I finally found some free time to catch up on some long past due reading so I grabbed up a copy of this book that was sent to me. I can’t lie and say that I have a vast historical knowledge of Elk County despite traveling through most all of it at one point or another chasing after elk so I was really excited to get a peek in this book.

I was pleasantly surprised with the information and photos that were included. I am obviously a photo nerd (evident by this site) and a bit of a history geek so the book fed too interests at once. By the time I was left finished with the book I was left wanting more.

Overall I really enjoyed the book but as I said I was left wishing there was more. I did notice he has written several other books about the cities that make up the area so I am thinking about checking those out too.

Available for sale at >>HERE.

P.S. Amazon says it is by Bonnie Stacy but that is not true it is actually Dennis McGeehan.

Below are some of the photos we took on the way. Also if you look closely at the last photo you will see a blurry black blob which is a turkey as well. So all total today we saw close to 70 elk, 16 deer and about 7 turkey on a day many would stay home because the weather is less than ideal. It stinks to be out in it for us, but for elk and other wildlife it is a matter of survival and as today proves days when fronts are pushing through make for great opportunities to see critters.

In the video below he picks a fight with a bull of equal size and in doing so breaks a tine during the bout. The battle lasted several minutes with a small portion, including the moment he breaks his tine,  being captured on video. The roped bull seemed to be doing quite well against the other, but after breaking the tine seemed to give up on the fight and flee to safety.

That of course did not stop him from taking a shot a cow who was minding her own business as well as a couple trees that refused to step aside. He later seemed to calm down and continue on his way but it was obvious he was not content having the rope tag along.

I hate that this fella lost this, but I am extremely pleased he did so right in front of us where I could walk over and pick it up. It is not much to look at, but to me it is a treasure I’ll keep always.

This is not truly an Elk Scenic Drive but Dewey Rd could possibly be one of the best spots in all of Pa to see elk in large numbers without the need of binoculars. You can get to Dewey Rd by driving up Winslow Hill rd  and as soon as you pass the Porcupine Run viewing area it is the on the left. Dewey Rd is not even a mile long and dead ends at gated roads, but in we have seen herds here multiple times that numbered in excess of 100.

During the 2010 rut, Dewey Rd was the frequent browsing area of herd that totaled 150+ cows, calves and bulls.  Here are a few photos we have taken there.

^^Okay, this last one is not of elk, but we Dewey is a great place to see turkey as well.

Today the warm weather brought the elk out ahead of the approaching storm and with it came the people. Today we passed more people out and about than we have seen in quite a while. Sadly this meant a lot more people doing things that they shouldn’t, like blocking the road to take pictures and trespassing on private property to get a few feet closer to the elk, but not like it is during the rut.

From Weedville on through Benezette we saw elk around most corners. There are a couple nice sized herds visible too, one on 555 just before you get to the Benezette Store campground and another on Winslow down Dewey looking up in the mining area.

Here are some pics we took yesterday and today.

^^This fella gets around quite a bit. He can be found anywhere from 555 near Benezette to the top of Winslow Hill. It just depends on the way the wind is blowing him that day as to where he will be next.

^We got stuck behind people who parked on Winslow Hill Rd so we took the opportunity to snap a few pics. It is frustrating when this happens, but at the same time we at least got a couple photos out of it.

^^This guy and 2 of his buddies is what caused our traffic jam on Winslow. I’m guessing his sheds will be found somewhere near the feeder he keeps circling around.

^^These 3 are part of a larger group that circle from 555 in Benezette up through Winslow and back down towards state game land that is adjacent to Porcupine.

^^This one is a real looker. Thankfully it is showing signs of being afraid of humans which is exactly what I like to see.

^^These two are also quite content with keeping their distance from people.

I wanted to let everyone know that Fred’s antlers are at the Visitor Center and on display. They are currently out for everyone to see and touch as well. This was of course the first time I have been this close to them and let me say they are quite impressive. Forgetting  his age for a second, any bull in the herd would be proud to carry Fred’s last rack at any point in their life. Considering that Fred was 16 – 20 yrs old makes his last set all the more amazing.

His mass and character were first class throughout and without doubt one of the more unique in the herd’s brief history. It was a pleasure to see and touch them and for anyone who is a Fred fan or even just simply an elk enthusiast these are well worth the trip up there to check out.

^^The photo does not do them justice as they are huge.

^^Although diminishing over time Fred’s character points make him a true one of a kind. As you can see from the photo they are still quite unique and very much massive.

^^I took these photos for those of you who may not get to see Fred’s rack in person so you can see exactly the kind of mass he carried. This is of course photos of the top of Fred’s antlers near where the points fork off and it is every bit as wide as my hands. Now, I don’t have the largest hands in the world, but still for an elk of his seniority to carry this much mass up this high is amazing.

Fred is truly a 1 of a kind and will be missed. At least in some small way we will have a chance to keep him with us in body and not just memory. Rest in peace Freddie, you are truly a legend and will be missed!

Fred’s memorial FB page can be found here Fred’s Fan Page.

Everywhere we looked today we saw what would appear to be new rubs. (trees with bark stripped by bulls rubbing their horns on them) However, if you examine them closer many of them have had the bark stripped off by hungry elk willing to eat just about anything that provides hope for nourishment. The bulls do still use their antlers to rub these trees, but not always for the reasons they did in the earlier months. They have learned over the years that if they pierce the trees with their horns that sap will flow out. They can then simply drink the sap as it runs out.

This time of year is a real challenge for the herd and especially the youngest amongst them, but the fact that twigs and bark are becoming staples of their diets is not the only  hazard is out there. What I speak of are the kind intentioned individuals who try to supplement the herds browse by providing food for them. What seems to be a kind gesture in the long and short term can do far more damage than good.

One problem that arises is that the herd begins to develop a dependence on the food humans provide for them. They begin to associate humans as food sources and lose the drive to push out into the wild to search for new food sources. Thy grow so accustomed to handouts that when people stop feeding them they can starve to death.

The feeding of elk also tends to cause them to congregate in the areas around these feeding spots which is typically a residential setting. This grouping of elk allows for sickness and disease to more easily spread through the herd as well as increases in Elk and Human conflicts. What starts out as a kind hearted gesture can end with decreasing the herds overall health and even death to individual elk.

We ask that no matter what the perceived consequences of not feeding the elk are that you consider the greater concerns that acclimating them to human feedings carries with it. Our herd is a strong and resilient one and the more they become self reliant the better the chances are for their long term revival.

Some photos from today:

This fella greeted me out the door today. He was passing through our yard down to a field that has started to thaw. There is not much grass showing yet, but it is a much better option than chewing on twigs as he was doing in our yard.

We watched this fella digging in the neighbors wood pile. I can’t be sure he was looking for food there, but he would dig a bit and then lower his head down for a while. One possibility is that he was digging up the roots that lay near the surface in this area and eating them. In any case he was a busy bee for quite a while and then walked off into the woods.

This was one of about 9 elk cows and calves who were browsing on a small hill. They were mostly targeting small tree growths but were occasionally digging through the snow for leaves and occasional twigs.

You can see here that this tree was recently worked on by a bull. The sap is wet and running down the tree. For the past 2 months this has been a common sight in Elk Country.

She was working really hard at picking every morsel of bark off this particular tree. On occasion she would also strip slivers of the tree off as well, but mostly she stuck with the tender bark.

This moment in time I think kinda sums up how the herds current state. Tired but not defeated. This cow took a moment to rub her head up and around this tree as if to scratch her face and for a brief moment rested her head up against it. After a brief rest she then continued to pick the bark from the tree and seemed quite content doing so.

:::

Upon reading this I know it can come off as a bleak assessment of the herds food supply, but that is not really what I am meaning to do in this post. Sure high energy food is scarce and the elk are resulting to what some would find saddening tactics for survival such as eating trees, but instead I see this as a true testament to the viability of the herd in our area.

There is no a doubt that the elk are hungry and sure some will not make it, but they are strong and fighting. I know if it were me out there I would have given up long ago, but not Pa’s Elk. They are fighters and are in my opinion well on their way towards prospering here.

I had the pleasure of getting to watch local wildlife conservation officer Doty McDowell sedate and perform a checkup on a bull in Benezette today. The bull being attended to was collared last year (if I recall correctly) as a spike and this year his rack has grown quite well into a 5×5. Upon examination the elk seemed to be in good health, maybe a bit thin, but overall within the normally acceptable ranges for an elk his age.

Having only watched these events from afar until now I was not aware of the methodical and caring manner in which the elk were treated. From a distance you really only see the elk being darted and then what seems to be chaotic dance of people around them. Up close you can see the genuine care these individuals display during the procedure as well as the organized approach they take to ensure both the safety of the animal and the integrity of their work.

I am extremely thankful to the officers involved for allowing me to be so close to the action and I can honestly say it has been a very enlightening experience.

Here are some photos I took.

^^You can see here the dart used to sedate the elk.

^^This is the part freaks me out every time. When the sedation takes effect the elk typically role to their side. It looks in this photo way worse than it is, but still every time I see it I find it unsettling.

^^Here the bull was just starting to actually fade to sleep. The blindfold is there keep him from seeing all the commotion around him and helps to keep him calm.

^^Checking the elks collar and vitals.

^^Double checking the elk prior to waking it.

^^Giving him the shot to wake him up.

^^After the checkup was over the fella popped up and seemed no worse for the ware. The conservation officers stuck around a while to insure he was fine and then proceeded on to look for another elk to work with.

As soon as his antlers are there we will let you all know as well as seeif we can learn more about what they are planning with regard to how they will display them.

Today while heading home from camp we had the most amazing experience on Winslow Hill. We were driving through just before noon when we noticed 2 cars stopped on the side of the road and someone wildly gesturing towards the field to the left. My initial response was that there was a newbie who spotted an elk in a field and was freaking out. Then I looked and saw about 20 or so elk walking through the field. I was impressed, but that was not too unusual.

It was just then I was about to pull past the cars and out of the corner of my eye I see about 5 elk sprinting down towards the road. I of course waited for them to cross and then it happened. The largest heard of elk I have seen in a long time started pouring out of the woods and down across the road to the front and rear of me. They were coming to fast and in numbers to great to count, but my gut tells me it was way over 50 and closer to 100 if you include all the ones that were already across when we got there and the ones that were still walking in the field above us that had not crossed yet.

My wife and I were absolutely blown away by the numbers and the pace they were keeping. We were so excited we almost forgot to take photos. We luckily snapped out of our daze and here is a video and some pics we took.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE SECOND STAMPEDE WE FILMED AS WELL. SECOND ELK STAMPEDE VIDEO.

This first pic is of a small section of the largest group of elk that ran in front of us. There were already a lot of elk already across the road and already in the woods where these are heading.

Similar to the first photo this is part of the large group that crossed to the front of us.

Below is the tail end of a smaller group that crossed.

Here are a couple shots of different elk running in front of us. Each photo is of different elk.

This last guy is one I believe I have heard called “Crazy Legs or Crazy Legs Jr.” and he was in full out sprint after cows when he noticed the cars and stopped for just a second. This pic does not do justice to his rack, but trust me he is a beast.

This was truly one of the coolest moments I have experienced elk watching. It happened so fast that we were literally left stunned and amazed. I wish you all could have been there.

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