Nature at its finest.
This is one of the many things I love about the great outdoors… the raw and intense way these animals constantly live is just flat out impressive. It’s an eat or be eaten world, and I can appreciate the beauty in it.
Wolves and elk are two iconic species of the North American wilderness.
Wolves are apex predators, known for their intelligence and cooperative hunting tactics, while elk are one of the largest species of deer, known for their speed and endurance.
Wolves are pack animals, and hunting is a joint effort among the pack members most of the time. They use a variety of strategies to take down elk, including chasing them to tire them out and then attacking, using distractions to separate a single elk from the herd, and even using ambush tactics to catch their prey off guard. Every now and again a single wolf will attack given the right opportunity.
Wolves usually target the young, sick, or weak elk, since they are easier to catch than the healthy adults. Elk, on the other hand, use their speed and endurance to evade wolves.
A whole herd of elk are seen enjoying their time at this Idaho watering hole. The elk come and go and are seen playing in and drinking the water.
A younger looking cow elk is seen laying down in the hole by herself. Out of nowhere she starts to lose it and begins to stand up and run.
In a snap a wolf comes out of the woods and is pretty much on top of her in an instant. The wolf seems surprised by the quick success and holds up just long enough to let the elk start to run.
As the exit camera view you can her the squeal form the elk, knowing that he got her.
The video caption calls for better management of wolves in Idaho:
“These wolves flushed these elk out of the area. Not one cow or bull elk visited this spot after the attack. We need your help. These wolves have caused dramatic decreases in the population of our elk in Idaho, as well as other wildlife species.
Hunting these predators are tough, but we can use all the help that we can get.”
That’s nature, you might not like it… but it’s what goes on.
