elk in the sunlight

[elkohalic]

How many of you have watched elk follow the shadows in the morning all the way down into the dark timber? I have been sitting on high points as the sun come up and spotted elk way off above timberline.
I noticed that they will feed down the mountain with the sun light just behind them a few feet. When they get to an area where they have to cross, out of the shadows, they seem to get nervous and most general run to the next shady spot.
Is this just the tendencies of high pressure areas? It seems like they know I'm watching them sometimes, and I'm a mile or more away.

[N5J]

We've seen the same thing but we figured it was so they could keep cool. When we seen this It was always early in the season when it is hotter. We've also seen them out more in the sun light when it's colder (winter) sunning themselves to get as much heat as possible before dark.

N5J

James