If you had to pick a single sound for the month of September in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, it most likely would be the bugle of Elk bulls. By the end of the month the rut is in full swing and the bulls are gathering their harems and protecting them at all costs.
The distinctive bugle of a bull can communicate a number of different messages including letting his harem know he is around, letting the cows know they are straying too far and making him unhappy or warning other bulls to keep their distance.
In the case of this series of pictures, this bull was making sure that two other bulls nearby knew he was standing guard over the ladies. He would race from one side of the harem to the other, sounding his warning as he went.
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