This handsome bull had himself a nice little harem in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday. Here, he had the ladies lined up and he was checking to see if any were ready for his overtures.

All was not going so great for him though. A younger bull was pressuring him and while the young one didn’t directly challenge the bigger one, the younger’s call was irresistible to some of the cows and he managed to siphon off four from the elder’s harem.

The young guy though wasn’t too practiced at the process as those four just kept on going to a third, older bull further away. A bit of a life lesson for the young gigolo – the ladies can be pretty fickle. 😉

September brings the changing of the color of leaves and for me, more notably, excursions to Colorado’s high country. Up there, the hormones are raging as the elk rut begins in earnest and the sound of bugling bulls is music to my ears.

This past weekend I initially struggled finding the big boys close enough to get good captures of but persistence paid off when I happened across the majestic 6 x 6 bull. He had himself a nice harem of a dozen or so cows and while some younger bulls lingered nearby, they weren’t any real competition for this guy.

As he moved the harem away from one of the interlopers, he held his head high, sniffing the air behind the females to determine if any were ready for mating. In doing so, he gave me this fantastic look.

Ah, yes, the sounds of fall with elk bugling as the rut ramps up. Very soon I will be up with these majestic creatures again. In the meantime, this is a shot from last year’s action.

This big boy had himself a nice little harem of a dozen cows but other bulls nearby were doing their best to lure the ladies away. Here, he bellows at the top of his lungs, warning potential competitors to back off.

You will notice that he took out his frustrations on the grass and is wearing the remnants. 😉

A scene that tells a story. Taken just outside the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, this young bull gave me a nice pose by a trail sign. Behind him, the evidence of the East Troublesome Fire provides a stark contrast.

While the elk were abundant last week and seemed to have plenty to graze on, the trees were burned and stripped of any signs of green. Those trees that provide much-needed shelter for a wide variety of wildlife from little birds to big mammals can no longer provide help.

While the animals will likely adapt or simply migrate to areas that were not burned, it will not be easy and it will be decades before these forests look like they did just last year at this same time

Jumping back to mid-September for this capture. The elk rut was in full swing with the males rounding up the females and keeping close watch on their harems. This handsome fellow had gathered himself a dozen cows but keeping them from straying was proving to be a challenge.

Two other bulls were nearby, doing their best to poach some of the cows. He, of course, was none too happy, constantly circling the group to try to keep them together and occasionally sounding off a warning. Here, he lets loose with a monstrous bugle, an unmistakable sound and one that I look forward to hearing again this fall.

This was a pleasant surprise. While checking out an open space area in the northern Colorado foothills last weekend, I happened across this herd of elk. The majority were cows but there were some younger bulls mixed in there as well. I was hoping they would come closer but it was not to be and they instead headed up over the hill and out of sight. Nevertheless, a fun thing to see and not something I often photograph in the winter.

Taken back at the end of September at the height of the rut, this big boy was just not having a good morning. He had a nice little harem going and thanks to some deft moves by a competitor, he suddenly found himself all alone.

He was undeterred though, holding his head high and looking for opportunities – here he paused briefly, giving me a great look. The bull soon headed off, disappearing into the forest. I thought, at that point, that the show was over but not two minutes later, a cow and her calf came running out of the trees with the regal bull right behind.

The day started as a loss for him but he stayed positive and persevered. Perhaps a lesson in there for us humans. 

Ah yes, it is a tale as old as time itself. Males competing for the love and attention of the fairer sex.

This handsome elk bull was not having a good morning. His small harem was stolen away by a competitor and he found himself going stag (pun intended!). He headed off into the forest and I assumed he was gone for a while. I made my way back to my vehicle when suddenly he emerged again, leading a cow and her calf, bellowing as he gave chase.

His persistence had paid off and he had a new target for his affection. Just another day in the life of an elk bull during the rut.