It’s finally September here in Texas, and at this point my body is protesting the heat, and looking for any possible escape to cooler climates. The next stop for me: Estes Park later this month to spend several days in the mountains hiking around, exploring, and most importantly, photographing the once-a-year phenomenon known as the elk rut.
Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2023.
This is a trip I’ve done before, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of finding myself in this area during the middle part of September. As a matter of fact, this will be my 5th time to visit the park, and my 3rd time during the peak of the elk rut. For those that don’t know, the “rut” is the annual breeding period for the Rocky Mountain Elk, one of the most recognizable and majestic ungulates in North America. These animals, while huge and carrying massive antlers that seem to defy what should be possible for them to carry, can be incredibly difficult to find and photograph in most parts of the country, but Estes Park and nearby Rocky Mountain National Park may as well be elk Mecca for an outdoor photographer.
The rut, which is typically around mid-September to early October, helps make the animals even more accessible to humans, as the bulls begin to fight, bugle, and the mating season brings about heightened activity, plus the September weather is simply fantastic in the park.
If you’re thinking about making the trek to this area, I’ll start out with a few tips and a couple of warnings:
Number 1: Elk, and particularly bull elk during the rut are dangerous. The National Parks service recommends giving large non-predator animals like elk at least 25 yards of space. This isn’t an overly cautious range. Despite their size, elk are incredibly fast, and during the rut, a bull’s elevated hormone levels can make them unpredictable, territorial, and they do not care about your selfie that you’d like to get for Instagram. The antlers they carry can have tines that are like 2 foot long spears, and they will not hesitate to use them should they get undue pressure, or if they feel like you’re encroaching upon their space or their harem of cow elk. If you don’t believe me, just YouTube elk attacks to see idiot photographers or tourists getting trampled when they get too close or are unaware of their surroundings.
Two rutted up bulls clash in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Number 2: Expect near paparazzi levels of photographers to be around. At this point, everyone knows about the abundance and sheer size of the elk that call the Estes Park area home. The bulls there often carry names given to them by frequent visitors and locals who see them on a yearly basis, and they can achieve near celebrity status. As of the writing of this, the most famous bull in the area is commonly known as “Split 5” due to the recognizable splits on his antlers that make him easily recognizable from year to year. On my second trip to the park in 2019, I was able to have my first encounter with Split 5 while he was shedding his summer velvet, and since then he’s become one of the largest and most impressive bulls in the area. Previous bulls like “Bruno” also known as “Kahuna” and his offspring “KJ” are featured on popular instagram accounts everywhere. To the trained eye, you can see a photo of these elk and know exactly where the photographer was able to capture the photo. Don’t go to the park expecting a serene and peaceful experience with these “celebrity” status elk. There will likely be clogged roads, and rows of spectators and professional photographers surrounding these giants. They’re still very impressive, but just know what you’re getting yourself into when you plan your visit.
“KJ” from a few years back with a small group of cows.
Number 3: Read and understand the rules of the park when it comes to the elk rut. As the popularity of this and other National Parks has exploded since the pandemic, the Parks Service has instituted new rules that really curb the accessibility of these areas during particular times of the year. For Rocky Mountain National Park in particular, some of the main areas of the park that often contain these mega-bulls are on timed-entry permits, meaning you cannot just drive in whenever you please and expect to gain access. Additionally, the particular meadows that often hold herds of elk have closed times in which humans must stick to roads and pre-determined paths to allow for the elk to have space. These rules are understandable due to the rise in popularity, and like most rules, they were born out of folks abusing the accessibility that we used to enjoy, by pressuring the elk and causing general issues with pushing too close. Given that, expect there to be many times where you cannot get as close as you’d like to the elk, so bring a long telephoto lens if you’re a photographer, or binoculars if you are just there to take in the sights of the elk rut.
Maps are always helpful in finding your way around the park and understanding what parts are under timed entry permits or temporary closures. Rangers will give you a free phyiscal copy of the park map at the entrances.
Number 4: Know when to go. As I mentioned earlier, the peak elk rut happens in September, and begins to taper off into October as the temperatures get colder, and the snows begin to show up in the higher elevations. But on a more micro-level, there are times of day when you can expect to see heightened activity. Elk are diurnal creatures, meaning they have periods of activity that often coincide with dawn and dusk each day. The early mornings and late evenings give you your best chance of seeing the elk on their feet and engaging in rutting behavior, so get up early, and plan on a late dinner if you want to see peak action. Finding the celebrity bulls is often easy, just look for the crowds, and you’ll likely turn up a bull or two. If you want a more curated experience, there are companies such as “Good Bull Outdoors” that offer guided experiences where they will take you to the best spots to locate and experience bulls on a regular basis. Especially if you’re on limited time, or if you’re newer to exploring wildlife photography, this can be a great way to ensure that you’re able to have a great viewing experience.
A herd bull rounding up his cows in one of the park meadows.
Number 5: Bring the right gear. If you decide to take any sort of trip to the mountains (particularly in the spring and fall), be aware that weather can change rapidly. It’s not uncommon for massive temperature swings during September, where mornings could be in the 20s, and the afternoons could be in the 70s or 80s. Additionally, pop-up thunderstorms can often bring rain, hail, and wind unexpectedly, and you don’t want to be caught out there without proper layers and protection from the elements. My best recommendation would be to plan for rain at any moment, and always have a nice warm puffy jacket on-hand for cool temperatures. If you’re a photographer, plan on toughing out some nasty conditions to really get some great shots. One of my favorite photos involved standing in the rain for a couple of hours with an elk herd in front of me, and when the weather finally broke, I was rewarded with a rainbow in the valley, and a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Had I not had my rain jacket, a weather-sealed camera, and warm layers, there’s no way I would have been able to get the photograph. When in doubt, stick it out.
A herd of elk in Moraine Park with a rainbow shooting down the valley.
To conclude, if you’ve got the time and the desire for a little early fall adventure, definitely consider making a trip to the mountains to experience the elk rut. Estes and Rocky Mountain aren’t the only place that you can do this either. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Smoky Mountains, Glacier, Banff, and many other National and State Parks also have respectable elk herds and excellent photographic opportunities. Rocky Mountain might be the most well-known park for elk, but finding your own adventure can be its own reward as well.
If you can’t make it out to the park yourself, but want to bring some of this action to your own home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me about purchasing a print from my galleries. I can work with you on any custom sizing, materials, etc. Your support always helps grow my little photography endeavor, so I can keep on creating new images.