I think that the best part of Yellowstone is the wildlife. It is a BIG park, although my New York friends will remind folks that Adirondack State Park is actually bigger than Yellowstone. We did a lot of driving to check out places where we had not been before. We were rewarded everyday with new wildlife experiences.
I have already chronicled the adventures of the lovesick elk in our campground over on Facebook. When we arrived the wonderful concessionaires of Xanterra put us up in the group camping area away from the main campground loops. Until the weekend people were sparse but not so the elk. Lots of male bugling, most nights all night. It was the first time I had heard the cows (thank you, Douglas, but you know a doe by any other name will taste as good - if you are cleaning out the freezer before you move) mewling back.
We saw lots of elk all over the park. Roadways, across meadows, up valleys. At Mammoth one fine gentleman bull had gathered 20 cows on the grassy islands between the parking areas in downtown (Our guy at the Grant Village Campground was holding on to 5). Talk about an elk jam. People are generally nuts about wildlife and leave all reason at the car door. Pity the poor Ranger girl who had to politely but very firmly get the thrusting and diving throng back far enough for pictures without interspecies mayhem. And the dude was in no hurry to round 'em up and get them someplace more private. He had the harem of harems and strutting your stuff in public was just fine. He had twenty babes at his beckoning, why not show the city peeps, what a lucky man he was.
I have already chronicled the adventures of the lovesick elk in our campground over on Facebook. When we arrived the wonderful concessionaires of Xanterra put us up in the group camping area away from the main campground loops. Until the weekend people were sparse but not so the elk. Lots of male bugling, most nights all night. It was the first time I had heard the cows (thank you, Douglas, but you know a doe by any other name will taste as good - if you are cleaning out the freezer before you move) mewling back.
We saw lots of elk all over the park. Roadways, across meadows, up valleys. At Mammoth one fine gentleman bull had gathered 20 cows on the grassy islands between the parking areas in downtown (Our guy at the Grant Village Campground was holding on to 5). Talk about an elk jam. People are generally nuts about wildlife and leave all reason at the car door. Pity the poor Ranger girl who had to politely but very firmly get the thrusting and diving throng back far enough for pictures without interspecies mayhem. And the dude was in no hurry to round 'em up and get them someplace more private. He had the harem of harems and strutting your stuff in public was just fine. He had twenty babes at his beckoning, why not show the city peeps, what a lucky man he was.
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