It is with great sadness we confirm the passing of Fred. For those who are not aware, Fred is quite possibly the most renowned elk in the history of Pa’s elk herd. Fred resided in the town of Benezette where for roughly 20 years he has been both a fixture in the communities yards and fields as well as on the field of battle with fellow dominant bulls.
Fred was by all accounts one of the most docile and approachable elk in the herd, evident by the many photos on the web of Fred with people only feet from him, but was also one of its fiercest battlers when the rut was in.
Those who saw Fred in action marveled at his power and grace in battle and even what appeared to be his use of strategy in battle. One such occurrence was filmed and documented Fred facing a stronger and more aggressive bull where Fred would consistently drive the larger bulls antlers down into the ground causing it to expend energy pushing against the ground instead of Fred. Had Fred not used this approach he would have been easily bested, but instead Fred won out the day and kept control of the herd when the other bull, exhausted, gave ground and retreated.
The legend of Fred will continue on despite his untimely passing on 1/7/10. Tribute to Fred can be left on his official FB page or on the Fred the elk Tribute Article on paelk.com.