elk vs. photographer

Beachnutt · 11-15-2013, 11:44 AM - **1 Like**

LiveLeak.com - Elk vs. Photographer | Great Smoky Mountains National Park

stormtech · 11-15-2013, 09:35 PM

I live among the elk and see them almost every day here at home. I can say one thing - that guy is very lucky to not be in the hospital or dead.

tuco · 11-15-2013, 09:49 PM

Everybody's watching but no one lends a helping hand. Perhaps that car in the background could have drove up, honked his horn and let the guy get inside before things might have turned for the worse.

**Kerrowdown** · 11-17-2013, 11:33 AM

I'm just wondering how the images turned out?

Has the photographer ever published them anywhere?

MRRiley · 11-18-2013, 07:11 AM

Very VERY lucky man. This is no different from having a bull (the cow kind) staring you in the face and pawing the ground. He was wise to keep calm and offer a small target without totally angering the elk. Either one of those antlers could have skewered him stem to stern.

I once awoke to a herd of elk, including at least 2 bulls, walking through my tentless campsite on Pikes Peak. I just curled up as small as possible and hoped none of them stepped on me. One cow did sniff my sleeping bag and my backpack, but they soon moved off, much to my relief. As awesome as the experience was it was very dangerous and I'd not want to repeat it without being in a sturdy blind.

normhead · 11-18-2013, 07:23 AM

The friggin photographer should have been euthanized. I can't believe an elk had to die because he's so incredibly stupid. People want to photograph wild animals, but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo.

CreationBear · 11-18-2013, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by normhead

but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo.

Typical "herd behavior"--on part of the humans, that is.

It's the "Darwin Awards" show each and every day here in the GSMNP--the behavior of people during "bear jams" especially defies belief.

MRRiley · 11-18-2013, 08:19 AM

Originally posted by normhead

The friggin photographer should have been euthanized. I can't believe an elk had to die because he's so incredibly stupid. People want to photograph wild animals, but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo.

What would you have had the guy do Norm? If you read the full article, he did not approach the elk. The photographer was on the road shooting photos of the elk while it was in the field. This is a common and generally safe thing to do in that park. The bull approached the photographer, not the other way around. Sitting still and trying to be non-threatening was the safest thing he could do.

Also, this bull was a known nuisance... true, he became that way because other idiots were feeding him and making him reliant upon people. The rangers had tried relocating him and he kept coming back. Eventually, someone was bound to get hurt and it was a public safety decision to put him down. He could have just as easily been shot by a hunter if he'd wandered off of National Park property.

Alliecat · 11-20-2013, 11:33 AM

I can't help wondering if by putting his head down -- of course, he doesn't want to get poked in the face -- he was conveying an invitation to the elk to spar as it would with another elk...? When he gets up it kind of spooks back a bit. I wonder what would have happened if he'd jumped around & yelled & waved his arms right at the beginning?
Although, if it expected food, who knows.
And what the heck is wrong with the people in that car???!!! Why in the world wouldn't they have driven right up with the horn blasting, immediately? Shees.

When I was at Banff National Park, I'd been wandering around taking pictures late one afternoon. The trails were pretty deserted. I met 2 hikers who said they'd just met an elk down the path a little way. Since it was getting late I decided not to go too far down there. When I got back to the parking lot there was an elk standing fairly near my car. Having read the warnings about how they could be aggressive, I thought, "Oh crap..." & hid behind a tree, extending my tripod in case I needed to fend it off. He just stood there, grazed a bit at the edge, puttered around. There I was peeking out from behind this tree, it was getting dark, there was absolutely no one around anywhere... I wondered if I could get to the car & get in before I attracted any notice... I recall thinking also, if he comes after me I hope he doesn't damage my camera...!
I don't know how long I waited but eventually he wandered away a little, & I made a (slow & cautious!) run for the car. When I drove out, he was standing by the road, so I slowed down & took a picture, which was dark & blurry, but at least I got one to say I was there. He was not at all aggressive, & I may have been overly cautious, but... I'd read those warnings & seen a few of these videos. It's a funny story now, but it was a little scary at the time

11-15-2013, 11:44 AM - 1 Like	#1
Beachnutt Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 45	elk vs. photographer LiveLeak.com - Elk vs. Photographer \| Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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11-15-2013, 09:35 PM	#2
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	I live among the elk and see them almost every day here at home. I can say one thing - that guy is very lucky to not be in the hospital or dead.

11-15-2013, 09:49 PM	#3
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,030	Everybody's watching but no one lends a helping hand. Perhaps that car in the background could have drove up, honked his horn and let the guy get inside before things might have turned for the worse.

11-17-2013, 11:33 AM	#4
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,860	I'm just wondering how the images turned out? Has the photographer ever published them anywhere?

11-18-2013, 07:11 AM	#5
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	Very VERY lucky man. This is no different from having a bull (the cow kind) staring you in the face and pawing the ground. He was wise to keep calm and offer a small target without totally angering the elk. Either one of those antlers could have skewered him stem to stern. I once awoke to a herd of elk, including at least 2 bulls, walking through my tentless campsite on Pikes Peak. I just curled up as small as possible and hoped none of them stepped on me. One cow did sniff my sleeping bag and my backpack, but they soon moved off, much to my relief. As awesome as the experience was it was very dangerous and I'd not want to repeat it without being in a sturdy blind.

11-18-2013, 07:23 AM	#6
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	The friggin photographer should have been euthanized. I can't believe an elk had to die because he's so incredibly stupid. People want to photograph wild animals, but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo.

11-18-2013, 08:03 AM	#7
CreationBear Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,415	Originally posted by normhead but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo. Typical "herd behavior"--on part of the humans, that is. It's the "Darwin Awards" show each and every day here in the GSMNP--the behavior of people during "bear jams" especially defies belief.

11-18-2013, 08:19 AM	#8
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	Originally posted by normhead The friggin photographer should have been euthanized. I can't believe an elk had to die because he's so incredibly stupid. People want to photograph wild animals, but they want to behave like they're in a petting zoo. What would you have had the guy do Norm? If you read the full article, he did not approach the elk. The photographer was on the road shooting photos of the elk while it was in the field. This is a common and generally safe thing to do in that park. The bull approached the photographer, not the other way around. Sitting still and trying to be non-threatening was the safest thing he could do. Also, this bull was a known nuisance... true, he became that way because other idiots were feeding him and making him reliant upon people. The rangers had tried relocating him and he kept coming back. Eventually, someone was bound to get hurt and it was a public safety decision to put him down. He could have just as easily been shot by a hunter if he'd wandered off of National Park property.

11-20-2013, 11:33 AM	#9
Alliecat Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: East of Everywhere, Canada Posts: 740	I can't help wondering if by putting his head down -- of course, he doesn't want to get poked in the face -- he was conveying an invitation to the elk to spar as it would with another elk...? When he gets up it kind of spooks back a bit. I wonder what would have happened if he'd jumped around & yelled & waved his arms right at the beginning? Although, if it expected food, who knows. And what the heck is wrong with the people in that car???!!! Why in the world wouldn't they have driven right up with the horn blasting, immediately? Shees. When I was at Banff National Park, I'd been wandering around taking pictures late one afternoon. The trails were pretty deserted. I met 2 hikers who said they'd just met an elk down the path a little way. Since it was getting late I decided not to go too far down there. When I got back to the parking lot there was an elk standing fairly near my car. Having read the warnings about how they could be aggressive, I thought, "Oh crap..." & hid behind a tree, extending my tripod in case I needed to fend it off. He just stood there, grazed a bit at the edge, puttered around. There I was peeking out from behind this tree, it was getting dark, there was absolutely no one around anywhere... I wondered if I could get to the car & get in before I attracted any notice... I recall thinking also, if he comes after me I hope he doesn't damage my camera...! I don't know how long I waited but eventually he wandered away a little, & I made a (slow & cautious!) run for the car. When I drove out, he was standing by the road, so I slowed down & took a picture, which was dark & blurry, but at least I got one to say I was there. He was not at all aggressive, & I may have been overly cautious, but... I'd read those warnings & seen a few of these videos. It's a funny story now, but it was a little scary at the time