Before the Storm

In artist Rod Frederick’s world, wildlife is another natural piece of his wide vistas, soaring trees and sky-scraping mountains. It is autumn in “Before the Storm” and the bull elks are at their prime from a summer of feeding. As the season shifts into winter, the bulls are called to rejoin the herds by the cooler nights and shorter days. Each bull collects his females on the way down to winter range, the numbers of his group limited only by his ability to defend his mating territory. “Although young bulls usually avoid confrontation, the meeting of two similarly-sized bulls is an undeniable call to establish dominance,” says Frederick. “A silent challenge passes between the two males, but the next move – and the outcome – is unpredictable.”