OM E-M1 Mark III · 40-150mm F/2.8, ISO 200
One of the most beautiful times to be in the Great Outdoors is during the fall rut. Rocky Mountain elk go into hyperdrive during this time as they try to reproduce.
This herd is typical: a large male protects 10-50 cows he hopes to breed with. Elk used to be found in virtually every state in the US, but settlers moving west eliminated them from all but the Rocky Mountain states. Today, many states are reintroducing elk, giving Easterners the chance to hear this charismatic creature of the wild. Wild turkeys are also common along the river bottoms of the western rivers. You can see more of Dan’s elk photography in his book Elk, published by Chronicle Books, available used on Amazon.