Absolutely insane action this past weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park with probably the second best elk battle I have ever seen.
A bull had gathered a harem of about 20 cows in a seemingly protected area. As I was photographing them, he seemed to become a bit agitated as if sensing something was amiss. Soon, a call from another bull came from behind me, clearly the reason for the stress. The contender descended the hill and the guardian went out to meet him.
Without hesitation, they clashed, going head-to-head with the sound of their antlers smashing into each other reverberating through the air. For four minutes the combatants went at it, pushing, shoving, driving one another’s head into the ground, dirt flying.
At one point, their antlers became locked and it seemed as if they might not get free. They did, however, and at that point, the contender decided the battle was too much for him. The defender remained the champion and kept his harem – until the next challenge.
I have the entire story captured from start to finish and will be sharing a video slideshow (with some actual video) later today. Be sure to check back!
