Yup, this is as cool as it sounds. Bears and elk are both some of the coolest animals that roam our forests. Any interaction with them is spectacular, but seeing these two different animals doing anything is cool, so when something wild pops up, I will always be here for it.
Grizzly bears are one massive animal, weighing 600-pounds on average. They are known for their killing and love them some elk.
I mean, it’s hard to blame them for that, elk is widely considered the best game meat out there by many.
When a grizzly has the upper hand on an elk, it’s rare to seem them make it out alive. Grizzlies make calculated choices on how to get as much food as they can the easiest way. The love to target the young, old and wounded to give them as much of an advantage as possible.
That was what the grizzly was thinking when he came across this wounded bull elk on a hillside. The grizzly even had the uphill advantage, or so he thought.
The grizzly jumps and latches onto the hind on the elk that takes off downhill. Immediately the grizz falls off and cartwheels down before catching himself and continuing the chase. The wipe out gave the elk just enough space to get down into the river swimming away to its safety.
I love it.
What a wild encounter to see.
Yellowstone Visitors Start Traffic Jam Watching Bull Elk
Talk about something you don’t see in my part of the country.
Growing up in South Carolina, I can honestly say I’ve never seen an elk in my 23-years of living. Not one time…
They’re indigenous in North Carolina, but by the 1800s the number of elk in the state was virtually zero. They have since been reintroduced, and right now, an estimated 150-200 elk reside in the state.
But still, they’re pretty hard to find…
I imagine that growing up in a part of the world where you just casually see elk chilling on the side of the road, just minding their own business, the sight of elk my not give you pause, but for most of us, we’re gonna stop and take pictures.
This video comes from Yellowstone National Park, a place where folks travel from thousands of miles away to see elk. Although sometimes, you get a little more than you bargained for.
This group stumbles upon a magnificent creature who lets out a bugle and then proceeds to stand up, and start… PEEING on himself.
The ol’ Elk had been sipping the horny juice, as rutting bulls can sometimes piss on themselves in order to douse themselves in their scent and attract females.
My guy was just getting ready for mating season, and all of these onlookers were getting in the way. Thankfully we had the park ranger hilariously screaming at people to move along.
“Shot at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. The ranger soundtrack is great.”
You gotta love Yellowstone though, where else will an elk pissing on his own face cause a traffic jam.
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Grizzly Bear Joins Wolf Pack On Elk Hunt
Work smarter, not harder.
In the wild, it’s first come first serve, survival of the fittest, only the strong survive, and most critters will go to extreme lengths to make sure they get fed.
But… even in the wild, there’s such as thing as freeloaders, and I’m not talking about scavengers.
One particular grizzly bear at Yellowstone National Park came up with a genius idea to follow along a wolf pack in search of its prey. And no, the grizzly was not there to make friends.
According to The Hill, this grizzly was following the Junction Butte wolf pack as they were in the midst of an elk hunt back in October of 2021. The wolves tracked down an elk, and when they captured it, the grizzly made sure it wasn’t gonna leave hungry.
It jumped in and stole the carcass, taking home a nice meal.
This “rare phenomenon” is known as kleptoparasitism, which is where one animal steals the resources of another animal/pack of animals.
The National Park Service (NPS) weighed in on the rare occurrence:
“This bear seems to have figured out that following the wolves in the morning will increase its chances of encountering a high-calorie meal.”
The NPS also said that wolves will typically yield for bears, because it puts their own safety at risk, knowing that they don’t stand much of a chance against the much larger creatures, and they simply wait their turn.
According to the NPS, it’s a rare occurrence because following a wolf pack around takes a lot of energy for the bear, but can be very rewarding, as an elk carcass is high in protein and fat, which is pivotal for hibernation.
“On the morning of October 21, 2021 visitors watching wildlife in Yellowstone’s northern range were amazed when they saw an adult grizzly bear seemingly hunting elk with the Junction Butte wolf pack. Wolves and bears typically compete with one another for prey, so why might this be happening?
Typically, wolves will yield to incoming bears. Since hunting is dangerous and often unsuccessful, it’s better for wolves to wait their turn at a carcass that has been usurped by a bear than it is for them to continue hunting.
From the bear’s perspective, it takes a lot of energy to follow a wolf pack around, but the reward is high if it successfully takes over a carcass. A fresh elk carcass is a wonderful source of fat and protein for a grizzly bear preparing for hibernation.
This bear seems to have figured out that following the wolves in the morning will increase its chances of encountering a high-calorie meal.”
Ever work on a group project where one dumbass doesn’t do any of the work, but still gets a good grade? This is nature’s version of that…
And speaking of Yellowstone, be sure to check out our Yellowstone The Soundtrack Playlist, featuring every song from every episode, all the way through Season 5.
