My guest today is wildlife biologist Doreen Summerland. We talk about the beautiful fall season we're having here in Grand County and the elk rut season, so step back and enjoy this fascinating conversation with Doreen. Afternoon, doreen. Hi, kayleen, it is fall here in the Rockies. It is, I know, cold mornings, but beautiful days, yeah, yeah, and there was actually a dusting of snow yesterday. I couldn't believe it. Heavy size, yes, but it's also a great time of year because it's the elk rut season. It is, it is, and so I haven't been up to Rocky Mountain National Park, which is usually the best place to go. But what is the story? Is it happening now?

The elk, rut has probably begun. It's usually at peak from about mid-September to mid-October, and then sometimes even trailing into November. The Rocky Mountain National Park has already closed many meadows on the east and west side to protect the elk from overzealous rut viewers. Yes, so I haven't been up there yet either, but look forward to going up there soon.

Likewise, so tell us what is the rut season rut came from, but it's a term to describe the breeding season of elk which have a mating system where one male is able to successfully compete for many females, and rut is characterized by a time when bull elk get very little rest. It's a busy time. They are full of hormones, they're not having much time to eat. They're busy, busy, busy.

Yeah, well, you can understand why.

Exactly, it's all or nothing this time of year, and often even the most magnificent bulls even in a place like Rocky Mountain National Park, where they're protected from a lot of mortality factors, they can only maintain being the biggest, baddest bull out there for a season or two, three on the outside. So it's a very taxing time for them, wow.

Well, how does a whole ritual work with the mating season?

Well, the females are receptive this time of year and the males know that, mostly through smell, and it coincides with the time when the testosterone in a male elk is also elevated. They it's all about appearance and smell for these bull elk. They're at their biggest, most magnificent of the whole year. They've shed all of their velvet, so they have these striking, beautiful antlers, which are sometimes adorned with vegetation, from them thrashing their antlers around in the forest. They're of the largest size. The most prominent features for female elk to assess a male's fitness and for another bull to determine if he wants to take that bull on are the size of the antlers, the size of the neck, the general body size and profile. And there's smell which they're able to fabricate an amazing cologne with urine sprayed all over themselves. That's very pungent this time of year.

Wow Okay.

I know, I know you put yourself in the shoes of a cow elk and it would take a different frame of mind.

It actually would. So viewing this whole process, usually at dusk, is the best time Dusk and dawn can be the most active times, but it can continue through the night.

But of course, as a viewer, we really can't enjoy it then Right. So dusk and dawn are the most popular times for viewing, and the bulls are often the most vocal during those times. My favorite part of the rut is just sitting quietly and listening to all the noises going on. Of course, the bulls bugling is really spectacular.

It is, it is. I remember us backpacking a couple years ago in September and hearing it throughout the night, which was pretty cool.

it's really eerie yeah and almost ghostly. Um, what do you think the bull is trying to say when they're making those noises?

I want you what do you think he's saying thank?

you, um, they can use their vocal vocalizations for several messages. That is one of them. Like hey, hello, right here. And also no, no, no, don't stray over there. That's just a bit too far. So he can be communicating with the cows, he can be doing a general communication to everybody, saying here I am, here's my harem. What do you think of that? And then, certainly, when you hear bulls bugling at each other, they're communicating things like. That's too close. You know, these cows are in my group. You need to get away. And they really do use every tool at their disposal to avoid direct physical conflict, because that's also very taxing and dangerous for them.

Yeah, yeah, interesting. Well, I think that's a good point, though, too, is that when you're viewing, to give them the respect, and that's why Rocky Mountain National Park is closing those meadows.

To keep people on the road and the roadside where there's plenty of room to enjoy them and then let the elk do their thing and not add more stress to the situation. And often you'll find a ranger or a volunteer out there in these fall evenings to help explain what they're seeing and help point out maybe where another bull might be coming in to have a look. It's fun to talk to them and you'll see and hear even more. Yeah.

And there's other places in the county besides Rocky Mountain National Park that you can.

There are. Elks seem to be the most vocal in these places, where they know they're protected. The rut certainly overlaps with hunting season structure and when they're in those large groups and making a lot of noise they're making themselves a bit more vulnerable to someone that's looking for an animal to fill their tag. Of course, you can't shoot within a certain period of time at dusk and dawn, but it does curtail the daytime bugling if you're outside of protected areas often.

Yeah yes. Well, doreen, this is always so fascinating, and it is the time of season to come up and experience the elk bugling or the rut season, whichever one you want to call it Exactly. Plus, it's just, we're getting those fall colors right now. It's a great time, it's a beautiful time.

Yeah, yeah, get out there and go see it, go enjoy it.

Absolutely Well, it's always a pleasure.

For me too. All right, we'll talk soon, okay you? Thank you.