Bull elk go through an annual cycle of antler growth. They shed and grow a new pair every year, with the antlers returning with a fuzzy skin covering called velvet. By late summer the antlers have hardened and the velvet peels away, leaving a solid bone rack that can weight up to 40 pounds on a mature male.
These antlers serve multiple purposes for the bull elk. During the mating season, or rut, they’ll rub their antlers of vegetation to spread their scent. When another bull appears, the fight for dominance begins. The sparring starts fairly light but it eventually turns into proper competition for females. This period tends to make the bulls much more agressive, both to other elk and to anything they think is getting too close.
In this case that took place on a Colorado road, what appears to be a younger bull elk decided the driver of this car had gotten too close, and the elk reacted by charging with its antlers.
While the driver did egg on the reaction by challenging the elk to a fight, it doesn’t seem likely that the words were really what did it. Instead the driver likely earned the reaction just by parking too close to the animal for too long. During rut, Yellowstone National Park recommends giving elk at least 50 yards (150 feet) of space. If an elk approaches, visitors should back away slowly until there’s a safe amount of space for the animal to pass. This doesn’t take place in Yellowstone, but it seems pretty obvious that the driver wouldn’t have lost a tire if he kept plenty of space and let the animal move along.
Estes Park Elk Safety Guidelines:
The Police Department provides the following tips to visitors for safe elk viewing:
• Elk are wild animals which must be observed from a safe distance to avoid injury or death. If an animal is carefully watching you and appears “jumpy” when you move, you are too close.
• Keep pets secured on a leash and do not allow them to bark at, lunge at, or chase wildlife.
• Never block traffic. Move your vehicle to a safe place completely off the roadway to watch elk.
• Do not imitate an elk call, or bugle, when elk are irritable during the rut. This can endanger you and the elk.
• Elk know no boundaries, but people do. Respect private property when viewing wildlife.