Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Good place to watch fall rutting action

Can anyone recommend a place where one can go to watch elk bugle and work their cows? I don't want hunt but always wanted to watch the fall rut in action.

Some friends said Estes Park had a lot of elk that put on quite a show but wondered if that was something that happened there every year or if they were just lucky once.

Thoughts...recommendations?

Mammoth..

yep. don't take your good car, though. watched a bull trash five or six cars in an hour last year...

Your friends are right about Estes Park. You can watch from the highway in Rocky Mountain National Park (just west of Estes Park) as the elk go into the rutt. This happens every year. Some of the bulls may be herding cows right in the middle of town. You can also watch some Darwin candidates getting too close to the bulls.

KC

This will be an interesting year.
Paying attention, I have been wrong as many times as right.

Watching the way the days get shorted and comparing it to the moon phase...
We are heading into the brighter part of the moon the later part of September. That could delay the rut on a clear/dry year, not as loud a rut.
Being so wet/cloudy and the new moon mid September. My bet, an early loud rut starting the dark of the moon mid September.
iow: my bet slightly earlier rut.

Last part of September watching Estes in a full moon could be a memorable trip.

We got some damn good shows in Estes last September. Close to roads. I have seen it before hunting my wife never had she said " Now I know why you like to go Elk hunting" You should of seen her eyes light up when she heard that first up close Bugle.

The time that they seem to get active here in so. Idaho is during the 1st cold front or rain storm after Labor Day. They'll be bugling before that but a little cooler weather seems to heat them up.

Something else that's fun to watch is when the bulls start gathering a harem. When they get a couple cows, the meanest cow in the bunch will establish herself as the lead cow. Then she'll take off cross country on a high speed tour to get more cows. The poor bull will be dragging behind and just trying to keep up. The cow will locate the single girls but it's up to the bull to add them to his harem and to fend off the other bulls.

My sons and I were fishing the Snake River in Grand Teton NP 2 years ago in Sept and there were 4 different bulls pushing their harems around. It was a regular elk fest. The flyfishing was pretty good too!

Slippery Ann, Missouri River Breaks. mtmuley

The west side of Rocky Mtn NP in the big draw with the camp grounds and visitor center is best place to get out of the rig and mingle a bit. I find a big rock and perch and watch the show.

This!^^^. You may not be able to get there thru the park from Estes. So you might have to come in thru Granby/Grand "Lake side. Lot of elk!

Not much going on at the National Elk Refuge right now. But you may want to check it out in about 6 weeks.

http://www.seejh.com/webcams/jacksonhole/elkrefugeeast/?live

I've never been to RMNP in the Fall, I really need to go sometime. But I'd imagine that with the elk numbers there it can be impressive.

Just a heads up for those living in the East. There is a pretty good elk population in parts of the Smoky Mt NP. I'm amazed at how many people living near there don't realize that. A few in the Cherokee area, but many more in Cataloochee Valley in the northern most part of the park.

My wife and I have camped in the area a few times during or near the rut.

Seen them collared varieties before too! This one showed up on the ranch. I'm sure he walked over from RMNP

The refuge elk usually don't come down until the snow and hunters push them down, except for some of the local elk. Nothing like Estes Park and RMNP. Outside of EstesPark, Evergreen has seen rapidly increasing populations of elk - Not as many giant bulls, but those big parks around Evergreen offer some excellent viewing.

Every year. Can be quite a spectacle. Shot this bull that was about 15 feet from the road with a telephoto. The cow he was chasing had just crossed the road and "urbanites" closed up behind her. I was waiting for a serious injury or worse as this guy was very worked up.

Thanks for all the input. I think we will plan a visit to Estes Park the last part of Sept if we can make the work schedule fit.

Always wanted to see this first hand, elk are a very majestic animal.

Is there a reason why a person cannot get through the park from Estes...do they close the road or something?

Yes sometimes a LOT of snow. I think it was SOP to close it around the 1st of October anyway. Check with the park website or Colorado DOT.

Took my wife archery hunting in Wyoming last year. She later said, "I see how this could get addicting. She's coming with me again this year."