If you were to visit Beautiful Estes Park, CO
You would likely ask "Where are the Elk?"
Our elk can be found just about anywhere in the valley. Sightings are extremely common in our area. Elk have absolutely no fear of humans or our dogs, but they do respect our cars. They have no borders or boundaries. They can be seen, literally, anywhere in our area at any time of day.
On occasion, they can be seen in groups of 50-100 or more. During the rut (late August to early October), it is common to see harems with one majestic bull and 10-30 cows.
A little general information: during the winter, the elk have a winter coat of fur that can be unattractive, being quite matted or scruffy. By late spring, they lose their winter coat and display their beautiful summer coat.
A little information about the bulls: they drop their antlers every January through March and grow them back every March through June. The yearling males typically have just two spikes growing straight up. As the bulls age, the number of points on either side increases until the very senior bulls grow as many as eight points on each side. These bulls are referred to as Eight By Eight (8x8). Less senior bulls are typically 7x7 or 6x6.
The Rut. Come the rut in the fall, when the males start courting the females with their bugling, it is very common for the females (cows) to show interest only in bulls that are 6x6 or better. Bulls take this time VERY seriously. During this period, bulls can get into very physical disputes with other bulls over their females. An altercation might occur where one bull backs away as a 7x5.
Spring Calving. The females calve in the spring. A cow will tend to have a favorite spot that she likes to use each year. Once her baby has been born, she will stay very near her calf for a month or more. She will be very protective of her calf during this time. Visitors who intentionally or accidentally get too close during this period can be severely injured.
Caution. Elk are very large, powerful, wild animals. All visitors are seriously advised to maintain a very safe distance during the Rut (September +/-) and Calving (May +/-). The rest of the year, our elk can be very mellow and mostly just move away when visitors get too close, ... but not always!