During the autumn rut, bull elk battle each other for dominance over a harem of cows. Their haunting, almost plaintive cry resonates from the mountainsides that enfold R
ocky Mountain valleys. At dusk, the animals emerge from the high country and the forests to tussle and to mate. When you see them, you marvel that such large, stately animals could utter such a high-pitched shriek. The bugling, the fighting and the mating go on at night, and as the sun rises, the animals begin retreating again and the valleys fall quite for the day.
ocky Mountain valleys. At dusk, the animals emerge from the high country and the forests to tussle and to mate. When you see them, you marvel that such large, stately animals could utter such a high-pitched shriek. The bugling, the fighting and the mating go on at night, and as the sun rises, the animals begin retreating again and the valleys fall quite for the day.For us, a drive to Rocky Mountain National Park is an easy destination for this annual spectacle. It think of it as an accessible wildlife experience, sort of like a "National Geographic Special" come to life. For us, coming from Boulder for an evening, the park's prime elk-viewing is Horseshoe Park, a huge, riparian meadow conveniently visible directly off US 34 not far from Estes Park. You can hear the bulls' eerie sound on the Rocky Mountain Drama website.
With no natural predators in or near the park, other than a few coyotes and hunters who take out animals that stray beyond the park boundaries, the elk population is enormous, so visitors are almost sure to view the herd in action. In fact, there are so many elk there now that the vegetation is suffering, the park service is embarking on a "management 
plan" to try balance a healthy, sustainable herd and the aspen and willow that they feed on.
plan" to try balance a healthy, sustainable herd and the aspen and willow that they feed on.Rangers who have to balance flora, fauna and visitors, but for us who love to see animals in the wild, elk encounters are thrilling, no matter how many times we have experienced them. In addition to Horseshoe Park, we have also seen/heard bugling in Moraine Park and Upper Beaver Meadows. And beginning in fall and continuing through the winter, we have seen elk right in Estes Park. If you're driving through, note that they don't always wait for the light or cross at crosswalks.
Other places offering such elk encounters include Glacier National Park, MT; Grand Teton National Park, WY; Wind Cave National Park, SD; Yellowstone National Park, WY/MT; and in Canada, Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, both in Alberta. There are of course, millions of acres of other public lands where elk abound, but so do hunters, so I'd rather direct you to places where you're more likely not to get shot.
Some years ago, while visiting along the coast of Maine, I heard the unmistakable sound of bugling elk. I thought I was hallucinating, but it turned out that I was near the Bayley Hill Elk & Deer Farm!
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