Elk are aslo called wapiti, a Native American word that means "light-colored deer". During the late summer breeding season the bugling of bull elk echoes through the mountains. These powerful animals strip the velvet off their new antlers using them in violent clashes that determine who gets to mate with whom. Males with the bigger antlers, typically older animals, usually win these battles.

This painting is up for an auction to raise funds for Mount Evans Home Health Care and Hospice in Evergreen, CO.