Weighing in at almost 700 pounds, the North American elk exists as one of the largest deer species on earth. Part of the bull elk’s mating process consists of wallowing in a mud bath to coat themselves with urine “perfume”, all in the hopes that the scent will attract a mate. It is said by biologists that the Rocky Mountain West elk have the largest antlers of all subspecies. Their antlers are made of fast-growing bone that can grow as much as one inch in a day! The actual size of an elk’s antlers will depend on how much sunlight they are exposed to, as sunlight causes a boost in testosterone levels, causing the antlers to grow. But they are also one of the more fascinating ones as well. The antlers of an elk, only found on a bull elk, are one of the most distinctive characteristics of the elk. Amazingly the bull elk is whistling and roaring at the same time. Pay close attention when bull elk are bugling, you will see he is moving both his lips and his nostrils. But how do these bull elk actually make that haunting sound? The bugle reaches pitches that are far too high to be made by just the elk’s voice box. So, kick off Elktober and celebrate Elk Fest in Estes Park with these fascinating facts about elk.Įvery fall people in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park can hear the bull elks bugling in the low valleys of the Rockies. It is September in Estes Park and we all know what that means, Estes Park Elk Fest is just around the corner! Every fall, visitors can hear the haunting call of the bull elk in the Estes Valley for which the town of Estes Park celebrates with the Estes Park Elk Fest.
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