Shortly after we left the lodge area we saw some cars on the side of the road - a sign that there was something good to see. There were two gorgeous bucks on the side of the road, up in the trees munching away. They wandered around and we got some good views of them as they went from tree to tree.
We next went to the Oxbow Bend area, which is rich in wildlife. Mark got some great reflection photos, the sun was shining just right. We didn't see any mammals but saw lots of water fowl including a trumpeter swan, which is a huge white swan with black markings. They weigh 25 pounds and have an 8-foot wingspan. A woman told us she had seen a moose not far away so we jumped in the car and headed that way (reminded us of being on safari in South Africa when the rangers would call each other on walkie talkies when they had a good sighting and off we would race). We didn't find the moose, darn. By now we decided it was the time of day when the big mammals are resting in the forest.
We headed up the road from Jackson Lake Junction to Leek's Marina, took a quick look at the marina, then back to Colter Bay Village. We stopped at the visitor center for advice on hikes and wildlife viewing, got a few groceries at the store, and filled up the gas tank. Back to Signal Mountain where we enjoyed lunch on our porch. Tuna even came out for a bit wearing her harness and on a leash. Down to the main lodge building to do laundry, check email, and work on our photos and blog.
Around 6:30 we drove back to the Oxbow Bend Overlook, hoping to see elk and moose. The place was packed with cars, people with binoculars, and people with cameras. We waited as it got colder and closer to dusk, then saw a herd of elk in the distance. They munched on the grass, some spooked and went back into the forest; they never did come close to us. We watched trout jumping in the river, ducks enjoying an evening swim, and magpies on nearby trees. One of the park rangers was there talking to people and she had a huge moose antler. That thing was heavy! Imagine the moose carrying two of them. She told us how elk and moose shed their antlers every year, then start growing ones covered in velvet. If you get a close up view you can see the huge blood vessels inside the velvet; huge veins needed to provide the blood for calcification and creating those hard antlers that develop into bone for mating season. During the peak growing season in summer, alters can grow an inch a day. The elks' developed antlers last for about 180 days before falling off and the moose's longer than that. She said it's amusing to watch the elk in the National Elk Refuge when they are shedding their antlers. Antlers to bull elk are a sign of power and they compete with each other as to who's got the biggest antlers. When the antlers start falling off, you can see the elks' confusion. Sometimes the young elk with small antlers wind up having the largest ones because the big guys lose their antlers first, and you can just feel the young elks thinking "alright, I'm the BMOC now"! The ranger also told us a good place to look for elk and moose is from the deck at Jackson Lake Lodge, as the meadow below has good willows, which they both enjoy, plus cover.
When it got dark - and we were very cold - we drove back to our lodge. It's been below freezing here in the early morning and night, mid 60s during the day.
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