Elk Rut in Rocky Mountain National Park - Sept 2023

Captured an incredible moment in nature's grandeur! Spellbound, I filmed as a majestic bull elk surprised us, strolling nonchalantly across the road in Rocky Mountain National Park. You can see the sheer scale of this magnificent creature compared to my humble Mini Cooper at the video's end. Initially, the Rangers urgently urged us to retreat, but adhering to the age-old advice of stillness in the presence of such beings, I chose to stand my ground. Beneath the vast gaze of the elk, time seemed to stand still – a breathtaking encounter occurred and I stood in silence.

Background: Mating season for elk is called the rut. It happens annually in the fall and this video is taken in Rocky Mount national park near Grand Lake. The bull is the male and he fights off competitors for his herd of females which are called cows. This is an epic experience because this bull had heard it 60 females across the main road in the national park while simultaneously fighting two males. We could hear the action in the woods to the right in the video and he was pushing the females to the left into an open field for grazing. A once in a lifetime experience.
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