The images on this page serve as introductions to this section of Rocky Mountain National Park section of the web site.
They also represent two of the larger examples of the animals that are found in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The image on the left are of two mule deer. It is early in the year and both are still in "velvet" which is the covering on their antlers. The difference between antlers and horns is, antlers are shed every year and replaced the following, horns are retained year round.
Later in the summer these two will start rubbing the velvet off in preparation for the "rut" or mating season.
Above timberline this impressive fellow was found. This is a bull elk (or wapiti). Both these images contain animals that are members of the deer family. Elk are the second largest members in the United States behind only the Moose.
This fellow is also in velvet and will go through a similar process to prepare for the rut later in the year. Elk also have an interesting call that can be heard for great distances they use in an effort to attract cows (the female version of elk not to be confused with the bovine version we use for milk and meat from farmer Jones farm)
The photography is supplied by and used with the kind permission of Kevin Weber.
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