Photo Essays

By the middle of October, the intensity of Pennsylvania's elk rut has begun to wane. The fierce competition for cows, the haunting bugles echoing through the valleys, and the relentless pursuit that occupied so much of September have started to give way to something quieter. But apparently, not everyone is ready to call it a season.  Last evening, I pulled off along the side of the road after spotting two young bulls standing in a field. I climbed the little bank beside my truck, hoping to get a better look.  They noticed me almost immediately.

For a brief moment, their attention turned my direction. Then, just as quickly, they looked away, turning their attention toward the wood line.  

And that's when things got interesting. As I looked across the field, I realized these two weren't alone. Roughly ten bulls were scattered across the field and along the edge of the woods. Some were younger, still growing into their antlers, while others were more mature.  But there wasn't a cow among them.

During the height of the rut, the dominant herd bulls spend their days gathering cows, defending their harems, and driving would-be challengers away. These fellows, however, appeared to be keeping company with one another. A gathering of bachelors, it seems. Before long, the two young bulls in front of me began to spar. 

There was no furious charge, no desperate struggle, and none of the intensity I'd witnessed during the height of the rut. Instead, they lowered their heads, locked antlers, and began testing one another's strength. It wasn't long before their activity attracted an audience.

Near the edge of the woods, another pair of bulls took notice. Perhaps unwilling to be left out, they soon followed suit.

Before me, two separate contests were unfolding in the same pasture. Four bulls, two pairs of interlocked antlers, and not a cow in sight. Neither encounter appeared particularly serious. There was pushing and shoving, a little jockeying for position, and plenty of opportunity to measure one another's strength. But there was no real aggression. It was almost as though these young bulls were practicing for a competition that had already passed them by.

Of course, there's no telling what kind of success any of them may have enjoyed during the preceding weeks. But on this particular evening, none appeared to be tending a harem or defending a group of cows. Instead, they had found themselves in the company of other bachelors, testing their strength against one another.I couldn't help but smile at the scene.