Elk

[The_Sasquatch]

Someone asked about the elk herd about 2 weeks ago. This past Thursday I was driving my family up to our camp on Denton Hill in Potter, and decided to take the "long way" around through Elk County in hopes of showing my wife and kids the herd.

We were close to the Benezette Branch of the Sinnemahoning and we saw a pair of bulls and about a dozen cows out in a field. At one point, my 4 yr old decided she had to go potty. So my wife took her down into the woods close to the stream. My wife's back was to the stream, and all of a sudden my 4 year old gasped and said, "Look momma!" My wife turned around to see a herd moving into the stream from the opposite bank. She quickly ran up to the van to get my other daughter, son, and myself. I quickly grabbed my fly fishing camera, and did the best I could to film! We were about 30' away from the herd.

 

[jay1963]

way cool thank you for sharing

 

[foxfire]

Nicely done!!

 

[Flyinglion]

Wow. What a sight! Pretty cool that you were able to get close enough to film them.

Thanks for posting.

 

[troutbert]

Cool photos.

For what it's worth, a section of the Bennett Branch is now stocked. So you could go there and maybe catch some stockies and see elk at the same time.

Those elk might be spooking the trout, though.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

The water where we were looked tempting to fish. It actually had water in the stream.

 

[KeithS]

Nice. Sometimes hard to think that kind of wildlife is so close.

 

[nomad_archer]

That is awesome. Although 10 yards is starting to get into the uncomfortably close proximity for critters that are that big.

 

[DaveS]

Lucky you Squatchy. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

nomad, it was VERY close and I was getting uncomfortable at times, but the bull was much more concerned with getting his harem down river and the other bull elk that was standing down there than he was w/ me. When I said, "we were about 30' away...", I should have said, "I was about 30' away". My wife and kids were further upstream at this point, with a good amount of stream between them and the herd (who was running the opposite direction).

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Awesome critters and cool video!

 

[nomad_archer]

Sasquatch it was close but definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I need to make a trip up to PA elk country once the kids are old enough to remember it.

 

[Camp]

That was definitely a terrific encounter and wonderful to get on video.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[steveo27]

Twas I who asked.

Neat video.

I went up the weekend after asking about the rut and we saw a few dozen, including 2 bulls sparing right before dark the one day.

I was up there again this past weekend. Me and my buddy camped at Hicks run. We saw a few on the ride up. Each morning, you could hear them bugling up the hollow from our camp site. We fished a few streams in that area and heard them and saw a ton of sign, but never came upon any of while fishing.

 

[albatross]

Great video Sas. The rut should be winding down for the elk up there, but it's clear from your video that it is not over.

 

[turkey]

Way cool Andy. So that's where Elk hair caddis come from.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Dang it! I should have gotten closer w/ a pair of tying scissors....

 

[FarmerDave]

Sasquatch, Id have been nervous too that close to a bull elk in rut.

This time of year, they get nutty and the bulls are out to fight of ...

Fortunately for you, you were not the only other creature there and this guy had opportunities for both, just down stream.

I snuck up on a suburban whitetail buck once. Big one.

I saw him go behind a large mound of dirt. OK, a mountain of dirt by Cleveland standards, but by PA standards, a mound. I climbed to the top of the mound with my tiny little camera and there he was on the other side with a single doe.

He started snorting and pawing at the ground trying to intimidate me. Well, that did kind of work, but not to the point of needing clean shorts. But I did start planning my escape.

Fortunately for me, the doe that was with him decided to leave and he followed.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah I would have been a lot more nervous had he not been occupied w/ the harem and competition! At the same time, it's one of those moments where you're shocked that you're seeing it, and you're completely caught up in the moment.