wapiti on 34.

These are the elk I see on 34 W. They are not wild elk because wild elk don't exist in Iowa anymore, they are farm elk. I looked at their website and this place they uses the elk's shed antlers to make chandeliers, chairs, lamps, and, hopefully, sweet knife handles. They also sell meat, I'd suggest an elk roast, very tasty but kinda dry if you're a bad cook like i am.

There's a secret in Ottumwa that this farm owns one serious bull elk...an elk with a rack so huge that it has its own special barn and the owners never let anyone see the big ol' wapiti (wapiti being another name for elk). I think they do this for publicity but who the fuck cares? Its nice to hear urban legends about giant elk that may or may not exist.

Yesterday, I finally had the chance to photograph them. Its been so grey and cold that the elk have not been coming to pasture. Yesterday was sunny and bright and all the bulls wanted to get some sun and play. I pulled over to the side of the road and snapped shots for ten minutes. These ones are nice because you can see how even the tiny elk have fabulous antler genetics. So many points on those tiny antlers. Makes me wonder if they have some red deer introduced into their bloodline. Who knows, this farm is known for keeping secrets.

"careful, its rutting season" -coach mcguirk, home movies