Elk on the highway


Just keep it clean please....

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

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Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:59 pm

Post Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:27 pm

Elk on the highway

So, Monday about quarter past noon (Super Bowl was yesterday) I'm driving into town, fortunately the traffic was non-existent, when I see something coming through the trees towards the highway.
I thought, at first, it was a herd of horses, sometimes live stock gets loose around here. I managed to stop without any problem and the closest traffic was about a mile behind me. Turns out it was
about 12 or 14 Elk. They ran across the highway in front of my truck. Magnificent creatures! What a sight to behold! They're about twenty feet in front of me, they weren't spooked just running towards the river. My dog was rather wide eyed but, behaved perfectly in the seat next to me. I've known they were here, seeing their tracks and all that comes with large animals. However, this was the first time in four years living here I've seen them so close up and in the middle of the day. It made such an impression on me I wanted to share the experience.

The ex just pulled up, there goes that euphoric experience, I can't imagine what we have to talk about...

Talk to you soon, Peter

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

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Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:21 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

Where was this Peter?

Here in Michigan the elk have made a pretty good comeback, I believe they are actually opening even more hunting permits to control the spread.

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 30

Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:59 pm

Post Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:51 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

This is in Central Oregon, about 35 miles South of Bend Oregon. I live in the foot hills on the Eastern side of the Cascade mountain range in a small subdivision.
It's beautiful geographically, I'm about 1,000 feet from the Deschutes River which is one of those odd rivers that runs south to north. The only problem is we have no law enforcement
so the upshot is a whole lot of drug addicts. This is unfortunate in such an area as this. I moved here to get away from obvious city problems and what do you know, they're here too.
But still, at 4300 feet it beats L.A. or New York and most of them couldn't survive out here on a good day.

Thanks to oldihc people I've retained my sanity, what a great group and what a wealth of knowledge.
Trying to get my wood shop back together and of course continue working on my 1945 K7, which is taking longer than I'd anticipated.

Site Admin
Site Admin

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Location: Nampa, Idaho

Post Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:04 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

Sir, That is the nature of these Beasts! They always take longer, or you have lots of money and someone else gets to do all the work.
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Saskatchewan

Post Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:11 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

No Elk to worry about here but Whitetail deer and moose are a problem. I bounced a white tail buck off the right front fender of the B110 pickup about 40 years ago. Left a bit of rubber on the pavement but not a mark on the old IH. The buck ran away too so we were all lucky. I swear those animals are as stupid as chicken when it comes to crossing the road. I have seen them literally racing me as they run along the field angling toward the road determined to make that crossing ahead of me. Would not the sensible thing be to run away from an approaching vehicle?
Deer can do a lot of vehicle damage but moose can kill you. Often ending up in the driver's compartment when you hit one.

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

Posts: 177

Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:50 pm

Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:16 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

Yep, I had about six whitetails in front of me crossing a bridge over a small creek near my Mom's place this morning. They decided it was too cool to wade across the creek, and just hopped up on the road. I didn't need to use the snowplow as a cowcatcher, at least.

We spooked up a cow moose while walking a trail near Kenai, AK. Not sure who was more scared, her or us. I do know who moved faster through the brush making tons of noise...

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 30

Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:59 pm

Post Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:36 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

Thanks Lloyd, so I'm actually on schedule with this beast. If I had a pile of money I'd still want to do the work myself.
Although, sometimes it would come in handy when lifting the big pieces.

P.S. Thanks for the motor it's a treasure and it was great meeting you and the pup.
All my best, Peter

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Lyman, IA

Post Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:09 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

K Effective wrote:We spooked up a cow moose while walking a trail near Kenai, AK. Not sure who was more scared, her or us. I do know who moved faster through the brush making tons of noise...

Did you get scratched up running thru the brush?, what did the moose do?

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

Posts: 177

Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:50 pm

Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Fri Feb 09, 2018 10:17 pm

Re: Elk on the highway

Ha, no, she ran far faster than we could have, smashing brush all the way. We just froze, unsure of what she was until she was running away. We had been warned and were armed for bear, but that encounter with a non-predator was an eye opener, for sure. We were told later that we were very lucky not to have come between a cow and calf, that the maternal protection instinct is very difficult to defeat.

Later that weekend, we watched as a group of grizzly bears "played" with each other on the mountain side across the lake from where we were tent camping. Those huge killers ran up and down the slope like it was flat ground. No chance to escape a hungry brown bear.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5170

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:02 am

Re: Elk on the highway

I was haveing a little fun, Moose are big, and I have come across 8-9 at once on the Golden Road, Once came on a Bull Moose and the size is hard to explain to those that think they are a "bigger deer"!
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