The famous bull, Bruno bugling so all the females can hear him!

Elk mating season lasts from the end of August through October and the official name for elk mating is rutting. We were excited to be at Estes Park for their big elk rut.

The male elk are called bulls, the females are cows and their young are calves. When a big herd breaks up into smaller groups of cows and calves, they’re called harems. The cows come into estrus (heat) only every 20 days, so as soon as a cow is ready to mate, the bull has to be ready. Cows can have up to four estrus cycles each season, but most cows become pregnant during the first or second cycle.

The Bulls Get Ready

When we explored Trail Ridge Road last month, we came upon a herd of bulls. They had impressive antlers so I had to stop to capture their beauty. The bulls and the cows segregate until the rut season. I couldn’t wait to try to capture that from a safe distance.

The elk had been abundant near our campground at the beginning, but as the summer went on they headed higher up the mountains to escape the heat. It was neat to see them again.

As always, I had my long lens. Then I cropped the image so you could see the subject easily. I took these images through my truck window.

The boys were hanging out together at a high elevation. Their antlers still had their velvet on it. They were fattening themselves up to get ready for the rut season.

I had to laugh because a random robin was hopping around and wanted her picture taken, too. I didn't expect to see a robin up in the mountains with the temps around 45 degrees.

Then the other night, we went to check out the beginnings of the elk rut at Rocky Mountain National Park. We came face to face with the second-largest bull elk in the park, Bruno. He is 7 feet by 8 feet with his antlers. In the image of Bruno grazing, you can see how massive his neck is, which is what it takes to hold up those beautiful antlers.

To get ready for a rut, bulls use their scent to attract females. They bugle and rub their antlers on trees and on the ground. We saw Bruno doing this. He was chasing the females around and showing them who's boss. I was hoping to see the bull elks clash and defend their harem. I felt so grateful to witness this annual passage.

A few days later we got up before sunrise to go elk ‘hunting’ in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was exciting to hear the elk talk and the bull elk’s bugle. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a great shot of Bruno like I did before but it was still amazing to be among nature.

Just to get up that early and be a part of the mountain's morning ritual was spectacular. We got to see purple mountains! So much to see and do and we only have a month left here.

I love the bird flying over Bruno’s head in the lower right image as he was bugling.

Bugling and Chasing Females

The next day we woke up early again and made it to the Rocky Mountain National Park to see Bruno and his herd. Since it was a Saturday morning, there were a lot more photographers out. Come to find out, these wildlife photographers have 100,000 - 200,000 followers. I was hanging out with the BIG boys and girls!

Bruno did not disappoint. Bruno and his harem were hanging out in the meadow. As you can see the grass is really tall and all I could think of was how grateful I was that there aren't snakes at this high an elevation!

Bruno bugled and chased his herd around and kept them on their toes. One image is very cool because his antlers are aligned AND I caught a bird flying above his head, going in the same direction.

While we were watching Bruno, we saw other interesting elk behavior. There were some young bulls who were being tolerated by Bruno, but I’m sure it’s not for long. There isn’t really a place for adolescent males in an elk rut. These young bulls were practicing their antler skills. The young cows were standing on their back legs and striking out playfully at each other with their front hooves. It was such a magical morning. I couldn’t wait to go again.

Bruno’s Tribulations

The bugling and showing off their antlers and even the fighting between bulls are a show of strength. The bulls size each other up, but it’s not a fight to the death. In fact, a younger or smaller bull will retreat instead of fight. Still, they can get hurt if they fall while their antlers clash together.

We were rooting for Bruno all along, but sadly, there was a day when Bruno, AKA The Big Kahuna, showed up with only two cows and he was limping. Since we had started watching him, Bruno had had about 50 cows in his harem. A ranger shared that a bull will leave the elk rut with 30-50 jabs from the other guy's antlers. Pretty brutal. I feel bad for Bruno and hope he recovers quickly and wins back his harem.

Nature can be tough, but she gives second chances. We’re rooting for The Big Kahuna to make a big comeback!

End Note:

I found the week of March 22, 2022, that Bruno died due to a mountain lion getting him. He was still limping from his injury and he was underweight which made him easy prey for such a stealthy hunter. I’m so sad that he didn’t make it. I also learned that Estes Park is going to build him a memorial.

Mule deer were also very present in the area. These fawns were very alert and visited our campground daily.

We woke up at 4 am to drive over an hour to Brainard Lake where they also have a timed entry. We got the last ticket and were lucky to see two bull moose grazing in the meadow.

My Soul Is My Camera

With that many around, we were bound to run into them eventually. In late May we did a short hike in Rocky Mountain National Park because we knew it was going to get really busy within a week as it is the fourth most popular national park. We hiked among the melting snow and all the beauty around us. It was 44 degrees.

On our way out, we took a different turn and I’m so glad we did as we saw an adolescent bull moose, F7. I had the wrong lens on my camera, so that’s why he is slightly blurry - I didn’t anticipate he would come closer to me. At one point, I stood behind a car to keep a safe distance.

Another time on the Lily Lake Trail, we were taking a rest on a big rock when I looked down at the lake and saw a moose. I was torn between backtracking to photograph the moose or going forward. Jeff said, “Just enjoy the moose with your soul.” Then he said, “Oh wait, your soul is your camera.” Love it when someone gets all of you!

We backtracked and didn’t see the moose in the spot where we saw it earlier. I thought maybe I’d missed it, but then at the end of the trail, we saw this beautiful adolescent male enjoying his dinner. He didn’t seem bothered by having people mesmerized by him.

I’m so grateful Jeff understands that my soul is my camera. It was great to see this juvenile moose grazing at Lily Lake. I captured Jeff walking down the mountain to get to the moose with the golden sun setting.

Hummingbirds and Coyote Pups

Later we saw a beaver who slapped his tail on Mary’s Lake as we tried to catch the sunset, and we saw two hummingbirds. We also found a coyote den in our campground. I saw them when I was hanging out at a safe distance with my longest lens. There are seven pups in total. They are so cute playing together. Did you know if the coyote population decreases, the mamas give birth to 11-12 pups to bring the population numbers back up? Wile E Coyote got his name honestly.

It was so neat to photograph these playful pups. The mom yawned as she was tired from taking care of her 8 pups. That’s the dad foraging for food in the lower right.

One week we biked up a mountain (seven miles at 1,500 feet elevation). It took several hours to get up, but it took just minutes to come back down. Who knew? Jeff is amazing and withstands the steep elevation while you’ll find me huffing and puffing. Thankfully he waits for me.

We came across some breathtaking views. The road was closed to cars, but open to cyclists. On the way back, we came across a momma moose and her sleeping yearling (baby moose are calves, but a moose in its second year is a yearling). I cropped the image so it looks closer.

I had never seen a moose before this adventure, but now I keep running into them. Moose are a majestic animal standing 6 feet tall. Maybe that's why my dad loved these animals so much.

One evening, we went to Sheep Lakes and we found an adolescent male swimming in one of the lakes. He was following an older male. Then they went across the street and we found them on another path. Then as we headed back to our campground we came across a female moose and her calf, but I couldn't get a clear shot of the baby.

Unfortunately, when people see you using a big camera, they start coming over with their iPhones. I had to tell one man not to get SO close to the moose. I've heard they’re the most dangerous animal in the park because they don't have good eyesight.

One morning we got up before sunrise to go to Sprague Lake. We heard you could see moose there. We were delighted to see a momma and her calf. Then on the other side of us was a bull elk with his harm. I didn’t know which way to turn and photograph.

Lily Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park

Our favorite area is Lily Lake. It feels good to be in nature with the majestic mountains surrounding us, but I love it when there’s also a beautiful body of water, too. One day as soon as we entered the area, we saw a large bull moose munching on some trees. He was serene, methodical, and knew he was close to humans, but he didn’t seem to care. I took shots with my iPhone while standing in an enclosed area where I would be safe.

One afternoon, we came to Lily Lake and there was a moose close to the entrance. I was able to go to the fishing pier and took pictures of this bull moose with my iPhone. I was mad at myself for not carrying my big camera and being prepared.

On a few mornings we got up early to arrive at Brainard Lake by sunrise to look for bull moose in early September. We needed another timed entry into Brainard Lake and scored the last one. When we approached the lake, we saw two bull moose eating together. We went around the bulls to get better lighting and a better angle. It was amazing to be in their presence. What a treat! It's amazing how they know how to disappear and still find their mate.

There were lots of other photographers to witness these bulls. Unfortunately, Sept 11th is the beginning of moose hunting season and they will be hard to find.

Adventures on Mountain Bikes

We also went mountain bike shopping. Uh oh – I’m learning to mountain bike! Thankfully Jeff is patient with me. I went through an area that I was scared about, but I made it just fine. I am thankful that the bikes give us electronic assistance for those steep mountain climbs. They allow us to see our ‘home’ from way up high. I’m concerned that after this I’m not going to like my gravel non-electric bikes so much.

We made plans to take a skills course to ramp up my abilities. Jeff is a natural since he used to ride dirt bikes, but in the skills course, I crashed my bike, blacked out for a minute, and scraped the right side of my face, right arm, both knees, and hands. I spare you the ugly pictures of my road rash.

The hummingbird’s wings are so loud. I never heard of a hummingbird being so loud before and at first, I thought it was a huge insect. Fortunately, this one stayed long enough in one place to let me capture it.

Being Present Is a Choice

One evening after the afternoon rain, Jeff and I did a short exploratory hike around Lily Lake. We found new paths which gave us different perspectives. You hear these short bursts of loud noises and it’s the hummingbirds beating their wings. One stood still long enough for me to capture it.

We found a baby bird that recently learned to fly.

We found beautiful purple wildflowers and wild iris.

The rain had chased away the crowds, so we almost had the park to ourselves.

There is so much to love here.

Time is life’s currency. I always wish I had more time and I bet you do, too. When I radically changed my life to simplify it and have more time for the things I enjoy, I naively thought I would have an abundance of time. But life still gets in the way.

I realize it’s my choice to feel overwhelmed, even though it feels like my nerves instantly go there. This is my journey and I hope to get there: just be present.

We are making so many great memories here!

I’m always sad to see a stuff animal. This moose in a shoe store downtown Estes Park looked like he was smiling at the customers.

Estes Park: Elk Rut and the infamous Bruno