Don't just see elk - understand elk

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Aside from the sight of the Grand Teton, the Snake River, and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, people travel to Jackson Hole to see our elk.

Perhaps you’ve seen one of the 13,000 animals that hang around this corner of Wyoming. They’re easy to spot, especially when there’s an elk-jam of rental cars clogging up the flow of daily traffic.

With so many elk around this time of year, they can be taken for granted by non-hunting locals who smirk at the tourists gaping at the 600-pound bulls we find commonplace. But when you stop and think about it, elk are a unique ungulate worth studying if only to learn more about what goes on in the pristine world that surrounds us all. There’s no need to watch Animal Planet.

Mid-September is the peak of the elk rut, the time when elk cows are in and out of estrus and the bulls are looking to mate.  Even as you read this article the rut is still in full swing with bulls bugling and showing off their stylish, sexy, symmetrical antlers to potential mates.

Elk have to eat constantly, especially bulls who need the energy to grow their antlers.  Antlers are one of the fastest growing substances on Earth, growing up to an inch a day.  At this time in the season, the dominant bulls – the older ones with larger, symmetrical racks – should already have their harem of cows.

It’s a stressful job to tend to all those ladies. Other bulls try to push in on the harem. One bull might be mating with a cow while another comes in and tries to mate with another member of his harem. On top of that, the bull has to constantly herd his ladies around. For a dominant bull during the rut, there is no time to eat – only time to mate. If he gets lazy, there’s another bull right in line willing to take his place. (Sound familiar?)

On any given evening during this time of year this activity can be seen and heard throughout the area.  Now is the time to grab a friend at dusk and head north to hear and see elk rutting and migrating on their way to the National Elk Refuge. All you have to do is stand or sit quietly at dusk in almost any open field or glade in Grand Teton National Park.  Two fine spots are White Grass Meadows, along the access road to the Death Canyon trailhead, and the Lupine Meadows parking area.

Bring a pair of binoculars – you never know how close you’ll be able to get – and some warm clothing and wait a few minutes. Chances are you’ll hear bulls bugling right away.  Then a bull, followed by a harem of females, may march out onto the field and begin to graze as if on cue. If you’ve ever seen a “royal elk” with a 12-point rack, there’s no better reason to be sitting out in a field at dusk.

For the past few weeks the Teton Science Schools has offered its “Evening with the Elk” program. The final program is designed specifically for Spanish-speaking families and will take place at 6 p.m. tonight. Vans with a translator leave from the Teton Literacy Program lot and head north.

But as cool as it is to go out with a trained guide, it’s easy to do yourself. The elk are out there waiting you. Go pay them a visit. After all, it’s free.

Courtesy Photo
Your place or mine, baby?

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Don't just see elk - understand elk | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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