I quickly set up my soundscape mic and then hunkered down next to a large tree.Īside from occasional bugles and calls, the herd was relatively quiet for about an hour. I shined my flashlight into the field and counted about a dozen elk (actually … a dozen “pairs of eyes” reflecting light), the nearest being around a hundred feet away. Soon, I emerged from the woods at the edge of a large meadow. I grabbed my soundscape mic and carefully made my way toward the herd. Around 4am, I was awakened by distant bugles. There was no bugling in the evening, so we retired early, hoping for some action in the morning. We found a place to camp in a patch of forest not far from the herd. While there were plenty of elk to observe, there was little mating behavior and none of the males were bugling. Thousands of people converge on the area in late September and early October to marvel at the mating behavior and learn about what they’re seeing and hearing at the Elk Country Visitor Center. The herd near Benezette is a tourist magnet. In 1913, the Pennsylvania Game Commission began a reintroduction program and now there are healthy populations at a number of locations, with a total of around one thousand individuals statewide. Although we arrived at the tail end of the rutting season, we were not disappointed.Įlk (also called Wapiti) once roamed freely across Pennsylvania, but early settlers gradually drove them out and by 1867 they were extirpated from the state. In mid-October of 2013, I went on an expedition with friends to witness the bugling of Elk (Cervus canadensis) in a free-ranging herd near Benezette, Pennsylvania. įor more information on PA elk and safety tips, visit the PGC Elk Webpage, which includes a live stream from Elk Country.Elk calling and bugling at first light in meadow near Benezette, Pennsylvania (several quiet intervals have been removed). I highly recommend visiting the PA Wilds during this incredible time of year, but during your visit be safe, considerate and respectful!įor more tips and information on the Pennsylvania elk range visit the PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau. Although this can be captivating to watch, remember that during this time bull elk are full of testosterone and can be extremely aggressive. Battles don’t often end in serious injury as the weaker bull usually breaks off the confrontation and trots away. Bull elk battle it out with rivals, joining antlers and pushing and shoving. While the elk rut is spectacular to hear, it can also be thrilling to watch (from a very safe distance). It’s a sound that is difficult for the human to imitate, a guttural bellow, a shrill pitch, and a hollow grunting. In most cases, the bugle starts low and throaty, rising to a high whistle, then dropping to a grunt or a series of grunts. The sound of a bull elk bugling is something that draws many visitors to Elk Country, for it is an experience as memorable as anything you are likely to have in the PA Wilds. If you’ve never heard the bugle of the bull elk during the fall rutting period, you are in for an experience that is at once thrilling and haunting. The PGC has timed the annual elk hunting season (early to mid-November) to miss most of the rut period, ensuring an adequate breeding window. The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) estimates the PA elk herd at roughly 1,000 individuals, a population occupying at least eight north central counties over a range of 3,500 square miles.
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