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This footage from the Yellowstone National Park shows two bull elk coming into competition with each other during the rutting season. A popular animal to take pictures and videos of, due to the impressive size of their antlers, the elk begin building their harems in September, some having more success than others.
The size of these antlers comes in useful for wrestling matches to determine the victor in disputes, if the disputes reach that stage. Once the rut has started, dominant males become very protective of their females, making these kinds of interactions common.
The Challengers Face Off
The two elk faced off with each other over an open field in a very cinematic style, likely sizing each other up ready for the contest that was about to come.
Bugling is the name of the sound that the elk make, a sound which is meant to make females, and other males aware of their presence. The challenging elk was likely using it to try and intimidate the first bull, or try to lure away some of the females in its harem.
This was unacceptable for the dominant male with the harem, who had to protect it from rival males like this one, that might seek to supplant him and leave him without the opportunity to mate.
A Quick Competition
This rivalry seems to be over quickly, as the two bulls quickly measure up the other. After his bugling failed to ward away the dominant male, or attract any of his females, the challenger quickly turned and hurried away.
The dominant male didn’t gain his position through complacency, however, and he made sure the challenger’s exit was nice and fast by chasing after him, capitalizing on his weakness.
A Second Attempt
After being chased away, the challenger continued to maintain a safe distance, but it apparently didn’t want to give up completely without making another attempt to lure some females away.
The challenger’s second attempt involved thrashing the long grass with his large antlers. This serves a similar purpose as bugling, leaving a trail to signify to other males that there is already one in the area, and attracting females.
This second attempt was equally unsuccessful, and the dominant male retained his harem, moving amongst the females with his antlered head held high.
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The Elk Rut
The elk rutting season takes place in the autumn, as males compete with each other to build their harem, and maintain their place of dominance. There can be only one dominant male in a harem, with a large number of females.
This male appears to have at least eleven females in his harem which is a respectable size, although there are some in the far distance in the footage, which means this male’s harem might be even larger.
After the rut, the dominant male will need time to rest, and another younger male might take over the harem, meaning that the defeated rival might still have a chance, he just won’t get the first pick.
There are a huge amount of elk in the Yellowstone area and they are vital for the ecosystem, both as prey for the various predator species, and to help keep the flora in check.