Why Are the Elk Bugling?

Fall’s Wildest Sound in the Backcountry Wilderness Area

Photo Credit: Phil Swanson

We're seeing the signs that summer is fading in the Backcountry Wilderness Area. Cooler mornings. Shorter days. But there’s one sign that’s nearly impossible to miss: the bugle of a bull elk echoing across the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

If you’ve never heard an elk bugle before, it can stop you in your tracks. It starts low, climbs into a high-pitched whistle, and often ends with a series of deep grunts. And during September and early October, it’s one of the signature sounds of the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

But what exactly are the elk doing—and why does fall suddenly get so noisy?

Welcome to the Rut

Each fall, elk enter their breeding season, known as the rut. During this relatively short window, mature bull elk compete for the opportunity to breed with groups of female elk, called cows.

And this is where the bugling comes in.

A bull's bugle can serve several purposes. It announces his presence, helps maintain his group of cows, and sends a pretty clear message to competing bulls: I'm here.

As competition increases, so does the action. Bulls may gather and guard groups of cows, rake trees and shrubs with their antlers, wallow in mud, and challenge rival bulls. Occasionally, those challenges result in the dramatic antler-to-antler battles most people associate with the rut.

For those of us lucky enough to live alongside the Backcountry Wilderness Area, this incredible wildlife spectacle isn't happening hundreds of miles away in a national park: It's happening right here in Highlands Ranch.

A Herd on the Move

The Backcountry Wilderness Area is part of a much larger landscape elk use throughout the year. Their movements are influenced by the season, weather, available food and water, breeding activity, and human disturbance.

That's one of the reasons protecting large, connected areas of wildlife habitat matters so much.

Elk don't recognize property lines. They need room to move, places to feed, access to water, and areas where they can retreat from human activity—like when Wildcat Mountain closes from January to March each year for the herd to rest during the hardest winter months. Deliberate conservation is an important part of how we manage the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

How to Experience the Rut Responsibly

Seeing—or simply hearing—elk during the rut can be an unforgettable experience. But this is also an important and stressful time for the animals.

The best wildlife encounter is one that doesn't change the animal's behavior.

Keep your distance, stay on designated trails, keep dogs under control where permitted, and never approach a herd for a better photo. If an elk stops what it's doing because of your presence, you're too close.

If you want to see and hear this Call of Fall, join our naturalists for an Elk Bugling Hike right in the height of rut. This is a guided, off-trail hike to witness elk bugling in the Backcountry Wilderness Area that you’ll add to your annual fall calendar!