Memories of a king
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By RUTH MALAN
Standard-Examiner correspondent
Friendship with Elvis the elk inspires Idaho man
KAYSVILLE -- His black felt hat shaded his eyes as Larry Jones held the microphone and sang "A king came by one day."
Jones' life has changed since he made friends with a wild bull elk. He is no longer the avid elk hunter he once was, and he has come to respect and love the wild animals.
Jones and his wife, Debby, visited several senior centers in Utah last week, thrilling audiences with movies and songs of the seven-point elk that became his close friend.
The Idaho outdoorsman described it as a "really, really rare experience," when the bull elk showed up in his barnyard and became his friend.
Jones loved hunting big game in his home state. His favorite hunt was with bow and arrow, and he decided to write a book about hunting to share his love of the sport with others. But he came across a stumbling block as he neared the end of the story.
"I wrote the book, but didn't know what to do for the last chapter. I put the book on the shelf," Jones said.
Then one day he looked out into the yard and saw a starving bull elk. There was 5 feet of snow on the ground and the elk had no food. Jones began to feed the animal.
"I have a feeling about the elk I will never forget," Jones said. The elk, which Jones named Elvis because he was a king, came around Thanksgiving time and left in May. Jones worked with the elk until he had Elvis eating out of his hand -- literally.
"Elvis got me to writing songs and making movies," Jones said. "I had to film him to prove to friends and family."
Jones wrote the song "A King Came By" about his friendly elk. Then he wrote more songs. The elk returned again in November each year, and the third year he brought 25 cows and calves with him.
"That project ate a lot of hay," Jones said.
"In the beginning I didn't know if I could trust the big elk or if I could get him to trust me."
Jones reached over a wooden fence toward the elk with a handful of hay. It wasn't long before the elk came to the fence and ate the hay from Jones' hand. After doing it many times, one day the elk jumped the fence and walked right up to Jones, who had placed a camera on a post to film the elk.
Soon the elk became friends with each of Jones' dogs and with his horse.
"He made up to my dog, all four dogs became friends."
Before leaving that first year, Elvis came to the driveway and dropped his antlers side by side. It was as if he was thanking Jones for feeding him during the cold winter months.
"They shed (antlers) every March or April and they (antlers) grow right back," Jones said of the elk antlers. "It is rare they drop side by side."
But for two years, Elvis dropped his antlers on the driveway.
"It was apparent to us he was giving them to us," Jones said. "After four years he quit coming around and I figured someone had shot him or he died."
Jones explained that wild bull elk don't often live past four years because of hunters and fighting with other bull elk over the herd. It is a battle of the fittest.
After a couple of years of not seeing his friend, Jones gave up on ever seeing him again. And because of his friendship with Elvis, Jones could not hunt any more.
Then six years after last seeing Elvis, the fish and game wardens showed up on Jones' doorstep and said they had spotted an elk on a ridge they thought was Elvis. But Jones didn't think Elvis could have lived to be 15 years old.
Jones intertwined songs in his story, singing some he wrote and some from popular artists including, "Funny How Time Slips Away."
Jones and his wife couldn't believe it was Elvis on the south ridge, but they decided to see if they could find him. As Jones was sneaking around, he saw the old bull elk.
"He was standing there looking at me. I couldn't believe it was my old buddy," Jones said. And the elk tried to shed his antlers by scratching them on his back.
A couple of days later Elvis had shed his antlers and Jones was able to walk up to Elvis and touch his nose.
Seniors in the audience applauded as Jones showed the movies and sang for them.
"I love wildlife and videos. I was raised in Idaho. When we would go out camping, the bull elk bugle would wake us right up," said Thayle Byington, of Layton.
"I think it's terrific, all of it," said Thayle's wife, Jean Byington.
And Kaysville resident Keith Siggard enjoyed Jones' singing so much he bought 10 of his music CDs and gave them away to his senior friends.
This was the second time Jerry Putnam has seen Jones' show. "When I see how he loves the animals, it makes me cry," said Putnam, a former Kaysville resident who now lives in North Ogden.
Jones travels to senior centers throughout the area to do free presentations, but he also does shows at conventions and civic clubs all over the United States.
"This is the best thing I have run into," said Susan Hales, of Layton, as she had Jones autograph some of his books she had just purchased. "I spent my spare money," she said.
Debby Jones said it has been wonderful being able to travel with her husband the past three years.
"Elvis only trusted him. He wouldn't even come close to me," Debby said. She would hide in the barn to take movies of the huge wild animal.
"He would leave his herd and come and walk with Larry and the dog."
They saw Elvis on May 18, 2002, when he just walked away. Nobody ever saw him again. But now Larry could write the last chapter of his book. The chapter is all about Elvis.
Learn more by visiting www.elkwhisperer.com.
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This storey just tottaly made my day, it is so great to hear of people like him. Thank you so much for this
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