Who is KJ?
Kahuna Junior (KJ) is a Legacy…Possibly
Who is KJ? KJ is Kahuna Junior. KJ is a legacy…possibly. KJ is dynamic with his huge curved antlers, large third tines, and slight twist on the left third tine, with antlers almost identical to Kahuna’s.
What’s the history of KJ? First, let’s look at the history of Kahuna, the famous bull elk known as the King of Moraine. He was active for many years, recognizable by his magnificent antlers, and dynamic both in size and bellowing bugle. Kahuna was well known by those following and photographing the elk rut in RMNP.
One of my first and favorite images of Kahuna was taken on September 8, 2020. It was a snowy evening, an early season dusting of white covering the still green grasses. I was in Moraine Park when I saw a massive bull elk striding across the meadow toward Bear Lake Road. So impressive, I picked up my camera, focused out the open window, and captured a shot of Kahuna striding away as the snow began to blanket his coat. Today, I still appreciate that image.
Then I drove back onto Bear Lake Road to get in front of the King of Moraine. I watched him striding toward another large bull and his harem of twenty cows, all resting as snow fell around them. When the other bull realized which elk was coming, he stood and watched Kahuna moving toward him. Instead of challenging the King, the other elk turned, walked away, and left his harem of cow elk to the dominant bull. It was an impressive display of respect and fear.
During the rut of 2021, Kahuna was challenged by another massive bull elk. As they skirmished, one of the other elk’s tines penetrated Kahuna’s shoulder breaking off in the King’s body. A few days later, I went looking for Kahuna only to find him alone and injured having retreated from rut activity. Watching him was a sad vision of the king.
In March 2022, Kahuna’s remains were found, having succumbed to his injury and the harsh RMNP winter weather.
During the rut of 2022, I was photographing elk in Moraine Park when I saw Kahuna, or an elk I thought was Kahuna. How could it be? Kahuna’s death had been well documented. As I watched the impressive elk, his body was not as thick as Kahuna’s but his antlers were nearly identical. Large, rounding inward with huge third tines and a slight twist on the left third tine.
That night, I put comparison images of Kahuna and this new elk on the Facebook page RMNPhotographer-Estes Park. It was nearly impossible to tell the difference. I wrote a caption something like, “I don’t know if this is Kahuna’s son, but they are so similar I’m going to call him KJ for Kahuna Junior.”
The name stuck, and that fall KJ was the most sought after elk as photographers swarmed to capture his picture. Then, sometime in the middle of September, KJ and another large elk were in a terrific battle for KJ’s harem. The battle went on in a vicious display of power, cameras capturing the dynamic, unrelenting beasts as they fought heads down, antlers locked, and the power of their legs driving into each other.
In the end, KJ had a slight cut on his lip, sweat straining over his brown coat as he retreated, having lost his harem to another.
I have heard reports of KJ since that time. Each year during the rut, people speak of him, but I have not seen him since that fateful battle in 2022.
Until…maybe…recently. I heard photographers talking about KJ, yet I did not believe it was him. Then I captured photographs of such an elk. He is big and bold with large antlers curving in. His third tines are larger than typical, yet not as large as Kahuna’s. Still, there is a slight twist at the tip of the left third tine.
He looks very similar to KJ, certainly with characteristics of Kahuna. Is he KJ or another bull elk that may have been fathered by Kahuna the King?
I am not a wildlife biologist or a national park expert on elk heredity who can give a definitive answer. I am an enthusiastic photographer and writer with a bit of a romantic flair. And as I romanticise about Kahuna and KJ, I want to believe. I love to believe that KJ or another of Kahuna’s offspring may be active during a rut that was once dominated by his father.
