Every September and October, it’s possible to walk a ridgeline and see (or hear) this amazing clash of titans play out. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to bull elk defending their territory and cows from intruding suitors. You mess with the bull, you get the horns. Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Don Jones Keep clicking through this gallery to see more photos of bull elk in action. With so much on the line, you can be sure another stir-crazy bull is waiting in the shadows for his chance at the title belt. Throughout the gallery we included the unbelievable stories of how 14 of these bulls were killed. Then on slides 22-40 you’ll find the top 20 nontypical bulls of all time. How long he’ll remain the boss man is anyone’s guess. On slides 2-21 you’ll find the top 20 typical bulls of all time. Browse 10,600+ elk head stock photos and images available, or search for elk head silhouette illustration or elk head mount to find more great stock photos and pictures. A bull elk that towers triumphantly over his opponent typically has the privilege of walking away with whatever lovely ladies are standing on the sidelines. It’s a competition for the right to breed. Don Jones To the victor belong the spoils. Some veterans even lock racks and starve to death or become so exhausted from battles, they never recover. Bulls lose an incredible amount of energy during a fight and sometimes suffer puncture wounds and other injuries from an opponent’s antlers. It’s a display of strength and dominance, but not without a cost. 15 Here are some more images from our trip to PA. Don Jones Like whitetail deer, bulls charge and lock horns with one another in an attempt to push and shove an opponent into retreat. However, get two equally aggressive bulls of similar size and mass in opposite corners, and it’s on like Donkey Kong. Younger, smaller bulls typically retreat if they’re outmatched. Transalation: “You want to holla at one of my girlfriends? Well, you have to come through me first.” Don Jones Responding bulls, or those that simply want to steal some lovin’ from their next-door neighbor, meet the challenge by displaying their antlers and body size to one another–a lot like two boxers sizing up the competition before the bell. To his brethren, it’s a warning that he’s the king of the castle and it’s wise to stay away. To cows it means a mud-covered Valentino is ready to party. Bugling and rubbing antlers on the trees, shrubs, and the ground mean two things. Don Jones This annual ritual involves gathering cows to breed, and with so much pent up love to share, a bull wants as many cows as he can get his hands on. By September and early October, testosterone levels are at their peak, just in time for the fall rut activity. But as the summer draws to a close and a bull’s antlers harden, testosterone reroutes itself back into his system. For the most part bulls are not aggressive during this period – all that “anger juice” is going toward building their headgear. Learn more about the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan.In the late spring and summer, bull elk use large amounts of testosterone to produce their antlers. The plan's goal is to maintain a more natural population of 600-800 elk in the park's low-elevation valleys during the winter. The current Elk and Vegetation Management Plan addresses these issues. The population grew to record high numbers in the late 1990's causing deterioration of vegetation and other wildlife communities. The resulting decrease in predators and hands-off management of elk hastened the recovery of Rocky's elk population. Around the same time, an all-out effort began to eliminate predators-including the gray wolf and the grizzly bear. In 19, before the national park's establishment, the Estes Valley Improvement Association and United States Forest Service transplanted 49 elk from Yellowstone National Park to this area. As Euro-Americans settled the Estes Valley, they hunted elk intensively, sending much of the meat to market in Denver. North American elk, or wapiti, were once plentifulin the Rocky Mountain National Park area. NPS History of Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park Elk from Yellowstone National Park were reintroduced to Rocky in 1913-1914.
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