Love is in the air – bugling of the elk

The herd bull elk was chasing a yearling cow that was trying to escape when he spotted a movement behind a lonely sagebrush. Quickly stopping, he glared in my direction as I was still shooting pictures; here he came. It was time to show myself.

He skidded to a stop as I stood up, whirled around and went back to his herd of cows and spike bulls as I settled back behind the sage. For the next 30 minutes I enjoyed the sights and sounds of love in the air until an old cow decided slight movements were too much, let out several large barks and led the herd to greener pastures.

The Ray’s Lake area of Camas National Wildlife Management Area near Hamer was the setting for the drama as a herd of about 150 elk are engaged in the annual rut. At times it sounded like the Tabernacle Choir with thirty bulls bugling, cows and calves barking and even coyotes howling in the distance.

As the sun was rising the elk were crossing from feeding in a hay field west of the refuge and were breaking up into smaller groups as the bulls were trying to control their harems. It appeared the yearling cows were most of the problems. They were not used to being forced away from their male playmates for the last year. This control and smells and sounds were new to them. They were not sure what all of this meant.

As the herd bull would be chasing a cow at one end, a satellite bull who had been hiding in the willows would try to steal a cow from the other side of the herd. The “Master of the House” was continually bugling to warn the other bulls that he was the boss while the lonely bulls around the herd tried their most romantic calls it entice cows to slip away.

At times the herd bull would become so tired of chasing cows, other bulls and sparring with some, he would just lie down for a few minutes. Often times he would allow the yearling spikes to mingle with the cows as they appeared to be no threat to his intentions or control. These goings on were also new to them also.

It was a loving yet violent experience as I even watched cows standing on the back legs, boxing each other with their front ones. Cows lying down for too long would get a quick poke by the master’s sharp antler. Even a Pronghorn antelope got chased from the herd as he ventured too close.

While I watched all this from a distance in a light rain, I heard other elk bugling from two different areas. Working my way behind willows, through ravines and groups of tall sage, I was able to find a small herd of nine cows, four spikes, a rag-horn satellite bull, all controlled by the herd bull.

From my vantage point behind the sagebrush, I enjoyed the scenes and sounds about the life of an extended harem for an hour and a half before I was discovered. What appeared to be the matriarch of the herd even helped the herd bull keep the young cows near him. The yearling bulls gathered on one side of the herd while the rag-horn stayed near the thick willows and only had to be chased off once.

One of the cows knew something was not right for most of the time I was observing them as she stared in my direction most of the time. Only after the herd bull and the matriarch discovered my hiding place did the herd get nervous and leave. It was okay, for I had an experience I had always dreamed about.

On the way back to the truck, I heard what I thought was a human baby crying in some dried reeds.

Stay tuned for another “Living the Wild Life” experience.