{"id":69472,"date":"2020-05-05T04:59:59","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T10:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=69472"},"modified":"2025-05-17T05:19:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T10:19:51","slug":"spring-elk-bull-in-velvet-on-a-hillside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/05\/spring-elk-bull-in-velvet-on-a-hillside\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Elk Bull In Velvet On A Hillside"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpringSpring Elk bull in velvet – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains it was for three Elk I spotted on a hillside. There were two bulls in velvet and one cow and the bulls seemed to be chasing the cow up the slope. All of the Elk looked shaggy because they are still in the process of losing their bleached out winter coats.<\/p>\n

I thought this sighting was interesting because I noticed that both the bulls showed their teeth and tongues at times which I usually associate with the flehmen response<\/span><\/span> during the rutting season which is not until much later in the year. The two bulls chased the cow into a stand of aspens and then all three moved higher up on the slope and out of my sight.<\/p>\n

I did find and photograph my first of the year Vesper Sparrow yesterday morning and had great views of a Say’s Phoebe too. Before I even entered the canyons I heard my first of the year Green-tailed Towhee and throughout the morning heard many more of them. I also heard my first of the year Spotted Sandpipers but wasn’t able to see them. Throughout the canyon I heard the buzzing wings of hummingbirds and saw one of them checking out the freshly unfurled leaves of a Black Twinberry Honeysuckle<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few wildflowers have started to bloom and I noticed that the Golden Currant flowers<\/span><\/a> are ready to burst wide open<\/p>\n

Spring has sprung in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>. I love it.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/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":"

The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains it was for three Elk I spotted on a hillside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[230,1731,26,773,99],"tags":[4004,5471,4314,3940,6003,4284,4028,3747,4109,4062,4069,2817,4057,165,4417],"class_list":["post-69472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elk","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","category-wildlife","tag-adult","tag-antlers","tag-bull","tag-canyon","tag-cervus-canadensis","tag-chase","tag-elk","tag-grass","tag-grasses","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-sage","tag-sagebrush","tag-spring","tag-velvet"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/elk-bull-spring-velvet-mia-mcpherson-9517.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-i4w","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47798,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/25\/centennial-valley-bull-elk-in-velvet\/","url_meta":{"origin":69472,"position":0},"title":"Centennial 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McPherson","date":"April 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I was pretty excited to spot a small herd of cow and yearling Elk grazing on a steep slope in a canyon high in the Wasatch Mountains this past Sunday.","rel":"","context":"In "Elk"","block_context":{"text":"Elk","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/elk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shedding Elk grazing in the Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/elk-mountains-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-8454.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/elk-mountains-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-8454.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/elk-mountains-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-8454.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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