Ahh, a fond term for these high country locusts. Now they're not that bad, but when they move in, the elk head out.
On Friday as Kenny and I checked out some of the hot spots where he had seen elk, all we could hear, see, and smell were domestic sheep. I've heard it is the smell of mutton that drives the other quadrupeds away, but I think that their "nap of the earth" grazing style doesn't leave a lot of forage in the short term, and this adds to the aversion.
The bulls aren't bugling a lot yet either, so we didn't hear much "professional" calling. We just heard a lot of hunters teaching elk to stay away and keep quiet (until they can restrain their hormones no longer) with their man-made stylings.
We'll be back out this week end looking and listening.
5 comments:
I hope you have better luck.
Sorry about the first weekend. I'm glad there is still time.
You know how the slow start this spring and summer delayed the growing season for the fruits and veggies, would that same thing effect the patterns of the elk?
I've always called them land maggots, but mountain maggots sounds better. Riding the Great Western Trail once from the top of the Alpine Loop to Brighton, Sam Rushforth and I rode through a whole set of mountainsides grazed by sheep. It was a disaster, of course, and it stunk to high heaven. Oddly enough, the only plants left standing were larkspur. Too bad, Sam said, they're a great sheepicide and would have done some good.
The smell of mutton and the sound of amateur elk imitators. Bummer bro. I hope things improve.
drat.
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