the elk of stallion springs california

I don’t fancy myself much of a nature photographer. I always was interested in photographing what I found the most interesting animals, human beings, while leaving the animal kingdom to others that do it better than I. I made an exception when it came to the elk I frequently encountered in Stallion Springs, California; which is the home of Woodward West skate camp. Stallion Springs is in the desert highlands outside of Tehachapi. While only 120 miles from the heart of Los Angeles, it is like being on another planet. Stallion Springs occupies this strange part of California, not quite Southern California, definitely not Central California, and close but not really part of California Central Valley that extends north from nearby Bakersfield.

Ever since I started visiting Stallion Springs, these giant elk have been part of the landscape. Sometimes more visible than others, these beasts seem to always be lurking nearby, you sometimes just have to search a bit to find them. I’ve heard multiple different stories on how the elk ended up here, ranging from a government program to introduce elk to the area to a group of elk that escaped from Tejon Ranch just over the hills. Regardless of the origin, they are now part of the community and seem barely bothered by the curious passers by.

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