Tule Elk

Here's another one from my vast collection.

 

Jeep stopped to allow Tule Elk to cross the road near Tomales Point in Point Reyes.

 

Elk were native to the area but, by 1860, had almost disappeared due to hunting. In 1978 two bulls and eight cows were re-introduced to the area. Today, the population numbers about 500.

The mating and rutting season lasts from the end of July to mid-October. It must have been during this time that I took the picture, because you see both bulls and cows. At other time the sexes don't mix. This is not gospel, but merely my own observation.