The last three days of my stay focused on Wichita Mountains wildlife photography, with most of my time spent photographing White-tailed Deer and elk. One of those days was devoted to breaking camp and preparing to head home, but the remaining time was filled with wildlife encounters that made the trip worth it.
Elk Encounters at Wichita Mountains
On one of these days, I was driving over a hill when several cow elk suddenly darted across the road in front of me. Knowing how these things work, I figured a bull elk would soon follow. I parked my truck, got ready, and sure enough, a bull stepped out from behind a large boulder. It was trailing the cows, just as I suspected. I quickly grabbed a photo of the bull as it prepared to cross the road. If you zoom in, you’ll notice the elk had unusually long chin hairs, which was a cool detail to capture.
Later that morning, in the far southwest corner of the refuge, I could hear multiple bull elk bugling in the trees north of the road. I parked, listened carefully, and guessed there were at least three of them. Eventually, one bull emerged from the trees and wandered into a nearby field to feed. The others stayed hidden, their bugling echoing through the woods. I waited nearly an hour, hoping more would step out, but after a while, the bugling faded as they moved further away.
Later in the day, I spotted another bull elk making its way up a steep bank from a lake. It appeared to be heading toward a small group of cow elk that were nearby. I suspect the herd had been spooked by some hikers that I saw in the area.
White-tailed Deer Photography in the Wichita Mountains
Of course, my time wasn’t only about elk. I saw plenty of White-tailed Deer, too, and captured some nice close-up shots of a doe and her fawn. The fawn’s spots were almost completely faded by this time. A few deer encounters really stood out to me over those last two days. I photographed a large buck followed closely by a doe. I spotted the same pair twice, and each time the doe was trailing the buck, which struck me as odd. Usually, it’s the bucks following the does, especially since does typically avoid bucks this time of year. Another memorable sighting was a young buck with a broken ear. The ear hung down as if the buck couldn’t move it, and it still had its antlers covered in velvet.
Photographing Other Wildlife in the Refuge
In addition to the deer and elk, I came across a lone Tom Turkey catching and eating grasshoppers in a field. Watching the turkey hunt was fascinating, and I was lucky enough to get a photo of him checking the area out.
Before leaving, I photographed a frog, a fitting final shot for my trip. It seemed like a small but meaningful way to wrap up my wildlife adventure at the refuge.
Overall, my trip to both Black Mesa State Park and Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma was a fantastic experience. I’m happy with the photos I captured and can’t wait for my next adventure. I’m planning to head to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas soon to photograph elk during the rut.
If you’d like to follow the full progression of my time at the Wichita Mountains, these posts document each day of the trip.
- Egg-Laying Dragonflies and Elk Feeding at Wichita Mountains
- Wildlife Moments: Days 7 & 8 at Wichita Mountains
- Day 6: Elk Bugling and Wildlife Surprises at Wichita Mountains
- Day 5 at Wichita Mountains: Elk, Roadrunners, and a Green Heron
- Unexpected Wildlife on Day 4: Elk in Water and a Porcupine
- Day 3 at Wichita Mountains: Roadrunners and White-Tailed Deer
- Morning Elk Bugles and Wildlife Wonders at Wichita Mountains
- Day 1 at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
Thank you for all the pictures and commentary. Wildlife is so amazing! Always loved to go into the woods and sit. You never know what you may see!
Thanks for sharing the great photos.