This brute was out in the mountains north of Missoula in the Lolo National Forest area. This was either very late September or early October. The Mission Mountains are in the background(and more specifically, the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness). This is one of my favorite places in the world. The past few years I have started to spend more time in the Lolo and Bitterroot area rather than Yellowstone to get away from what has become a “rat race” there. Too many people chasing animals with huge SUV’s and radios.

The Missions are amazingly scenic, rising 7,000 feet over the valley floor with no foothills. It’s a good spot for viewing elk and other wildlife – especially bighorn rams. To be honest, I’ve been shocked at all the wildlife I see in the area. Getting a good photo of the creatures is different task altogether. It’s never easy. This big bull elk only made himself available right at sunrise. Any more light than that, and off he went into the bushes for the entire day. It took me two days to get this shot.