Nature at it:s best

[straight_arrow]

I'd like to share a great event we witnessed yesterday morning. My wife and I decided to hike in a relatively new area a half dozen miles from our home in Colorado. It was a perfect morning to enjoy the outdoors.  Off we go on an uncharted path, only thirty minutes into our trek we witness a once in a lifetime experience, twenty paces to our right, in the shade of ponderosa pines is a cow elk who seconds before we saw her gave birth to her calf.  She was actually consuming the placenta as we obsereved her and at the same time  the calf struggled to gain her feet for the first time.  Simply stated, a privilege to observe nature in her setting.  We did our best to capture the event keeping a safe distance as not to threaten the cow and calf. I know everyone can appreciate this great experience.  

[Mike Vines]

WOW, that is amazing that you were not only there to experience it, but thought to take pictures of it to share.  Thank you.

[adamgti]

Thank you for sharing.
I was lucky enough to see this happen with an antelope on my drive to Saskatchewan this spring.
thanks again,
Adam

[Duker]

AWESOMEEE  

[Burnsie]

isn't it kind of late to be calving, not an elk expert but I would have guessed most if not all would have been born by now??  Either way, that is super cool.  Seen plenty of farm animals give birth, but never in the wild.

Not something many get to witness in the wild!

Cool!

Bisch

[gregg dudley]

 Very cool!

[Tim]

Nice Mark!  So cool.....so glad Donna was along!

[Brianlocal3]

Very cool. A once in a lifetime thing to witness

[Green Mountain Boy]

Amazing!

[stykbow67]

Awesome pics! very cool experience for sure.

[ron w]

Holy cow....that's just fantastic and to get photos, HOLY COW!!!          

[BMN]

Wow. That's really cool.

[Hawkeye]

Momma looks none the worse for wear...

The little dude is going to have trouble getting to 175# by winter!  Thanks for sharing, and congrats on being the right place at the right time... and aware enough to notice!

[redant 60/65]

Wow!!  

[Richie]

Thats something most people don't get to see . Thanks for sharing.

[elkbreath]

Great experience!  Thanks much for sharing with us.  Can't believe you thought to get pictures!

Burnsie,  calves will be born through the 3rd week in Jume Most are born between the last few days of may and about now, middle of June.  

IME  This is the true measure to determine when cows will be in heat in a given area.

[USN_Sam1385]

I told the Docs at the hospital that I wanted to consume the placenta after my wife delivered my son...

For some reason they respectfully declined my proposition. ;-p

[straitera]

Amazing! Thanks for the pix.

[stujay]

Nice you had a camera ready to record the event. Thanks for sharing.