{"id":47798,"date":"2017-07-25T04:46:27","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T10:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=47798"},"modified":"2026-04-25T06:36:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T11:36:33","slug":"centennial-valley-bull-elk-in-velvet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/25\/centennial-valley-bull-elk-in-velvet\/","title":{"rendered":"Centennial Valley Bull Elk in Velvet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CentennialCentennial Valley bull Elk in velvet – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I still haven’t gone through all of the bird photos I took on my recent trip to Idaho and Montana but I wanted to share images of some of the wildlife I saw there too. Some of the wildlife I see quite often like the ground squirrels and deer but some of the larger animals I do not see regularly are moose and elk.<\/p>\n

When I spotted and pointed out two bull elk early in the morning in the sagebrush of the Centennial Valley on the 10th of July I was very excited and started taking photos as soon as I could. The elk were moving from the mountains on the north side of the valley and heading towards the Centennial Mountains<\/span><\/a> on the south side.<\/p>\n

I usually only see them on the move like that first thing in the morning, out in the open valley they must feel far more exposed than in their preferred habitat which is in the forest and along the forest edges.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I wish there was a way to let wildlife know we mean them no harm and that the only thing I shoot with is a camera because the two bulls were extremely skittish and didn’t stand still for long.<\/p>\n

These elk, unlike the ones to the east in Yellowstone National Park, are wary of people and they take off running if you even stop your vehicle for a few seconds. Getting photos of them can be quite challenging.<\/p>\n

I liked how this bull elk stopped while he was surrounded by sagebrush with just a sliver of blue water in the background. The only other time I was able to photograph both bulls was when they ran over the hill with their rumps facing me.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Elk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I spotted two bull elk early in the morning in the sagebrush of the Centennial Valley on the 10th of July I was very excited and started taking photos as soon as I could.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,223,230,12],"tags":[4004,5471,4314,6003,4224,4028,4062,2817,4057,2315,5434,4417,102],"class_list":["post-47798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-centennial-valley","category-elk","category-montana","tag-adult","tag-antlers","tag-bull","tag-cervus-canadensis","tag-early-morning","tag-elk","tag-male","tag-sage","tag-sagebrush","tag-summer-3","tag-valley","tag-velvet","tag-wildlife"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/elk-bull-centennial-valley-mia-mcpherson-9223.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cqW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":69472,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/05\/spring-elk-bull-in-velvet-on-a-hillside\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":0},"title":"Spring Elk Bull In Velvet On A Hillside","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains it was for three Elk I spotted on a hillside.","rel":"","context":"In "Elk"","block_context":{"text":"Elk","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/elk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Elk bull in velvet, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/elk-bull-spring-velvet-mia-mcpherson-9517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/elk-bull-spring-velvet-mia-mcpherson-9517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/elk-bull-spring-velvet-mia-mcpherson-9517.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/elk-bull-spring-velvet-mia-mcpherson-9517.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14392,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/19\/the-centennial-valley-of-montana-beckons-to-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":1},"title":"The Centennial Valley of Montana beckons to me","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Centennial Valley says \"home\" to me with the expansive views it offers of not only the valley but the Centennial Mountains and the Lower Lake and beyond. I find peace there.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Mountain rock face, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/centennial-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7337.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/centennial-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7337.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/centennial-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7337.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/centennial-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7337.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10019,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/29\/red-tailed-hawk-perched-above-elk-lake-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":2},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This past September I spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a rocky canyon wall as it looked out over the cold waters of Elk Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Beaverhead \u2013 Deerlodge National Forest, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5479.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5479.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15916,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/23\/centennial-valley-cinnamon-teal\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":3},"title":"Centennial Valley Cinnamon Teal","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Things were \"just ducky\" earlier this month in the Centennial Valley of Montana and this Cinnamon Teal seemed to be enjoying the warm late afternoon light.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cinnamon Teal male in eclipse plumage, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cinnamon-teal-mia-mcpherson-7865.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cinnamon-teal-mia-mcpherson-7865.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cinnamon-teal-mia-mcpherson-7865.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cinnamon-teal-mia-mcpherson-7865.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19035,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/01\/27\/trumpeter-swans-of-the-centennial-valley\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":4},"title":"Trumpeter Swans of the Centennial Valley","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the locations I am daydreaming about is the Centennial Valley of Montana and the birds I find there.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trumpeter Swan keeping an eye on me - Beaverhead \u2013 Deerlodge National Forest, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-adult-mia-mcpherson-7153.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2484,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/12\/montana-short-eared-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":47798,"position":5},"title":"Montana Short-eared Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 12, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I will soon be on the road back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southern Montana, another one of my favorite locations on this planet.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Short-eared Owl with prey for chicks, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/short-eared-owl-male-montana-mia-mcpherson-8924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/short-eared-owl-male-montana-mia-mcpherson-8924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/short-eared-owl-male-montana-mia-mcpherson-8924.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/short-eared-owl-male-montana-mia-mcpherson-8924.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47798"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175273,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47798\/revisions\/175273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}