Elk Calf Nursing at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

I went looking for elk one morning at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I ended up photographing an elk calf nursing while a bull stood nearby. A white-tailed doe had spotted me before that moment unfolded.

A Doe Gives Away My Hiding Place

During my morning drive, I listened to bull elk bugling in the distance. Rounding a curve, I spotted several cow elk crossing the road ahead of me.

By the time I drove past that spot, they had moved deep into the woods. I couldn’t get a good photograph from the road.

I knew a nearby dirt road that refuge employees use for vehicle access. Visitors can walk it, so I decided to park and look for the cows on foot.

As I parked, I noticed a white-tailed doe feeding a short distance down the dirt road. I waited a few minutes as she fed and moved behind some brush.

I started walking, hoping to get a photograph of the doe. After a short distance, I spotted a bull elk, a cow, and a calf near her feeding spot.

I slipped behind a tree and began taking photos. The three elk appeared unaware of me at first.

Then the doe started blowing in my direction. I had lost track of her, but she had spotted me. The elk turned their attention toward my hiding place and stood watching.

Watching an Elk Calf Nursing

While I photographed the bull and cow, the calf walked over to the cow and began nursing. I hadn’t expected to see that after the doe had drawn their attention toward me.

For a couple of minutes, I photographed the calf nursing while the cow stood facing my direction. I had set out to find the cows crossing the road, and now I was watching this encounter.

I also recorded a video of the calf nursing and shared it on Facebook. You can watch the elk calf nursing.

The doe ran from the area, and the three elk walked into the brush. I stayed there and began hearing another bull bugling nearby.

His calls came from the opposite direction from where the first group had gone. He sounded as though he was moving toward me.

Waiting for Another Bugling Bull

I listened for a few minutes, trying to judge where the bull might come out of the brush. Then I chose a spot where I could hide and wait.

The wind was in my favor, and the sun was behind me. I had a place to photograph him if he stepped into view.

As his bugles grew closer, I watched the edge of the brush. He emerged and walked toward the spot where I had parked my truck.

I got a photograph before he passed behind more brush.

The bull walked past my truck, crossed the highway, and disappeared from view.

On another outing during this trip, I photographed elk in a different part of the refuge. I shared that encounter in A Day With Bugling Elk in the Wichita Mountains.

Photographing the nursing calf was the highlight of this morning. Hearing the second bull approach gave me another photo opportunity without needing to walk far from my first spot.