Elk | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Ears up, everyone!

24 01 2026

Elk attention-getter squeaky toy now available online!

Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding. 🙂 I didn’t use any squeaky toy or other artificial attractant. They were immediately west of the west boundary entrance to/from Spring Creek Basin, and clearly, I was the most fascinating thing they’d seen all day!

Note Ms. Grumpypants in the middle with the broken ear? I could see even at a distance that something was odd with her ear. Even zooming in, I’m not sure why she has the white hair at the base of each ear.

(If something looks odd about the font, I apologize. It looks different from usual, but in the drafting mode, I can’t tell exactly what (a serif font as opposed to sans serif?), and I’m not sure whether it’s something I did or WordPress doing another one of its odd “updates.”)

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Categories : Colorado, Disappointment Valley, Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area

Seldom seen

20 12 2025

The elk surprised me running around a hill as I toodled up the road. I stopped immediately, but they were not in the mood to also stop, and they kept going. These are probably the first elk I’ve seen since before the main rifle seasons. I’m happy they’re here … though unhappy that I disturbed their peace!

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Categories : Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Wildlife

Nursery

22 06 2025

Cute, cute, cute!

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Categories : Colorado, Disappointment Valley, Elk, Wildlife

Spring fuzzies

24 03 2025

A young bull elk and a cow elk check me out from right above Disappointment Creek, which still is not running yet this year. They still look awfully fuzzy don’t they? The temp was at least 67F in the valley yesterday. Spring is here.

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Categories : Colorado, Disappointment Creek, Disappointment Valley, Elk, Wildlife

Winter friends

19 01 2024

This nice group of healthy elk was in the western part of Spring Creek Basin yesterday. The basin is a wintering ground for elk and mule deer; they find it welcoming at a lower elevation and not much snow (as shown).

The evidence that we’ve had snow is in the muddy, muddy ground (not visible but felt while hiking around)! The last forecast snowfall (Wednesday) gave us zilch again, so we’re hoping for some moisture Sunday and Monday.

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Categories : Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Wildlife

Just hangin’ out

27 02 2023

Do you see what I see?

This big group of elk was on the southeast shoulder of Filly Peak in the western part of Spring Creek Basin.

Winter is the season of elk in Disappointment Valley, where we have less snow and the livin’ is easy (or relatively so). 🙂

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Categories : Disappointment Valley, Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Wildlife

Quiet returns

7 04 2021

And so does the wildlife. 🙂

Up, up they go.

As the elk disappeared over the ridge, some other visitors made a fly-by appearance.

They paused for a quick family portrait … then went on up and over and were gone with the wind.

(The WIND! It has been BRUTAL the last two days, especially.)

Comments : 13 Comments »

Categories : Disappointment Valley, Elk, Mule deer, Wildlife

Background

7 01 2016

Corona is looking healthy and relaxed in the late afternoon.

Her visitors also were very calm and peaceful.

What? You don’t see them??

Let’s zoom in.

It’s hard to estimate their numbers, but they may have been over AML. 🙂

There were quite a few more than shown in this image as the herd stretched out across one of the upper hillsides above Spring Creek canyon. The basin is a welcome wintering ground for mule deer and elk. When the snow in the high(er) country is very deep, these animals become our close neighbors again. After the pressures of hunting season, we’re happy to welcome them!

Comments : 5 Comments »

Categories : Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Visiting neighbors

24 01 2014

These lovely ladies have made themselves at home in Spring Creek Basin. It surely beats wading through snow in the high country, though “snow” is a term planets away from this country this winter.

This pic was taken after sunset as I was walking away from a divine visit with the horses. Lots of critters call the basin home.

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Categories : Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Others

9 01 2013

The mustangs share Spring Creek Basin with other wildlife, including these beauties I saw during my last visit:

They were in a big group, too spread out to capture them all in one photo!

I came over the crest of a hill and saw them – and they saw me! – and off they went. Naturally, I took photos while I waited for them to put some distance between us! You can see the road in the background of the lower photo.

Disappointment Valley is a major wintering area for mule deer and elk. Seeing deer is nearly an everyday occurrence, but it’s pretty cool to see elk – and this many at one time!

Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : Disappointment Valley, Elk, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Wildlife

Spring Creek Basin Mustangs