The Legacy of Kahuna
Kahuna was the King of Moraine
Kahuna was the “King of Moraine," the most dynamic bull elk in Rocky Mountain National Park in recent memory. Photographing Kahuna was a joy, not only because of his significant power, but the beauty of his unique antlers.
Kahuna’s specific antlers included incredibly long tines. Most impressive was the unusually long third tines, the twist at the top of one tine, and the way his antlers showed an impressive curvature. It is these distinct features that have created Kahuna’s legacy.
Since Kahuna’s death in March 2022, likely contributed to by a battle with another bull during the rut of 2021, there have been multiple elk that have shown these antler characteristics.
Kahuna was first named by area photographer Fred McClanahan Jr., and a year after Kahuna’s death, another elk with nearly identical features in his exceptional antlers appeared in Moraine Park during the rut. I remember photographing the 2022 elk, placing images of that elk and Kahuna side-by-side on Facebook. Because it was difficult to distinguish the two apart, I began calling him Kahuna Junior or KJ. The name caught on and KJ became a feature of the 2022 rut.
This year, Kahuna’s legacy appears to have continued. Two impressive elk have been bugling in Moraine Park, both with antler characteristics similar to Kahuna’s. One, with his antlers towering upward, shared a third tine with a twist at the top. The second, nicknamed K2 or Kahuna the second, has incredibly dynamic antlers. They lift upward, curving inward, have extra long tines, especially the third tines, and, of course, there is a twist at the top of one.
Photographing K2, I was in awe of his size, his extraordinary antlers, and the common characteristic of Kahuna. Of course, with only an optical comparison, there is no way to verify if either elk is part of Kahuna’s legacy. But visually, they have similar distinct characteristics. Knowing Kahuna’s dominance during the rut, it’s hard not to believe these elk are part of Kahuna’s legacy.
Plus, I’d like to believe they are.
I remember my favorite story about Kahuna. It was a snowy fall day on September 8, 2020, and I was driving on the road in Moraine Park. That’s when I saw Kahuna walking away from me, his head covered in snow, a lone tree adding to the impressive image. Lifting my camera, I pointed out the window capturing Kahuna moving away as he strode across the meadow. It is still one of my favorite images.
The rest of the story is as Kahuna moved on across the meadow, he approached another bull with a large harem of cow elk. The other bull, seeing the “King of Moraine” approaching, simply stood and walked away leaving his entire harem to the royal elk.
Learning of Kahuna’s death eighteen months later, I was saddened to know that his dynasty had come to a tragic end. The next September, my heart was warmed with the appearance of KJ. He was a beautifully powerful elk in the spirit and image of his father. While his body was not yet as thick and bold, his antlers were nearly identical to Kahuna’s.
This fall, I was again reminded of Kahuna, first seeing a bull elk with impressive tines. With the tall third tine, there was the familiar twist at the top, and his other tines were equally impressive to Kahuna’s. Some are calling him KJ, but his third tines do not seem as long as KJ’s, so I prefer to call him Kuhuna III.
Then I photographed K2. Oh my, his antlers were incredible. So much like Kahuna’s, they may have been even thicker, wider, and more dynamic with those imposing third tines, one with a twist at the top. Plus, he had that deep, powerful bugle exploding outward over Moraine Park just like the King of Moraine had sent his message during the rut.
I like to believe KJ, Kahuna III, and K2 share similar antlers that are distinctive enough to believe they are Kahuna’s offspring, a part of Kahuna’s legacy. They are all dynamic elk, all have distinctive antlers, and each has exceptionally long third tines, one with a twist at the top.
Knowing Kahuna’s dominance throughout the years, these elk are likely part of that legacy, and I have no doubt there are many more of his offspring out there. Kahuna may have left us in March of 2022, but he also left a legacy of elk. Many are bulls that share his antler characteristics and impressive persistence during the rut.
They very well could be Kahuna offspring, the King of Moraine’s legacy.
