A Christmas offering from Utah Division of Wildlife Report Christmas is a time for giving gifts to those you love. It is a time to think of meaningful mean-ingful events, gratitude and Joy. It is a period per-iod of the year when we stop to contemplate that which we have and that which we would like to accomplish. I was impressed recently, just a few short days before Christmas and the New Year, with something I'd like to share 1 something with which we should each be concerned and hold near to our outdoor hearts: The sun was just beginning to cast a hint of light on the eastern sky, highlighting highlight-ing the craggy peaks and casting shadows in the wooded draws as we climbed into our trucks and left camp. Our object was to photograph wildlife in northern Utah, near Hardware Ranch. A short half -hour tour on bumpy, rock- strewn roads took us to the middle elevations ele-vations and even that was surprising; travel was easy due to the mild winter and lack of snow. The early April -type weather was beautiful, crisp and invigorating, mild and pleasant. The outdoor scent filled my lungs. Rounding a corner, after climbing a brief upgrade in the hill, we looked into a small hidden valley and saw what could only be described as one of the most exciting, ex-citing, memorable, heart -touching views an outdoorsman could ask to see. There before us on the level spot among the peaks stood a herd of elk cows and calves whistling back and forth, young bulls . bugling in the early morning calm , the whole group nervously testing the air, sensing our presence. Shutters clicked as we attempted to record on film the magesty of those magnificent mag-nificent animals, living as they were intended intend-ed to live, in their natural setting among the rocky outcroppings spotted with mountain moun-tain meadows and aspen groves. The thrill of it all was gift enough to bring fulfillment to any nature -lover's heart. It was the very best kind of early Christmas Christ-mas present. It was also the inspiration for a New Year's resolution that could last a lifetime: May my efforts, however humble, be added to those that will maintain the rights and opportunities in future years for everyone to be inspired by the sight of magestic elk, high in Rocky Mountain meadows.