Mary and I woke up yesterday morning to another 2 inches or so of snow on the ground.  Every time we think that we've put the winter behind us, Mother Nature and our Wet Mountain micro-climate reminds us that they remain in charge.  Our consolation prize was the herd of elk that spent most of the day with us, picking through the snow at the emerging spring grasses and the nutrition those sprouts will bring.  

The elk moved up toward the house as Mary and I ate breakfast, and by the time I was through with my last cup of coffee, they were spread all the way from down near the road to our front porch.  I was watching the small group that was casually dining outside the kitchen window when all of them cocked their heads toward the trees.  I looked into the stand of aspen across the meadow and saw a coyote trotting down the hill toward the elk herd.  The elk, especially the larger bulls, didn't seem all that concerned, but one of the older cows kept her focus on the little canine intruder.  She started to slowly make her way toward the coyote and the showdown started.  Mary and I watched their little game of cat-and-mouse (elk-and-coyote?) as they moved across the meadow.  The coyote kept trying to sneak closer to the herd, but the cow was having none of it.  She kept herself between the coyote and the rest of the elk, walking or running straight at the little critter until he went where she wanted him to go.  Watching was pretty interesting.  She had a real strategy for getting rid of him, and he was clearly outmatched.  That said, he kept daring her to chase her, sitting or laying down in the grass until she moved closer.  At one point I wondered if he was luring her into the trees where his buddies lay in wait.  As the two of them got closer to the trees, the four elk bulls who were lounging outside the kitchen window got up and trotted down the hill toward her.  It was as if they were thinking the same thing as me, so made their way across the meadow to make sure she was safe.  The coyote ran into the trees, the elk cow rejoined the herd and the bulls relaxed and began grazing again.  The whole scene was really fun to watch; much better than any show on television these days...

I got another really nice video of Handsome.  As previously noted, he's a really beautiful bear.  Haven't seen any others yet, but expect to soon.  The late spring may be keeping them snugly sleeping, but they'll all need to get out of bed at some point...

In contrast to the appropriately named "Handsome," I thought I'd share a couple of new videos of springtime elk.  As you can see, the winter is rough on these guys.  They're skinny, their coats are shabby and they don't look as regal as they will once they fatten up over the summer.  I still love seeing them, though, and hope that they're enjoying the sweet spring vegetation.  After months of eating whatever they could find, it must be great to have a selection of good tasting and highly nutritious grasses to enjoy...

I posted video of our first bear sighting of the season last week.  From a distance, the bear looked like the guy we've named "Handsome," but our long-distance sighting didn't give us the opportunity to confirm.  I had hoped that he'd swing by the water hole (or one of my other cameras) so that I could get a close up view in high def, and he did not disappoint.

As you'll see from the following video, the bear is, indeed, Handsome.  Dark black coat, no scars, not a hair out of place.  He seems to have wintered very well, looking healthy and well-fed even after months of hibernation.  I love that he spent some time on the scratching post.  He's basically telling all the other bears in the area that he's awake and that he's a big boy.  Or girl.  At this point, I'm just assuming he's a male.  While the back-scratching on the tree is serious to bears, it always makes me chuckle.  Just wish I had an angle that would allow me to see his face while he's scratching...

I also discovered a couple of really cool videos of a bobcat that lives in the area.  In the first one, he walks under a fence, squats, and looks straight into the camera as he walks past.  He's really a good looking cat.  In the second video, he happens by the water hole a short time after Handsome's visit.  I'm not sure what startles him into leaving so quickly, but it was nice to get such a good look at him on two different cameras.

This is about the time of year when the wildlife starts coming around again.  I expect to see a few more bears, some elk, mule deer, maybe a bobcat or mountain lion or two, and different species that aren't so common.  In past years, we've seen skunks, a badger, a golden eagle and great horned owls.  I promise to post anything interesting that wanders through.  Stay tuned...