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.