Anyone that has been an Elk watcher down at Benezette has certainly had the pleasure of seeing Fred doing what he does best . What he did best was give great pleasure and excitement to the thousands that watched him and photographed him. He was an amazingly large animal that showed off a huge set of antlers year after year. Certainly there were lots of people that just looked at him as a huge bull and didn't look at him any differently than any other large bull. But for many of us he was much more than that. He was Fred, the Benezette Bull, Old 36 and lots of other names. We knew him as more than just another big bull as we watched for him year after year. He never failed to impress us.
Unfortunately we won't be seeing Fred anymore other than in our thoughts and in the many pictures we have accumulated over the years. Fred took a bad fall on the ice covering Trout Run this winter and due to his injuries and poor health he had to be put down. This was indeed a sad day for many. Fred had lived a long life somewhere in the range of 15-20 years. He's certainly fathered many a calf and has most likely been photographed many more times than any red carpet model could even dream of. He was Fred, Bull #36 and he will be missed.
After following Fred around the hills of Benezette for so many years Whoda' Thunk that someday we would be holding his enormous antlers in our arms. Trust me when I say they are enormous and heavy. Fred had to be a powerful creature to carry these around on the top of his head. After all of these years,,,,,,,WHODA' THUNK!!!
The nice lady (Jean) at the Visitor Center allowed us to hold Fred's antlers and collar. We lucked out because they were winding down for the evening and we were pretty much the only visitors. This was truly sad but yet so amazing to hold. We are watching a few big bulls that may be Freds replacement.
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