I knew this morning that the sunrise would be nice.  When I heard an elk bugle, I began to search quickly for him.  Seeing him stand their in front of the mountain as he called out was a great moment. 

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Not long after I spotted this bull elk, his females headed for the river.  It was a foggy morning, but when I got to the river, there was more fog there than in the meadow.  It was such a neat, eerie feeling seeing the elk go in the river and disappear in the fog.  In the fall when the temperature drops over night, a fog can occur, and it provided a dramatic scene for this large bull elk as he entered the water.  

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Elk get to live in some of the prettiest places. They definitely know how to choose a home. This male had a large harem and was doing his best to keep them together on a beautiful evening in the mountains.

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It had been very difficult to photograph this elk, as it had been in the shade behind the hill.  He heard another bull elk bugle, so he ran to look at his competitor, and as he did the last light illuminated him against the dark forest.

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Elk are very active in the morning during the rut trying to chase off other males and corral their females.  After an exhausting morning, an elk takes a break and just reflects on the morning and looks over his harem.

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On a cold morning in Canada, this bull elk was busy chasing younger males to keep them from his females.  When he stopped to bugle, the steam rolled off his back and from his mouth when he called. 

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This is the largest bull elk I have ever seen!  He was truly huge, and the way he carried himself showed how much he knew he was king of the area.  Early one morning he was rounding up his females, and he went on this hill to look around.  The recent snow on the mountains, and his beauty, created a perfect picture to start the day.

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In the fall, bull elk make many displays to their female elk. The female elk keep them busy as they don’t always want to go where the bull wants them to go. So he will lower his head and run to the side to try and push them in the right direction. This pose really showed off just how large this elk was!

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On a cold morning the breath of an elk is more obvious.  While running to scare off another bull elk, he was bugling and the steam from his breath was rolling behind him as he ran.

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Some of the most beautiful things in nature happen at the beginning and end of each day.  I heard this elk bugling in the dark, so I wandered into the woods to find him.  As the sun was beginning to light the clouds, he crossed a ridge in front of me and moved on quietly through the forest.

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Being in the mountains anytime of the year is great. The fall is one of my favorite times though because the light and the color can be spectacular. On this morning, this bull went to the river bar just as the sun was rising over the mountain and the entire river valley lit up!

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Where this elk went is a spot I was always hoping a would get to photograph an elk at. It’s a shallow part of the river and it slows down enough that the water is real calm. It was great watching him walk out in the water and then look back in my direction.

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In the late evening, some dramatic light can happen in the mountains with the sun hitting the meadow still, but not the forest. There aren’t many nights when all the elements come together, but they did on this evening. This bull elk had been in the shadows with other elk, but then left the shadows and came into the light just before the sun went down!

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I love cold mornings in the fall, as the potential for great shots is there when the elements all come together. This bull was running around and chasing off smaller bulls all morning. As the steam was rising off his back, be bugled and his breath was lit up in the morning light.

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Capturing animals in their environment is one of my favorite shots to take. It takes lots of time and patience for it to come together just right though. If this snow hadn’t fallen during the rut, this bull elk wouldn’t have been with these females. After hours of walking and tracking, the bull elk stepped out in front of the three sisters finally and bugled to his ladies.

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If it snows in the fall, my goal is always to try and photograph the snow with the fall colors. It creates a beautiful contrast and brings the landscape to life. If I find an animal, I particularly do my best to capture the two seasons together. This elk stopped just long enough in front of the yellow trees to make my goal a reality!

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Photographing animals in moody or different elements is always exciting. It’s very challenging to get the way I feel nature is in that moment translated into my photo, but I love the challenge. And when it works it is even more rewarding! It was so foggy on this morning it was hard to keep track of the elk, but he paused for a moment and the feeling I wanted to create for that scene came together!

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There was no doubt between the other bull elk who was king of the area.  This is the largest bull elk I have ever seen, and he was a very aggressive bull.  He enjoyed going on high points and looking over his harem and showing how large he was to any competing bull.

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The fall is such a great time to be in the mountains. On this day it was real nice as there was fresh snow on the mountain peaks and the color in the mountains was great. It was made even better when the elk I was photographing across the river decided to cross and come to my side!

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On a cold morning, the brown grass looks white due to the frost.  This wide antlered elk has lost his females and calls to them hoping they will come back.

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For years I have wanted to photograph bull elk in the snow. During the rut it had been really cold, but never any snow where I had been. Finally, during a heavy snow storm I found this bull elk still in rut. When he bugled in front of the snow covered forest, all that waiting for snow was worth the wait.

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Trying to keep up with this bull elk was very difficult in the thick fog. The fog was so thick that sometimes I couldn’t even see him. I heard him bugling before I actually saw him as he came over the ridge.

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I knew this elk was beneath this hill in the shadows, and I was really hoping he would come up out of the shade and into the evening light. When he crested the ridge and the light ignited him, the waiting was more than worth it!

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During the elk rut you have to be up early or you are going to miss some of the action. We were up well before the sun rise and out early listening for bugles. We heard this elks bugle and started heading the direction of the bugle. Just as the first sun light was hitting the mountain we found the bull and he continued to bugle.

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This bull elk meant business. It was so tired of running and chasing other bulls away from his harem. As he was running over this ridge he let out a serious bugle to let the other bulls he wasn’t messing around.

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Elk get to live in beautiful areas for the most part. They usually live in the mountains in the high country. During the rut they will follow the females and come down to the meadows. This large elk had control of a beautiful area and dominated any other bulls who challenged.

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The lead up to this fight was many hours of bugling and showing off each others size across the river.  Finally, one bull decided to swim the river and show the other bull who was boss.  Within seconds of the bull touching land, the two large bull elk went at it and battled for 4-5 minutes before the challenger won the fight.

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Elk antlers vary some, but for the most part they have a similar look. The antlers on this elk were so tall and uniform, thick, and nice color on the points and was one of the prettiest bulls I have seen.

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I had been tracking this bull elk for a few days.  When he began to approach the hill I was on I stayed still, and when he got close he bugled and was above me.

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Being out super early for wildlife photography is very important. They are more active early in the morning than later in the day. Getting up early paid off again as I found this bull elk just as the light was hitting the peak, and he soon after went the other direction and was gone.

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In the fall, bull elk fight for the right to mate. There are intense battles and lots of chasing of other bulls off. After successfully chasing another bull off, this elk came running back smiling to his females.

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Pyramid Peak is one of the first mountains to receive light in the morning.  I'm always hoping to find an elk near the river where the mountain is reflected in the morning.  Finally, after days of waiting, I had my elk at first light and was able to capture both reflected in the river.

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Elk antlers come in many different points and sizes. For an elk to get this many point, width, and mass it has been around for a number of years. This very impressive elk was walking his field and scaring other intruding male elk away.

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I had been photographing this elk on the other side of the ridge for a while. I heard a bugle on the other side, and so did this elk. He headed for the ridge and when he got there he let out a very loud bugle.

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Snow can make it difficult to get good photos, but if you’re patient and wait on the weather to calm down or change it can really add. I spent hours with this bull, and when he went in the forest, I was at first disappointed. I couldn’t find any opening in the forest and I thought the shoot was over. However, I decided to keep trying, and finally he moved to a good spot and captured him with all the snow caked onto the trees and forest floor.

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In the fall the weather in the mountains can dramatically change so fast. Each morning I get up I’m not sure what the weather will be, and I like that. This was a cold morning and as this large bull elk was breathing his steam cloud got larger and larger.

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Hearing the sound of an elk in the fall is great whether you are close or far away.  I was much closer than I planned with this bull elk.  After cornering me, he bugled right in front of me and made me forget about the situation I was in for a few seconds.

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In the fall elk go into rut and endlessly chase female elk around. This large bull stopped at the waters edge and bugled out to his females.

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Bull elk don’t seem to get any rest during the rut. At any point of the day younger males can try to sneak in and mate with their females, and they have to chase them off. This bull was on the highest point of his territory looking for challengers first thing in the morning.

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It’s not often at all I come across elk this large. He was a 9x7, with large mass and wide! He was a sight to see! When he turned his head back, his wide antlers framed the mountain behind him.

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Elk are a majestic creature. I tried and hoped for snow in the fall for a long time without getting it. When the temperature dropped and the rain turned to snow, I headed out to find elk. This beautiful elk was chasing his females around and stopped just for a moment to check out a different bull elk before continuing his pursuit.

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This elk was the largest and most beautiful elk I have seen. His antlers were spectacular and he was a large bodied elk. I really liked how when he went on this ridge and looked down how great it showed off his power.

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This young elk calf did not want to go into the river. The mom knew that and leaned over to kiss it and give it some encouragement to get into the water.

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It’s rare to see a bull elk with so many points on one side. This bull had 9 points on the one side, and just having 7 points is considered a lot of points. I liked how his antlers looked as he leaned his head back to bugle.

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Moody morning are so much fun to photograph in. They create a completely different feel then a normal morning. There was a low lying fog bank as this elk made its way in front of some fall trees.

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Bull elk are constantly on the move in the fall. They exert so much energy and it really does tire them out. However, this huge bull elk never seemed to tire and was king of his territory.

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This bull elk like to hang out on this island. We were watching him when he made his way to this sandbar and took a nap. We waited patiently for him to get up, and the wait was well worth it when he made a strong pose when he got up.

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Watching a large bull elk endlessly round up his harem and chase other bulls away is tiring even for me. I can’t imagine what he feels like. I was taking a moment to rest, when I looked up and he was running my way because some of his females had moved in behind me and I didn’t notice. It was a rush with him running my direction!

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I never tire of finding a monster elk.  This elk had huge mass in his antlers, and also had many points.  Seeing him walk around, it was obvious he was the king and he knew it.  He was a beautiful animal, and it's great to know animals like this still exist in the wild! 

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As summer turns to fall, the elk begin their mating season. Once it starts, the bull elk don’t slow down for many weeks. This photo was taken just as the leaves were changing and the bull elk was starting to gather his harem.

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I enjoy seeing an elks breath on a cold morning in the fall.  After a bull runs around some chasing other males off, he has more breath that shows in the cool air.  Here he was letting out a long bugle that lasted for many seconds.

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In Canada, the pine tree larch will change from green to yellow in the fall. There are some well known valleys that will be completely yellow when the larch trees change. It was a thrill finding this bull elk and tracking him as he walked in front of the snow covered larch trees.

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When elk calves are born they have spots on their side. This little guy took an interest in us and had maybe never seen a human before. I loved its look of curiosity.

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Later in the day I found this elk in a new spot. He had moved a long distance from where I had last seen him. He was no longer moving fast and seemed to be content where he was looking over the valley.

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Elk can move so much ground in one day. I honestly lost count of how many miles we walked following these elk, but I didn’t care. I knew the possibility was there for a photo I had been dreaming of for years. It looked like a few times that it wouldn’t come together, but the bull elk finally got his females to move and they walked in front of the three sisters!

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I knew there were elk in this forest because of the fresh tracks in the snow. It was a thick forest so it was difficult to see elk and I didn’t want to accidentally be too close. I heard this guy bugle, so I went to where the sound came from and then all of a sudden I saw him through a small opening in the snow covered trees.

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Photographing animals in the environment they live in is difficult, but tons of fun to try and get. Elk usually live in the mountains, which gives more opportunity for this type of shot. But getting the right moment when it comes together takes time, and I was very happy when this bull elk paused on the ridge to look over his harem.

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During the elk rut, bulls gather their females into a harem.  There is no harem too large that a bull does not think he can watch over. Over the course of a few days this bull was challenged many times by other bulls, but he won every time and his harem continued to grow.

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Bull elk don't get to take a break during the rut.  They are constantly on the move and trying to keep up with their harem.  After his females continually ran away from him, he let out a deep strong bugle that let them know he was not happy.

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Bull elk make many different movements to get their female elk to cooperate. One of their favorites is tilting their head back and walking at the female to let them know they really want them to move.

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There was a bachelor group of elk eating on the hillside when we found them. Slowly a few begun to leave and head to the ridge. It was a special moment when three of them stopped together and looked back!

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Being in the mountains on a chilly morning with fog with exciting for me!  It's just a different feeling I only get in the mountains.  After tracking down this elk, I knew he would cross the Athabasca River because his females were on the other side, and when he did it made for a beautiful scene.

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Being near elk in the fall is great for the ears.  There is not much of a better sound in nature than an elk bugle.  As the trees begin to change, a bull elk lets a call out to ring through the woods.

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The elk rut is an exciting time to be in the mountains.  Bull elk are fighting for the right to mate, and their bugles can be heard throughout the valleys.  This large elk was on the move and looking for more females from the highest part of the meadow.

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In the fall during the rut, elk work hard to keep all their females in a group and not lose track of them. The bull elk have many head postures they will make while running around and rounding up their harem, and this elk liked the head back while running posture.

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Seeing animals along the coast makes the coast that much more beautiful.  I'm glad there are places nature can still enjoy nature.  With steep coastal cliffs, these elk were moving to reach their feeding grounds for the night.

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Both of these elk were determined to beat the other elk. There antlers and body size were similar, and neither backed down from the other elk. This fight went on for a long time before a winner was declared.

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This elk was in a hurry all morning trying to keep his harem together.  As he stopped to look around, steam rose off his body and you could see in his eyes he was tired of running around.

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I got ahead of this elk as it was heading across the valley toward this hill. I got below the valley and couldn’t see if he was still coming, but waited and hoped he would continue the same direction. When he popped into view it made for a great moment.

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In the fall the mornings can drop below freezing and cover the grass in frost. This bull had been very active the day before, but on this cold morning he didn’t seem to be as active.

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This bull was very busy keeping his harem in line and watching them. All of a sudden he left them and was on a mission. Not sure where he was going, but in the late evening he left and didn’t look back.

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Early in the rut this bull was having trouble managing his harem. The females would go different directions and he would have to chase them. Some of his females crossed the river and he followed them and let them know about it.

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In the fall it is easier to find bull elk because they bugle quite often. This elk was in a thick woods, which made it very difficult to find a good spot to get a photograph of him. Finally, he went to one of the few open areas and bugled and I was able to get this shot.

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I don’t know how many hours old this calf was, but it had been born not long ago. It was so neat to see such a young elk calf.

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The mountains is where I want to be each fall. The animals are very active and the color of the mountains is spectacular. I found this elk along the river shore with a few female elk, and I was excited when he bugled in front of the mountain and was reflected in the river.

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Photographing on bright sunny days is not good and the photos are usually not very exciting. But on cloudy days, and particularly when there are low clouds I get excited. Seeing the bull elk walk on a ridge in front of the mountains on this day was great, and I was happy it wasn’t the day before when it was sunny.

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From below in the valley I could hear the elk bugling, and I was trying to figure out where it was coming from. I hiked up the mountain and kept looking, and finally found him. It was neat tracking him down by his bugle and then finding him in the forest on the mountain side.

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This large bull had very few challengers while I was watching him. I’m sure the other bulls saw his size and new challenging him wouldn’t be a smart idea. But just in case there was a challenger out there, this bull went on a ridge and let them know he was around.

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Fog can create a neat dynamic in photos. But in can also be so thick that you can’t see the animal. This fog was borderline too thick, but there was just enough clearance in the fog to create a neat outline of the elk!

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During a heavy snowstorm it was hard to keep track of this bull elk. It really was snowing hard and sometimes he would disappear behind a curtain of snow. He was on the move a lot as it was mating season and he was following his harem, so it was hard to keep up with him. But when he walked close to the forest he was much easier to see in the heavy snow.

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The combination of mountains, river, animals and great light is hard to beat.  There is just something special about being in a place that looks like it could have been this way 100's of years ago.  These elk slowly move across the river to their nightly grounds.

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On this morning, this bull elk had numerous other bull elk trying to steal his ladies. He would run way, and then instantly have to run another to chase a different bull off. Here he runs my direction as he runs to chase off another bull.

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It is not unusual for snow to fall in October in the north. The fresh snow fall made for a dramatic scene as this bull elk went on the tip of the ridge to look out over the valley at his harem and call out to let other challengers know he meant business.

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It was hard to track this elk at times as the forest was thick and the snow was falling very hard. When I caught up to him and found this opening between the trees, it was neat to see his antlers covered in snow.

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Bull elk have very symmetrical antlers, and most are very similar in how they are built.  But not all elk are alike.  Some have more length, width, mass, or points.  I really liked this guy because of his mass, and the sticker points he had off his main royal.

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Winter can be tough on animals. As the snow gets deeper, it requires more energy for the elk to dig through the snow to the grass below. This elk had its work cut out for him to eat.

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The antlers on an elk rise a good distance above their head.  I can't imagine having to try and hold that much weight up on my neck.  This large elk had the best territory and view in the area, and his white points showed off how good of shape he was in.

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Snow in the fall is awesome! It creates a different scene for when the elk are in rut. This bull elk was so focused on mating that he likely didn’t even know it was snowing.

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Throughout the mountains there are areas that have been burned naturally, and that fire is needed for the ecosystem to stay healthy.  After a fire, new plants and flowers will begin to grow and create a new area for animals to eat.  This bull elk had females more on his mind than eating, but his ladies didn't want to leave the burnt forest.

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There are times when I wish I had a different lens on. But when you don’t have the right lens on you have to get creative. I wish I could have shown the mountains above the elk too, but I liked how the mountains were only seen in the reflection.

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Being in the mountains in the fall is something I look forward to every year. Hearing the elk bugle throughout the mountains is a sound I will never tire of hearing. This elk was running around making sure his females didn't leave his sight.

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Mountain time in the fall is the best place to be. Animals are active, and you never know what weather you will get. When a snowstorm hit the area I was in, I got excited because I knew where these elk were and that the bull elk was still in rut. Once I found them the bull elk put on a show and called out for all the elk to hear.

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This large elk was in the middle of the rut and full of testosterone. He was a massive bull, and he acted like he was the largest around. He had been wallowing in the mud before he got up to run and bugle at some other bull elk.

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Redwood trees are the largest trees in the world.  With all the trees so large, it is often hard to tell just how large they are.  In the morning as this elk was just starting to move around, the nearby redwoods towered around it.

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This bull elk was one of my favorite bulls to watch during the rut. He was always moving his head in different directions and putting on a show. It all had a purpose as he was corralling his females, but it often looked like he was prancing around.

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Snow can cause difficulties while trying to photograph in it. It often covers the eye of the animal and can be too heavy to get a good photo. The snow was blowing hard, so I tried a different approach and slowed my shutter down to really try and show just how hard it was snowing and blowing.

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This baby elk fawn could have only been born a few hours prior.  It was the smallest elk I have ever seen, and struggled to walk around.  It was so small that it couldn't even see of the small sage brush, so mom had to be very careful and look out for predators.

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Elk antlers can come in many different heights, widths, thickness, and points. One of the less common is a wide set of antlers, so finding this large bull elk being so wide and with many points was a lot of fun.

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The elk rut happens in the fall across the west. For years I had hoped to get a snow during the rut to photograph the elk in. I started to wonder if I would get my opportunity. When the moment finally came and it snowed during the rut, this bull elk didn’t disappoint and put on a show in the snow.

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Keeping together a herd of ladies is difficult for a male. The females will often split up and the male will have to follow them and chase them back to the herd. This males herd decided to cross the river and hang out on a small island to try and have some peace.

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