Bill has volunteered on Friday afternoons for two years at Oak Creek Wildlife Area at the Elk Feeding Station. Last winter the elk were fed from December 21st through March 15th. This winter the weather has been mild and they didn't start feeding until February 10th. Bill drives the truck for the tours, shovels snow, answers questions and anything else that needs to be done.
Inside the Visitor Center, they have some informational displays and always a volunteer to answer questions.
The mounts are amazing. Lots of different species of wildlife are represented.
A former volunteer created this wagon complete with driver and tourists pulled by elk. This mounted fawn is a new display this year. A husband and wife from Cliffdell saw the fawn picked up by an eagle shortly after its birth. The fawn weighed about 7 pounds and the eagle was unable to carry it so it was dropped. The game department was called. They tried to help the fawn but they couldn't save its life. It's a sad but beautiful display of nature.
There haven't been very many big bulls at the feeding station this year. These pictures are the same bull. There were a few more earlier in the day but they had already left the area by the time Teri got there to take pictures.
Feeding time is 1:30 pm daily and the tours are scheduled for then. The trucks are taken among the elk so people can get good pictures. There are only a few collared elk in the herds. In the past, the elk have been collared for research purposes.
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