An Oregon mystery: The dead elk of No Name Lake

by Mark Furman

Tue, August 14th 2018, 12:32 AM UTC

Hikers recently reported seeing some dead elk above No Name Lake near Broken Top in the Centeral Oregon Cascades. So wildlife biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined a U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger on a trip to investigate. "What they found," ODFW said Monday afternoon, "defied explanation." (ODFW)

{p}The biologists counted 19 dead elk, including bulls, cows and calves. The carcasses had been exposed by melting snow. (ODFW){/p}{p}{/p}

"What was evident was that the elk had at some point in the past, been covered up by a large wet slab avalanche as they attempted to cross a steep area just above where they were spotted," ODFW said in a report. "It was evident their bodies had suffered a lot of trauma in the avalanche, including broken limbs, antlers and torn up hides. But they were otherwise perfectly preserved under the heavy snow and ice until fast-melting snow revealed them to hikers about a week ago." (ODFW)

VIEW ALL PHOTOS

Hikers recently reported seeing some dead elk above No Name Lake near Broken Top in the Centeral Oregon Cascades. So wildlife biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined a U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger on a trip to investigate. "What they found," ODFW said Monday afternoon, "defied explanation." (ODFW)

Loading ...