual can own a red deer stag because it happens to walk onto land owned by that person?

I am in a phase of reading about land use and ownership in Scotland. The way in which the law has been used to promote and defend the vested interests of the few over the many for many hundreds of years, really, really makes your blood boil. Indeed, the poor had no lawyers.

We, in this country, get all agitated about the need for proper land reform in so many of the colonial countries we once exploited. We need to turn the looking glass inwards. It's happening here, now and never was land reform more needed than in 21st century Scotland. You don't want to be a young person trying to get a house and some land in the area where you grew up in order to make your life there. Forget it.

Yes, you're right. I am angry.

But, this picture is just gorgeous.

[jeeperman]

Donald, I know where you are coming from. I really should not get started. However I do believe this is legit. While there is still hunting, it is quite regulated these days. Some would argue incorrectly and or too strictly. We have done far to little for far to long. It is good to see so many animals. Not so many years ago at this time of year there were no more than 50 that would come to this station. Besides these 750, I saw close to 75 elk in other spots in the surrounding mountains.

Oh and...Thank you.

[Nancy Moran G]

The elk are magnificent animals and that bull elk is a great photo!
Nancy

[jeeperman]

Thank you, Nancy. They are some great animals no doubt.

[Otavio]

Paul, this a wonderfull series, with the bonus of your explanations about the feeding station. I really enjoyed watching this thread. #2 and #4 are both great pictures, although the others are also nice! Thanks for sharing.

[terrib]

Paul, thanks for posting these. I so enjoy seeing the elk. I especially like #2 which shows that beautiful bull but also gives a sense of the large herd. I also like #3 & the last one although the last seems a tad dark. Beautiful animals and I'm glad they are being taken care of.

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Paul,
Your photos are very good.
I love to see free animals in their habitats. The elks have a decent look!
Today, I learned a little more about how we should act to help them survive.
Thank you for sharing the photos.
Greetings.
Antonio.

[jeeperman]

Thank you, Otavio, Terri and Antonio.

[jeeperman]

Terri, here are a couple more for you. Trying to give a better sennse of #s. Still these are less than a tenth. Put these two images side by side and add 8+ more. =}

[Bobobird]

That is a lot of elks...

What I would give to get a closeup of #2. Wow that is one magnificent animal there.

---
As long we educate the ignorants there is still hope.

One of my racquet game members once gave me a slab of a moose that he had shot. I refused it and politely asked him how it felt if someone had done the same to his dog? He sold the hunting rifle the next day and now goes around with a pair of binos. So there is still hope.

[terrib]

Terri, here are a couple more for you. Trying to give a better sennse of #s. Still these are less than a tenth. Put these two images side by side and add 8+ more. =}

Amazing.

[Steve S]

Very nice paul, they look like they don't mind you getting close. Are you shooting from the truck, or on the ground?

[jeeperman]

Steve, I was on the ground. They are more hungry than spooky. They are free to come and go back up into the mountains, however as an observer on the station property we are fenced from the animals. So we can go to the road and they can go to the mountains. When it is not hunting season you can find small heards of say 20 or so that come down into outlying neighborhoods to get something to eat. They are much like Alaskan moose in that sense. The day before hunting season they disapear.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Wow, this is incredible! I didn't know anything about this. I have much to learn about wildlife, especially in our state.

Beautiful photos, too!

[jeeperman]

Thanks, Matt. Glad they are enjoyed.