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It's that time of year - the elk are bugling. I had a beautiful 7+7 bull elk at it all night outside my window. He might have gotten some - at one point he sounded like Forrest Gump imitating the noise his Mama and her lover made. Sure hope he finds his harem soon, though.

In addition to it being an incredible thing to hear at night it can be a little dangerous. Elk are not going to attack or mistake you for a female but the boys do get a little stupid when following the girls. They'll cross the road without looking both ways and can pose some problems.

Sooooo, if you're coming to Colorado be certain to watch for wildlife and brake for animals.

I was out up near Red Feather on the first day of bow season. I'm not a hunter, but I wandered around with my cousin who is. We saw a little herd, 7 cows and 3 bulls, one of them was probably about a 6x6, he stayed in back and never got within 80 yards. Some of the cows got pretty close, his friend took a shot at one. The two little bulls were sparing with each other.

The sound of a bugling bull elk is right up there with the sound of a desert coyote at sunrise. The emotional response that both those sounds create for me is amazing. It really is the cure for any sort of malady.

WHY THE HELL AM I IN AN OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!!

It's rutting season here at college too -- fraternity and sorority rush.

I only say that 'coz I'm jealous of all you in CO.

Franky wrote:The sound of a bugling bull elk is right up there with the sound of a desert coyote at sunrise. The emotional response that both those sounds create for me is amazing. It really is the cure for any sort of malady.

WHY THE HELL AM I IN AN OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!!

Franky, you'd have had shivers up and down your spine listening to my big guy last night. Literally every few minutes he'd let loose - sometimes he covered a wide range of highs and lows, sometimes it was just a bit more gutteral. Honestly, he was within a few yards of my windows, which I keep open all summer just to hear these guys, the red foxes, you name it. It's just so wild and raw and earthy. Hard to explain, but I agree with you about the deep response.

I saw him for a few minutes this morning as he stood on a rise looking over his territory. Talk about noble.

I was camped with Boy Scouts at Charon's Garden in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge of Oklahoma last October. About 3:30 a.m. a pair of elk on either side of our campsite started bugling, and kept it up until sunrise. It was way cool, especially for the boys who'd never experienced anything like that. The next morning the boys awoke and found themselves adjacent to a small bison herd that had wandered down to get a drink from a nearby pond. I hope that encourages each of those young men to have a greater appreciation for the natural wonders of our world, and to continue to explore it as they mature. --mark d.

MarthaP wrote:

Franky wrote:The sound of a bugling bull elk is right up there with the sound of a desert coyote at sunrise. The emotional response that both those sounds create for me is amazing. It really is the cure for any sort of malady.

WHY THE HELL AM I IN AN OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!!

Franky, you'd have had shivers up and down your spine listening to my big guy last night. Literally every few minutes he'd let loose - sometimes he covered a wide range of highs and lows, sometimes it was just a bit more gutteral. Honestly, he was within a few yards of my windows, which I keep open all summer just to hear these guys, the red foxes, you name it. It's just so wild and raw and earthy. Hard to explain, but I agree with you about the deep response.

I saw him for a few minutes this morning as he stood on a rise looking over his territory. Talk about noble.

Sounds great. I do miss wildlife when I wander around in The Sierra. The Rockies just feel so much more alive. Elk are my favorite though, Although I've never seen a grizzly in the wild. Moose are great too, one time in The Tetons, a big cow was standing right on the Death Canyon trail. Two parties and my own had to make a detour, because she wasn't moving for no stinkin' human.

I woke up in the Sangre De Christo once, after a night of rain and hail in mid June, and there were 3 elk walking around in the Meadow below our camp site, It was about 7am and I fired up the stove, sat on a damp log, and made some tea, watched them wander around. We hadn't seen another human in 2 weeks at that point. Sitting there peacefully alone next to such large, beautiful animals is really an experience. Probably an experience that everyone had at some point 400 years ago, that now so very few have. Thankfully, there are thousands of places in the west where one can do that.

The moose are looking for love here in Maine. It can get a bit interesting walking in the woods now. It would be nice to see an elk,though.

Gotta be careful around Bullwinkles. They're dumb and half-blind and smell bad.

Kinda like some of the guys I've dated.

MarthaP wrote:In addition to it being an incredible thing to hear at night it can be a little dangerous. Elk are not going to attack or mistake you for a female but the boys do get a little stupid when following the girls. They'll cross the road without looking both ways and can pose some problems.

I got run into by a buck a couple of years ago because of that same problem. The doe crossed the road in front of me, and the buck ran into the side of my car (I was moving about 40 when he hit me.) Never saw the buck coming since there was oncoming traffic (it was at night), and I was trying to avoid hitting the doe.

mconnell wrote:

MarthaP wrote:In addition to it being an incredible thing to hear at night it can be a little dangerous. Elk are not going to attack or mistake you for a female but the boys do get a little stupid when following the girls. They'll cross the road without looking both ways and can pose some problems.

I got run into by a buck a couple of years ago because of that same problem. The doe crossed the road in front of me, and the buck ran into the side of my car (I was moving about 40 when he hit me.) Never saw the buck coming since there was oncoming traffic (it was at night), and I was trying to avoid hitting the doe.

When I lived out in the woods in eastern Idaho, at 5:30 one morning I woke up to a loud SLAMMMM!!! against the side of my trailer: there was a horny bull moose outside strutting its stuff and apparently head butting everything in its path, accompanied by a cow and a calf.

Yeah, that woke me up, but I got some decent photos.

Where was this big guy you speak of... specifically. I'd love to uh....shoot him...er...shoot some photos of him.

why am i in school right now
30 years without a colorado grizzly today
im waiting for a sign

I was two cars behind an SUV that took out a beautiful bull elk on I-70 coming down through Mt. Vernon canyon this morning at around 5:30. What was left of the front of the auto was completely smashed in. Driver okay, drove to the side of the road, two cars stopped, sheriff on the Lookout Mountain overpass responded immediately. I didn't stop because I didn't want to hear the elk screaming.

Please, drive carefully, keep a close watch, and keep your high beams on!