Snow can reveal the mysterious lives of critters in the night.

These tracks were made by elk. The tracks indicate that elk were zig-zagging through the snow, digging for vegetation buried beneath.

Unamused by barking dogs and wandering humans, elk keep their distance from populated areas during the day. In the night when all domestic life has fallen silent, elk will move closer to neighborhoods in search of food.

As the rumbles of dawn and human movement fill the air, elk quickly retreat.

By the morning, we are left with a story in snow: hungry elk looking for a midnight feast.

Learn more about National Elk Refuge in Wyoming: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/national_elk_refuge/

Photo taken at National Elk Refuge by Kari Cieszkiewicz/USFWS
Photo and story courtesy and copyright USFWS, published with permission.