Show Time for Bull Elk

Autumn is "show time" for bull elk in the Colorado Rockies. September through October is the rutting season when mature bulls compete to gather a herd of cows and sire next season's calves. Beginning in late August, you may hear their bugling calls, a haunting sound beginning with a bellow and quickly sliding to a high pitched whistle. That whistle can carry a long distance through the forests and the elk with the loudest bugle can attract the most cows. Bugling is heard most often in early morning or late afternoon and evening. It is a wild sound and one that draws me (and many others) to the mountains to listen and watch this ancient spectacle.

Another name for elk is wapiti, an Indian word meaning white ghost. This name came from the elk's ability to slip quietly away through the forest when hunters approached, perhaps leaving them a only a glimpse of its white rump. North American elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) is a subspecies of red deer that originally came from Siberia/Alaska when the continents were joined in what is known as Beringia. That was about 12,000 years ago. Several variations occur in different parts of the continent. Rocky Mountain elk are larger than southern varieties, with males weighing in at 600-1000 lbs. and females at 450-650 lbs.

We Nearly Lost Them

Elk once lived all over the United States and Canada, but were hunted nearly to extinction in that period after the Civil War when market hunters slaughtered elk along with bison. Yellowstone Park was established in 1872, but there were no protective measures in place, so souvenir hunters and poachers had free rein. Thousands of elk skeletons were scattered around the Mammoth Hot Springs area. Then, General Phil Sheridan sent M Troop to control the Park.

While they had little real authority, this military presence literally guarding the borders against poachers helped protect the fragmented herds of bison and elk that survived. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt urged Congress to protect the elk, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks requested a ten year moratorium on elk hunting. Gradually, the tide turned and elk began a comeback. The Yellowstone herd became the source for reintroduction of elk all over the country, including in the mountains of Colorado.

Here Comes the Boss

One October evening, I saw in my car at the edge of one of the big meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park where elk gather every rutting season. About 30 cows and some calves were grazing, spread out over the meadow, and a bull raced around, bugling and trying to herd the cows toward the center of the open area. He was the only bull present - that is, until his bugle was answered from the forest on the hillside. This was a resounding bugle, followed by a series of deep grunts that advertised the huge chest of the animal that made them. Next came loud crashing sounds as the unseen elk beat the bushes and saplings with his antlers. Finally, the big bull trotted into the meadow. He was a magnificent animal with huge, perfectly shaped antlers and a very confident attitude. There was no contest. The smaller male quietly slipped away, leaving the herd bull to gather his cows.

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