YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

We left to go into the park before the sun came up this morning. We live about 10 miles north of Yellowstone. As we were driving south we saw a large herd of elk on the east side of the road in an irrigated pasture. We have been watching this herd all summer as it moved around usually staying between 4 and 6 miles north of Gardiner. The herd is mostly females with calves and a couple of spiky males. But today was different. Today along with all of the females, calves, and a few small males there was a large, healthy big bull elk. He was doing what bull elk do this time of year; bugling, chasing females, and generally looking tough. Even though the light wasn’t good we stopped and took a few photos and a couple of short movie clips.

Then we went into the park, saw a nice bull elk in Mammoth and continued up to Swan Lake Flats. We saw something move quickly in some water and realized it was an otter. We immediately stopped and got out the cameras. There were actually 2 otters. One smaller than the other so I am pretty sure it was a female and her this year’s pup. We watched them for over an hour as they swam, played, caught fish, and groomed. Is there anything cuter than an otter? Well maybe a baby fox, or a weasel, or I don’t know. These 2 were super cute and we loved watching them, especially since there weren’t any at Trout Lake this year. It was a great time.

When we left we drove south a little way to see where the creek went and where the otters might be. We didn’t find them but we did find a small pond. Well really not much of a pond. It was more like a depression with a little water in it. But there were some mallard ducks, green-winged teal, a snipe, and 3, count them, 3 sora rails. Rails are really hard to see because they love to stay in marshy areas with lots of grass. But these guys were out feeding and chasing each other. I know why I normally only see 1 sora rail at a time. Because they don’t like each other. Every time they get close one chases the other one off. I haven’t figured out the pecking order because I couldn’t tell them apart but I know one sora rail per pond is what they want.

After we finished photographing the ducks, snipe and rails it got windy and the light was harsh so we headed home. As we drove past the pasture where the herd of elk had been I notice there weren’t any elk at all. Then I noticed there was a pickup truck and another piece of machinery holding up a big, gutted bull elk. That magnificent bull elk we saw this morning had been killed by a hunter!

I am not anti-hunting but I immediately started to cry. What a waste!! That beautiful animal who had given joy to so many people, not to mention baby elk to so many female elk, was now going to be a trophy on someone’s wall. Killing deer and elk, is fine when you need something to eat. But walking up to an animal that is totally oblivious to you, because he is busy trying to make babies, and shooting him is not hunting. It is murder. And just because it is legal does not make it morally or ethically right. We came home after what had been a carefree day to ponder how some humans can be so cruel and unfeeling.