An elk herd enjoyed hay on a farm near Henefer, Utah. Photo: TownLift // Kevin Cody.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Driving I-80 near Henefer, it would be easy to miss with just a glance, but mixed in amongst the cows and horses on multiple farms are several herds of elk.
While it’s not uncommon to see large herds of elk on farmland, the farm off of Jeremy Ranch Road is a prime example. It is not particularly common to see them so close to cows and horses, even touching each other.
This winter’s high snowpack and seemingly never-ending snow storms have been rough on wildlife, leaving many food sources covered by snow. Finding well over a hundred elk making friends with horses and cows only adds to the evidence of their struggle.
Like many transplants to Utah, Kevin started his journey to Park City as a ski instructor in 2014 and fell in love with the mountains enough to stay. A skier since the age of 2 and a half, he still gets excited about carving turns down the slopes and hopping into the powder on snow days.
Kevin's passion for storytelling and photography led him to a second bachelor's degree focused on communications and fine art photography from the University of Utah. Paired with his first undergrad in ecology from Oklahoma State University, Kevin particularly enjoys writing environmental and nature stories. In his spare time, you can usually find him in his jeep looking for wildlife and landscapes to photograph.