Approaching a bull elk during the fall rutting season ranks high among stupid human tricks in the Rockies.
Rutting season is the term used to describe the mating period for certain mammals, including deer, elk, and moose. The male elk, or bull, can become quite aggressive during ‘the rut.’
The elk rut lasts from mid-August to mid-October. This is their breeding season, and male elks can become highly aggressive in defending their ‘harems’ of female (cow) elk.
Get between a bull elk and his cows, and you might just end up ‘horny’ as well – but not in a good way.
The Rocky Mountain elk, which we often see grazing peacefully in summer around Banff, Jasper, and other mountain towns, is one of six elk subspecies in North America (two are now extinct).
They have the largest antlers of any of the elk species.
A bull elk can weigh up to 700 pounds, stand five feet at the shoulders and measure eight feet from nose to tail.
The last thing you want is one of these mighty animals coming at you with hoofs and antlers a’ blazing.
Big, Powerful and Sometimes Scary
Elk might look passive, but in the rut, they are potentially dangerous when focused on reproducing and protecting their harem of cows and calves.
Body language speaks volumes with these ungulates. If a cow wanders away from the harem, the bull stretches his neck low and tips up his nose while tilting his antlers and circling the wandering cow.
An agitated elk holds his head high, flares his nostrils, and lays his ears back while sometimes stomping the ground with its front hooves. Check out this video showing these behaviours and a man who ignores them at his peril.
It’s best to see this behaviour only if you’re sitting in the recliner with a cold one and watching Animal Planet. Or at least in your car when in the parks. Even then, if your vehicle ends up between the bull and his harem, you could have an insurance claim in your future. Bull elk have been known to bang into cars with their antlers while protecting their harems – check out this video if you don’t believe that can happen!
That’s why visiting the mountain parks during fall means being extra cautious around elk and allowing these beautiful animals to get it on just as nature intended.
The Dos and Don’ts
To prevent you from being featured on FailArmy on YouTube, or worse, the Darwin Awards follow the guidelines below:
- Stay at least 30 metres away from all elk and never get between males and females.
- Don’t park your vehicle between males and females; elk have been known to charge vehicles.
- When hiking, travel in a group.
- If you see elk, detour around them on the uphill side if possible.
- Keep dogs leashed at all times.
- Elks will get aggressive when they see unleashed dogs as predators.
- Carry pepper spray, a walking stick or an umbrella as protection.
- If an elk gets too close, raise your arms and wave a jacket, walking stick, or something else to make yourself appear more prominent. Maintain eye contact, and never turn your back or run. Climb a tree or keep an object, like a tree or large rock, between you and the elk.
- When safe, back slowly out of the area.
Call Parks Canada dispatch at 403-762-1470 to report any elk encounters and warn other hikers.
