Elk Rut! Estes Park CO and RMNP. Watch the bulls protect their harems!

Every September we go to Rocky Mountain National Park to watch the elk rut. Every year some bulls are also in Estes Park and are commonly found on the golf course downtown. The elk are most active during the hours of dawn and dusk. This video was taken on 9-20-2026 between the hours of 3 pm-7 pm. I apologize ahead of time for the video quality. The distance, background noises, wind, and the sun/clouds were not cooperating! :) The rut is an annual mating event that usually happens in early September to mid-October. It's very interesting and entertaining to watch the elk bulls herd up their cows (called harems) and try to keep them from other bulls. There are many younger bulls and lone bulls trying to make their own harems. If you're lucky, you can see two bulls spar to try and win the females. The bugling they do echoes through the mountains and is quite exciting to hear and makes you wonder if a bull is on his way, trying to attract cows, or trying to ward off other bulls. We definitely recommend seeing the elk rut at least once to see this annual event in person and experience first-hand how amazing nature is! Thanks for watching! If you like our videos, please consider subscribing, liking or commenting! Jeff & Tammy #elk #elkrut #rockymountainnationalpark #rmnp #estes #estespark #colorado #bugling #elkphotography #rut