One of our readers pointed us in a direction which helped fill in the missing information, here it is.

David Dole of New York was archery hunting in Colorado this past season when he came upon the elk's antlers sticking out of the wallow. After he returned home he was on a bowhunting chat forum and discribed what he had found. John Legnard (pictured with the measuring pole) from Colorado saw David's messages and knew the area. Via e-mail David sent John the directions and John went to the location with some friends and found the elk. John and his friends took pictures and pulled the elk from the wallow.

The same chat forum contained lots of speculation of what might have happened to the elk. Frank Springer, who had forwarded the elk pictures to us, gave his theory which we think just might be the answer. It is:

"If you had ever walked through a marshy piece of ground and hit a 'bottomless' area where the underlay becomes 'milky' with a little movement, you could come to the logical conclusion very easily. This bull simply 'worked' himself into a hole he could not get out of, and eventually died from exhaustion and exposure (hypothermia). I'd bet the farm on that conclusion."