Elk (Cervus canadensis) are, to me, the quintessential Western megafauna; found in forest and forest-edge habitat, they are found in every Western state and in the autumn, their bugles echo through the forest with a haunting loneliness. I never tire of seeing them. Elk seem to alarm much more easily than deer; this cow was alerted to a sound in the bushes behind her just as I took the photo. I made this image in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
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