YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wy. – As summer begins to wind down, elk at Yellowstone National Park are starting to look for love, posing a potential danger for park visitors.
So begins rut season, or mating season, for the thousands of elk that roam the nation’s oldest national park.
Male elk sound off their intentions to females by producing a loud sound known as a bugle, and it can be heard for miles, according to the National Park Service.
FILE: Bull elk at Canyon in Yellowstone National Park.
(Eric Johnston / NPS / FOX Weather)
Every bull has a different bugle – as fingerprints are unique to each human – making the sound like a calling card for the ladies.
As a bugle lets female elk know that a bull is looking for love, it also helps the bull signal his presence to other bulls during a time when they are feeling particularly aggressive and territorial.
Their territorial nature, however, can also impact Yellowstone visitors, according to the NPS.
If a male elk feels threatened or that his territory is being encroached by a park visitor, he will not hesitate to charge. Officials noted that elk can run up to 40 miles per hour.
FILE: Bull elk bugling in front of Administration building in Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park.
(Jim Peaco / NPS / FOX Weather)
Visitors are advised to stay 25 yards away from elk and to stay aware of their surroundings. The NPS warned that, should an elk charge at you, you must run away.
Male elk can grow to about 5 feet at the shoulder and weigh about 700 pounds, while females are shorter and typically weigh about 500 pounds, officials said.
They added that rut season runs through October.
