Writers on the Range: Please Don't Pet the Wildlife

“I can’t believe that person is getting that close.”

Just off the road stands a bull elk — a 700-pound animal with three-foot tall antlers — and a woman is standing not even four feet away from it. All it would take is for the elk to make one sudden swing of its head and the woman would be hospitalized.

“Here we go again,” I say, rolling my eyes. Then I hop out of the van, instructing my clients to wait here while I try to handle the situation.

I work as a privately contracted guide to lead visitors on wildlife and geology tours of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Leaning on my wild...