This Elk Bull Boss answered Bugles from another large Bull on the other side of Athabasca River. He came across and not only claimed the territory, but seemed to increase the size of his Herd as well. During the Elk Rut, Elk will cross this River very often to rest or cover more ground. You can see they are great swimmers, having no problem with this strong current.

With 4 Rivals in the immediate area, this Active Elk Bull still managed to stay in charge, Bugling and Courting receptive Cows during the Elk Rut.

A Magnificent New Elk Bull Boss arrives and takes over the prime Elk Rut territory. This Elk Bull was quick to dominate the Bugles and Cow Courting in this area, with no rivals sticking around to challenge him.

It was still a little smokey on this evening, but this Aggressive Elk Bull intended to make his mark now. You can see this Elk bull has a Strong Bugle, temperament, instincts and genetics that will likely carry him a long way this Elk Rut, even with larger Rivals. Much of this shows herding and courting behavior during the Elk Rut.

This energetic Elk Bull did the best He could under the circumstances, during the beginning of the Elk Rut. He has since managed to move this herd to a more isolated spot.

The High Heat, Fires and Bears everywhere seems to have disrupted the Elk Rut slightly this year, but the Elk Bulls are starting to Shine their Light now as the Elk Rut gets into High Gear. Unfortunately, the iconic Sheriff seems to have become a memory of those who live on, and we are blessed to have immortalized this incredible Champion. There is "No Bull" that stands out like the Sheriff this year but the Big Fella in many of these clips has taken over the most competitive territory and even rests in the very same spots that the Sheriff did. We are looking forward to sharing Elk's incredible battle for survival over the next couple of months. Thank You for Joining Us!

The Elk Rut is just a couple months away. Elk Bulls are putting on a lot of weight right now as their testosterone increases and they have access to much more nutritious food. Bugles, Battles and Breeding will be taking over this Beautiful area as Bulls fight to claim or hold their territories' throne.

This Awesome Elk Bull has risen in the Elk Rut ranks over the last 4 years to become a Titan. He is witnessed as having one of the highest energy expenditures as he covers a lot of territory during the Elk Rut, doing the most he can to grow the Elk population. He has 2 months of growth ahead of him with nutrient dense food before this Year's Elk Rut. It looks like He will be in Top Form.

The most Dominant Bulls during this past Elk Rut are true Titans with superior genetics. Their Size, Stamina, Knowledge and Experience have all been Proven. We were very lucky to be able to observe them during this past year's epic Elk Rut and look forward to seeing All these Titans at full throttle again very soon!

While Dominant Elk Bull's display will attracts cows, bulls will also herd females to try to keep them from escaping to a rival Bull. The more a Big Bull works and advertises his dominance, the less likely cows will leave him.

Elk bulls will continue to charm females in their harems with bugling and displays, but it is the cows that will size up the bulls in the area and decide who looks most attractive. Cows do not want to be harassed by younger bulls that constantly chase down unattached females, so a big dominant herd bull that keeps younger bulls at a distance gives cows the peace they want to keep feeding for the winter ahead.

A Big Herd Bull will cut off cows that have ventured too far away, rushing at her with an aggressive display. The herd Bull will also use a similar technique to move the harem to safety, to an area to bed down, or simply away from another competitive bull.

When cows comes into heat, a herd bull performs courting behavior that is different from his herding behavior. The herd bull will now approach cows slowly and carefully, with antlers high and tongue flicking, doing everything he can to win her over. If a cow is not ready to mate, she will move away with her head low, weaving her neck side to side and the bull will stop his immediate courting. Cows will accept and tolerate the herd bull’s behavior when they are ready.

Some dominant Elk Bulls chasing rivals off, a couple Bull fights and a bit of play during the Elk Rut. All of this was "run and gun fun", so thank you for your patience with the stability.

Here are the most magnificent Elk Bulls courting during the Elk Rut. When Elk cows comes into estrus, a herd bull performs courting behavior that is different from his herding behavior. The herd bull will approach cows slowly and carefully, with antlers high and tongue flicking, doing everything he can to win her over. If a cow is not ready to mate, she will move away with her head low, weaving her neck side to side and the bull will stop his immediate courting. Cows will tolerate and accept the herd bull’s behavior when they are ready.

The Sheriff, this areas largest Elk Bull has shed his antlers a couple days earlier than last year. Every Year he seems to shed his antlers earlier as larger Bulls do to get a jump start on growth for the following Rutting Season. It will be incredible to witness this genetically gifted icon entering another Rut this coming Fall!

The most magnificent Elk Bull we have witnessed in nature, the "Sheriff" looks his best here early in the rutting season. Whether herding cows, battling other elk bulls, or chasing bears up trees, this huge Elk Bull has a commanding presence that has dominated for many years. He will be shedding very soon in preparation for another upcoming Rutting Season this Fall. The Sheriff has educated so many and done so much for Wildlife. We Tip our Hats to You Big Fella!

This Elk Bull has moved up in the Rut Season rankings as a force to be reckoned with for over 5 years now. Standing out in a crowd, his incredible genetics will soon be seen everywhere. He has been one of the earliest Bulls to form harems the last few years and now asserts himself over quite a large range.. coming into the Sheriff's territory for much of this past Rut. Here are some not previously shared moments of him during the Elk Rut as well as some peaceful moments of Him today, looking great.

A high ratio of Big Elk Bulls to Cows in a tight area of Nature at the height of the Elk Rut. Elk Bulls came out of everywhere in this short period, and the dynamics were amazing to witness. The Sheriff still had no problem asserting his dominance among all these incredible Bulls, but there were many successes between other Bulls and Cows as well. A lot of energy expenditure on the formation and protection of small herds, both along and in Athabasca River. These couple days were not only filled with fighting, bugling, herding and mating, but also some elk rut behaviors not previously witnessed. We left all the original sound in which offers listening to the intensity of all that we could see, but also that we could only hear. Much of this elk rut footage includes hand held digital zoom at dusk.. thank you for your patience with that.

The Sheriff brings his Cows to a beautiful Lake During an evening of the Elk Rut. Here, the largest Elk Bull in this area fends off another Bull, Bear, and stress in an amazing Canadian Rockies setting.

The Sheriff(largest elk bull) faces another gifted elk bull's challenge. You can see there are several other magnificent bulls sharing this space tonight, but this was the only bull that was attempting to take on the Sheriff. Just two days ago, the Sheriff was in a fight in which he broke a tine and received several cuts on his shoulders and neck. It was suspected that this Bull inflicted this damage, but now we can't be certain. It is possible that this could be "round 2", however. These posturing displays are typical when Elk Bulls are measuring each other up, usually just before a battle ensues. When the challenger charges, the Sheriff doesn't flinch.. which must have been what changed the tide. It also may add to the possibility that this was indeed round 2, as the challenger was quite confident up until that point.

A Magnificent Elk Bull shining with energy during this year's Elk Rut. Various elk rut season behaviors can been seen here as he pursues cows, bugles, rubs trees and travels lakeside in a few beautiful locations.

The first big Elk Bull to form a herd with his cows and calves is already very active early in the Elk Rut.

Here are 60+ Elk Bull bugles during this year's Elk Rut so far. This shows a wide array of bugling sounds and tones from the largest Elk Bulls in this area of Canada's Rockies.

One of the Most Magnificent Bulls during this year's Elk Rut. Here he is herding cows in the Sheriff's territory(Dominant Elk Bull). This Bull had several bouts with the Sheriff this year, but still wasn't shy about bugling, chuckling and herding while remaining in the same area.

We are quite a distance away in the evening, but here is the Sheriff getting ready for Elk Rut Season Date Night in Athabasca River. It is still early in the Elk Rutting Season, but this is one Elk Bull that always stays a step ahead. Later this evening, he was confidently herding cows, which we will share shortly.

The Sheriff, still considered the largest Elk Bull in this area, is all fired up around these cows and satellite Elk Bulls during the beginning of the Elk Rut. His Bugles clearly demonstrate the sounds of a dominant Elk Bull, signaling other Bulls that he is not to be messed with.

A bigger Elk Bull came in and stole the herd from the First Bull that formed this herd. The fight must have been just an hour or so before we observed this new slightly larger bull being very active in his takeover. There were still some cows scattered, but he gradually brought them all together with lots of bugling and herding behavior. It was a perfect cool evening to catch those steamy Elk Bugles.

This very Attentive Elk Bull will be one of the most dominant and magnificent Bulls to witness during this year's Elk Rut. He is not afraid to challenge anything that comes near him or his cows, which makes him a great patriarch for the herd he leads during the mating season ahead. Here he moves his cows along the Athabasca River in Canada's Rockies.