From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V3 #256 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Saturday, September 26 1998 Volume 03 : Number 256 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: Elk bugling adventure ["Beth Meyer" ] Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure [RThurF@aol.com] Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure [Tim_Dunn.JBA_HEATHROW.SPL_EXTERNAL@jba.] RE: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure ["Beth Meyer" ] Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure [CJMark@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 23:35:00 -0400 From: "Beth Meyer" Subject: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure Hi, folks; Well, this is totally off-topic, so I apologize in advance. But the folks on the list who are into biology might appreciate it. (If you're not at all interested in wildlife, you can stop reading now.) Since moving to the Boulder area this summer, Mark and I have had precious little time to explore -- between house-hunting, my having to prepare gobs of stuff for two different conferences on my evenings and weekends, and then my being sent out to strike duty for two weeks. But right now, the last couple of weeks in September, is a very special time at the Rocky Mountain National Park, which is about an hour's drive from Boulder. It's mating season for the elk. Even though I still have loads of work to do, we decided to take an evening, leave work a little early, and head up to see what we could see. Actually, more to the point, to hear what we could hear -- during mating season, the huge bull elk come down into the meadows in the evenings and attract females with their "bugling." This was just the most amazing experience. At first, we were on the main road and got to see what a fairly large number of other folks parked alongside the road were seeing. At some distance from the road (at least 300 feet/100 meters or so, but usually a lot farther), there would be a harem of some 15-20 elk cows shepherded by a magnificent bull elk. Every so often he would toss his head back -- huge rack of antlers and all -- and let loose with this eerie, high-pitched, siren-like whine. You would never believe that something that huge would create a sound that high and shrill. (If you want to hear a sample, check out http://www.io.com/~benton/fred.html for Fred the CyberElk.) The real treat, though, was going up a one-way dirt road that led high up into mountains, ending up at a road well above the treeline. Here, in the back woods where not many humans ventured, the elk were quite at home. In a small clearing with a babbling creek, we came across a smaller bull with a harem of only 2-3 cows -- while obviously younger than the huge bulls, he still did a most impressive job of staring us down (from a distance of only 50 feet or so). Farther up, just beyond the treeline, there was a big open pasture of tundra that was prime elk territory. This was the domain of a huge herd of elk cows, being fought over by at least 3-4 magnificent bulls. There was a car going a little way ahead of us, which suddenly slowed to a creep (not that you could go very fast on this road anyway). Then we saw why -- a huge bull standing in the road. As the car approached the bull -- very slowly, so the animal was in no danger -- the bull looked disdainfully at the car and then sauntered on across the road, right in the car's path. It was very clear who was going to stop for whom. Right after that, we drove alongside the same bull, so close that you could see his puffs of breath in the cold mountain air. Finally, the dirt road hooked up with the main road at a mountaintop just above this pasture. Looking down from the overlook, you could see the whole herd in action about 400 feet below. The multiple bulls were bugling furiously in what was clearly a heated competition, and those loud high blasts just rolled up the side of the mountain right to our ears. One bull finally let loose with a truly amazing call, starting with a low-pitched growl that crescendoed up to a long, high, piercing shriek. Then there was silence. We decided that he must have had the last word, got back in the car, and headed for home. Cheers, a most contented Beth Beth Meyer bethmeyer@mindspring.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 07:31:25 EDT From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure In a message dated 9/25/98 1:37:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bethmeyer@mindspring.com writes: << Every so often he would toss his head back -- huge rack of antlers and all -- and let loose with this eerie, high-pitched, siren-like whine. You would never believe that something that huge would create a sound that high and shrill. (If you want to hear a sample, check out http://www.io.com/~benton/fred.html for Fred the CyberElk.) >> I just listened to Fred! He has such a complex vioce with an amazing range. The undertones remind me of whalesong! Your trip sounded beautiful, Beth. You're lucky to live in range of such fantastic creatures. Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 12:49:13 +0100 From: Tim_Dunn.JBA_HEATHROW.SPL_EXTERNAL@jba.co.uk Subject: Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure If we were having a competition for "brilliant thread names", Beth would have just won! It'll have to go on my list of 'plausible album titles' the_copse ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 22:22:55 -0400 From: "Beth Meyer" Subject: RE: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure Hi, folks; >If we were having a competition for "brilliant thread names", Beth would >have just won! > >It'll have to go on my list of 'plausible album titles' Well, the observation cracked me up -- but actually, it wouldn't be totally inappropriate as an album title. When the multiple bulls in the herd above the treeline were all going at it at once, the results were really rather musical. (That must be what attracts the ladies. What a great system -- instead of physically fighting, the males have a musical competition, with the most accomplished musician walking away with the most females!) I just wish I'd had a tape recorder, so I could send the_copse and any of our other favorite musicians a tape of the chorus for inspiration. Yup, I can hear it now -- "Check out the critically acclaimed new album by the_copse, 'Elk Bugling Adventure,' on sale now at Blockbuster Music!" Beth Meyer bethmeyer@mindspring.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 00:58:53 EDT From: CJMark@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: Elk bugling adventure Beth.. It was good to hear about your Elk Bugling Adventure.. I appreciate you finding me online last night to tell me about it.. but as I said.. my computer was mishandling some AOL signals.. and I couldn't read what I was typing. It was quite difficult to continue.. Sorry.. !! It sounds like quite an experience.. though. One day perhaps I'll have a chance to experience it myself. Ciao for now.. Mark ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V3 #256 ***************************