The fall rut is nearing its peak as a bull elk watches over his harem on the western slopes of Rocky Mountain National Park. Nearby there are two younger bull elk lurking about wanting to compete for the harem however they bide their time on the fringes. Most likely not wanting to engage the larger bull in his prime.
The fall rut is an unusual time inside RMNP as bugling bull elk can be heard calling out to challenge other bull elk for the right to a harem. However shortly after the rut concludes the bull elk tend to gather as the cows will remain together in large groups until the spring when the pregnant cows will stray from the herd to give birth to their offspring. The mother with her new born will rejoin the herd within hours after the birth. They will move from the valley higher into the mountains as the spring turns to summer before retreating in the fall as the cycle begins anew. Truly a magical time inside Rocky Mountain National Park.
Elk Photo Gallery