Elk Rut Comes in Early September

This video shows common elk rutting behavior where a bull elk will do several things to mark his territory.

First, the elk will bugle or call to let the other bull elk in the area know that he is in charge. Bugling also allows females and other elk to know where a dominant bull is.

Bull elk and cow elk will respond to this calling and will often move towards it. Cow elk will respond to the bugling bull with mewing sounds which in turn will call in Bull elk.

The next thing a bull elk will do is mark himself and the surrounding area by urinating all over his belly and neck (as shown in the above clip). This allows other elk including the females know he is ready to mate.

Cow elk also can have a very strong urine smell that will attract the bull elk in the area. The bull elk can smell when a cow elk is ready bread. The bulls will also chase a herd of cows around breeding and defending them from other bulls.

Elk Rutting Season

The elk rut starts in early September and peaks over the next two or three weeks. Going to the mountains at this time of the year you can run into bugling bulls and possibly call them in with an elk call.

Cold Weather

September is the start of the fall and the end of summer. The warm days can creep into September and can slow the elk rut down.

This year the warm weather was super hot, but there was a rainstorm/snowstorm that came through that dropped the temperature 50 to 70 degrees. I think some places even got an early freeze.

Weather like this seems to fire off the rut and the elk really get going. So if you are looking to go out and hunt or see the elk rutting, when the temperature drops the elk will be rutting more, and be easier to find.

Elk Wallows

A good place to find elk during the rut is at wallows or small ponds. When a bull elk is rutting you will notice that the elk may be all muddy.

Wallows are one of the elk’s favorite places to go when they get too hot from all of that breeding activity. Elk will turn a nice little stream or pond into a mud hole and will roll around in them.

Wallows can also spread the urine or other smells all around their body and make them smell more attractive. So when you see an elk covered in mud you know what he has been up too.

Elk Calls and Gear to Use During The Rut

Elk Rut Locations

Elk Rut in Colorado

Elk Rut in East Park
Elk Rut in Utah
Elk Rut in Montana

Elk Rut in Yellowstone

Bull Elk Hiss At Eachother Displaying Dominance

Why do elk hiss? Elk will hiss at each other to show they are the dominate. The elk we have observed are often displaying to other bulls near by that they are the dominate bull. Cow elk have also been known to make this sound as well.

The sound is made by lifting the front lip and then breathing out very hard. This breathing causes a hissing sound and is one of the common rutting sounds. To see elk producing this sound you must be in very close proximity to the elk, because this call is quite compared to a bugle.