Today, 20 cow elk near entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park at 6:15am, 
Next, small calf with Mom, very far away. 
Then a yearling moose near the Colorado River, but too dark for picture taking.

About yearlings: Moose cows are wonderful protective mothers, actually dangerously protective. However, a moose cow drives her yearling away when she’s ready to give birth. This comes as a complete surprise to the young ones. Especially when she uses her hooves to kick the teenager to the curb.

These motherless kids sometimes stick together or wander or hook up with an adult. You won’t see them walking with the confident swagger shown by grown-ups.

Todays Blip: A super cute yearling, still wearing a lot of his winter coat. This was taken with 500mm lens, so I wasn’t bothering him.