Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park’s north entrance is one of the few places where large elk are practically part of the town. Herds lounge on the lawns around Fort Yellowstone, cows stash calves under porches and in shrubbery, and in autumn the bugle of rutting bulls echoes between the historic red‑roofed buildings. This concentration of elk is not a coincidence — it reflects a blend of historical landscaping, geothermal microclimates, predator avoidance and th
