On my recent trip to Colorado, there were a few animals I was hoping to see. Though I didn’t see any moose or bear, I did have the opportunity to see a number of elk.

On our first day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we heard an elk bugling, then saw it from a distance. It walked out into an opening, which gave me a chance to grab these images. It would later walk behind our truck, but shooting out the window did not prove advantageous.  The following morning, we even drove pass a herd just outside of Estes Park, which apparently is the norm for this time of year. Until you see it in person though, you don’t realize how large and beautiful this animal really is.