ESTES PARK, Colo. — For some people, the changing leaves or cooler mornings signal the first hints of autumn in Colorado. For others, it’s a startling high-pitch screech from one of the state’s most iconic animals.
That’s right: The elk rut is in full swing in Colorado. And it has arrived with all you would expect from the animals each fall: bulls chasing females around, charging at other males and fighting to gain or keep control of the females. While this unfolds in the mountains and valleys nestled away from people, these displays are also front and center in very public places, like golf courses, the main drag in town and parking lots.
If you have yet to hear an elk bugle, which is used to attract females, let’s just say it’s not what you would expect…