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Description

Title: Elk Bulls at the Hay Stack
Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
Description:
In January, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, two bull elk engage in a contest for dominance over a hay stack, their antlers locked in close proximity. Captured during the period when supplemental feeding draws the park’s elk herd to this location, the image depicts the raw intensity of their struggle within the winter landscape. The confrontation reveals the fundamental behavioral patterns of these animals as they establish hierarchy and secure access to a critical winter food source, demonstrating the persistent vitality of the elk population in its restored native habitat.