It is early fall. The low sun bathes the mountains in alpenglow as mist rises off the water. As a prelude to the approaching winter, the male elk (or bulls) gather female elk (or cows) on the way to the winter range. The number in each bull’s group is limited only by his ability to defend his mating territory. Hormones are flowing freely, as evidenced by the pair of fighting elks. Sometimes I can get so caught up in the excitement of watching elk which are fifty feet away that I might not even see the Canadian geese five feet from me. - RF