Hi everyone-

I learned late yesterday that everyone's favorite bull elk from Yellowstone died in a freak accident earlier this week. Number 6 as he was know died in Gardiner, MT just outside the north entrance of the park on Sunday.

He apparently had been hanging out in the area of the Super 8 motel. Sometime during the night he jumped over a barbed wire fence and officials believe when he landed he somersaulted and landed upside down between two rocks, his large rack beneath him and suffocated. He was estimated to be about 15 years old.

A very sad way to go for such a large, and regal animal. He was probably the most well known elk in Yellowstone's history at least recent anyway.

#6 was well known for his large size, (about 750lbs) and his antics in the Mammoth area during the rut. Some people I'm sure do not share the love for #6 as one of his favorite things seemed to be chasing and attacking passing or parked vehicles.

On more than one occasion park officials removed his antlers to calm him down before the ruts end. He worked hard to keep his girls together and if you got in the way, well he let you know who was really in charge.

All in the name of love and gettin' a little...

I will certainly miss stopping in the Mammoth town area to watch #6 during the rut. It was always great to see him, hear him or hear stories of his antics.