That's a Lot of Bull!

Perhaps one of the most iconic animals of Rocky Mountain National Park is the North American Elk (cervus canadensis), also known as “wapiti.”

Cervus canadensis nelsoni

That word comes from the Shawnee and means “white rump.” They are a much larger relative of the deer family. Females are smaller and are referred to as “cows” and their young, usually born late May into June, are called “calves,” and weigh in at birth at about 30 lbs. They are spotted like fawns and lose their spots after a couple months. They are weaned within two months. Immature males are also referred to as “spikes” and will roam with the main herd for some time until reaching maturity. Fully grown males are mostly solitary (or roam with other males) until the mating season. The average elk consumes about 20 lbs of food each day feeding mostly on grasses and certain shrubs. The males, (called bulls) when mature, are magnificent creatures sporting a large, intimidating set of antlers, may weigh over a half ton and stand five feet tall at the shoulder. During the winter they drop their antlers and then grow a new set each spring into summer. During that time of growing, the antlers may increase in size as much as one inch per day. They are covered with a velvety skin which the males rub off once growing is complete. This is certainly not an animal to mess with.

We encountered this very mature and dominant male on a September day on Trail Ridge Road, high in the tundra. It was the beginning of the “rut” (mating) season. He had become separated from his “harem” by auto traffic and was seeking to cross the road to reach them. Distracted and intimidated by the vehicles, we saw an opportunity to photograph him. I hopped out of our truck while Carrie went to park it in a nearby pullout. The circumstances allowed me to approach him more closely and snap several shots with the evening sun about to set, casting a warm, yellow glow that turned his mane a rich rusty color and enhanced the tawny hide.

Photo taken 09/2019