Elk Rut

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jeffnles1

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I'm not sure if this is the right forum, Steve, if wrong forum, please remove or move thanks!

My wife and I spend most of October and November photographing the Whitetail Deer rut here in SE Indiana, SW Ohio and N. KY. We log a lot of hours and miles and have made some nice photos for our yearly calendar.

With that as background, we are interested in either 2021 or 2022 heading out west to photograph the Elk Rut (and moose & mule deer if their cycles overlap). A couple questions:
1) where would you all recommend as the best area for success? We're thinking either Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park. Not sure about rut but up around Mammoth area in Yellowstone has a lot of elk in the summer just not sure if they go into rut in the same area. Also we saw a number of elk in RMNP but they were pretty far off.

2) in the recommended places(s) what would be the time to increase chances of photo success? For example, if you come to my area looking for whitetail deer bucks chasing does, the last week of October and 1st 2 weeks of November is the peak activity most years.

3) I assume equipment needs would be similar. I shoot a Nikon D500, Nikon 200-500, and an assortment of wider angle, shorter telephoto and macro lenses. Probably wouldn't bring the whole kit, but then again... Wife shoots a Sony RX10-iv

Oh, for reference, I am retired and my wife will be retired by then too. Time is something we have plenty of, money, well that is a different story, but we will have all the time we need.

Thanks,

Jeff and Leslie S.
 
1. Either location would work well, although the last time I was in RMNP there were more elk than YNP. However, in YNP they like to hang around Mammoth to stay safe from the wolves.

2. They were all over the side of the park near Estes Co and in the city itself. Mammoth area is great in YNP. Usually late Sept / early Oct works, at least it has for us. However, I've also not been there later than that, so it may get better. I'm sure others will chime in.

3. Your D500 + 200-500 will work really well. Most of my elk are in the 500mm to 600mm range with my full frame cameras, so you're covered. :) Plus, the zoom can be handy if they get close. Rose and I were outside of YNP this summer and I used my 180-400 more than a few times on the D6, however, I wouldn't want to be that close during the rut. The 200-500 is good :)
 
RMNP had wildfires this year. My favorite areas are inside the fire area. Morraine park was one of thoses areas. Horseshoe park was not damaged. We were up 3 wks ago, right after it was open and we saw 23 bulls in Horseshoe. And another 10 up by the alluvial fan. Rut was mostly over by then
Mid Sept to Oct the elk start their rut.
Down by Grand lake, the fires did alot of damage. Have not been able to get down there to assess the damage. All my favorite moose spots are inside the fire area.

Hard to say what next year will bring.
Town of Estes always has elk. Especially near the golf course, amd they are up by the YMCA as well.

I use 70-200. 300, 500, and 600. They can be 6 ft or 150 yds away...

Let me know if you have any q's as I'm up in RMNP almost every weekend during the rut and calving season
 
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Your post reminded me that this is the first year in as long as I can remember that I have not visited Rocky Mountain National Park and we live about an hour away!

There are always lots of elk in and around Estes Park and on the drive up into RMNP. We like to camp in Moraine Park Campground in RMNP, it is fun to listen to the elk at night and you are walking distance from Moraine Park. September and October are the months for the elk rut in RMNP.

A couple of notes from this year looking to next year.

Because of the COVID situation RMNP required a reservation to enter the park this year. I believe they gave you a two hour window to enter. It was started because of COVID but there are concerns that it will be something that the park might continue. If you want to get camping reservations make them as soon as they open reservations for 2021.

RMNP has certain restrictions during the elk rut. This year they restricted travel off of roads and designated trails from 5pm until 10am because there were having too many elk/human encounters.

Colorado had a terrible wild fire year in that area. The town of Estes Park was evacuated for a few days this fall and Grand Lake and Granby were also evacuated at times and lost homes and buildings. The two fires in that area are the two largest fires in Colorado history. One of the fires grew 60,000 acres in 1 hour.

I certainly don't want to discourage you from coming to Colorado, Estes Park could really use the tourism business next year, but plan accordingly.
 
Charles, your always welcome! As is anyone from the forum. Next year will be a year of unknowns. At least I knew where they were!

I've been going to RMNP for 40+ years. It's one of my absolute favorite places to escape.

If you are on Facebook, there is a local forum called Elk of Estes Park. Lots of good Intel and sightings.
 
Thanks everyone. Hopefully we will be able to do the trip in 2021. Right now with COVID we're on hold for a lot of things. I've been to RNNP once about 5 years ago and at least 5 times to Yellowstone (mainly fly fishing). The fire areas could be a bonanza if there is a good winter and spring with fresh vegetation coming up. I remember a couple years after the big fire at Yellowstone how green everything was.

I really appreciate the conversation. Dave, if we do head out that direction next fall, I'll shoot you a note.

Thanks,
Jeff S - Kentucky.
 
Can't speak for RMNP but if you go to Yellowstone the stretch along the Madison River from West Yellowstone to Madison Jct. is great. Also don't forget about the northern end of the Tetons in and around Willow Flats.
 
I visited Rocky Mountain National Park twice in 2018 in early September. Got lots of good elk shots as they were starting to rut and people weren't crazy yet. I would recommend hitting the park just before shooting light and leaving after 9 am. Too many people for me to enjoy it later in the day. I got my best stuff on the western side of the park in the valley north of Grand Lake.

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I visited Rocky Mountain National Park twice in 2018 in early September. Got lots of good elk shots as they were starting to rut and people weren't crazy yet. I would recommend hitting the park just before shooting light and leaving after 9 am. Too many people for me to enjoy it later in the day. I got my best stuff on the western side of the park in the valley north of Grand Lake.

Very curious how the wildlife in the Kawaneechee area fared the fire. The Grand Lake side of RMNP is an AMAZING place for not only Elk, but Moose as well. We were there in August. The Cameron Peak fire started the day before we arrived. Not a lot of photography took place as the smoke really made things difficult with anything more than maybe 20 yards quite a challenge. I have seen quite a few pictures and the main valley pasture took basically a direct hit fire-wise. The Grand Lake entrance to the park lost the office but not the pay huts. I believe the giant meadow on Green Mountain burned as well. It will certainly refresh some of the areas and hopefully was able to clear out a lot of the deadfall from the bark beetles. The poor animals have to have taken quite a loss though with the rapid growth of the East Troublesome Fire.
 
1. Either location would work well, although the last time I was in RMNP there were more elk than YNP. However, in YNP they like to hang around Mammoth to stay safe from the wolves.

2. They were all over the side of the park near Estes Co and in the city itself. Mammoth area is great in YNP. Usually late Sept / early Oct works, at least it has for us. However, I've also not been there later than that, so it may get better. I'm sure others will chime in.

3. Your D500 + 200-500 will work really well. Most of my elk are in the 500mm to 600mm range with my full frame cameras, so you're covered. :) Plus, the zoom can be handy if they get close. Rose and I were outside of YNP this summer and I used my 180-400 more than a few times on the D6, however, I wouldn't want to be that close during the rut. The 200-500 is good :)
Thanks Steve. We're starting to make preliminary plans and research stage right now. The good thing is we've been to both areas before just not in the fall.

Hopefully catch the rut, maybe some other critters fattening up for winter and some landscapes too. With any luck we'll be able to spend a little over 2 weeks on site.

Jeff
 
The White Mountains and Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern AZ are flush with Elk and White Tail Deer. You won’t see many standing in town, though there is a large herd of elk around Fools Hollow Lake campground near Show Low, AZ. The rut generally runs second week of September-early October. I came across these three boys running together in August 2019 on forest service land near McNary, AZ. Nikon D850 + Nikkor 500mm PF.
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I'm not sure if this is the right forum, Steve, if wrong forum, please remove or move thanks!

My wife and I spend most of October and November photographing the Whitetail Deer rut here in SE Indiana, SW Ohio and N. KY. We log a lot of hours and miles and have made some nice photos for our yearly calendar.

With that as background, we are interested in either 2021 or 2022 heading out west to photograph the Elk Rut (and moose & mule deer if their cycles overlap). A couple questions:
1) where would you all recommend as the best area for success? We're thinking either Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park. Not sure about rut but up around Mammoth area in Yellowstone has a lot of elk in the summer just not sure if they go into rut in the same area. Also we saw a number of elk in RMNP but they were pretty far off.

2) in the recommended places(s) what would be the time to increase chances of photo success? For example, if you come to my area looking for whitetail deer bucks chasing does, the last week of October and 1st 2 weeks of November is the peak activity most years.

3) I assume equipment needs would be similar. I shoot a Nikon D500, Nikon 200-500, and an assortment of wider angle, shorter telephoto and macro lenses. Probably wouldn't bring the whole kit, but then again... Wife shoots a Sony RX10-iv

Oh, for reference, I am retired and my wife will be retired by then too. Time is something we have plenty of, money, well that is a different story, but we will have all the time we need.

Thanks,

Jeff and Leslie S.
IMO, the wolves have destroyed the YNP photography of elk in the fall Nothing like what it once was.
 
If I had a one time trip to photograph Elk, Rocky Mountain Park would be tough to ignore.

Demodave, I have looked at your online gallery before, very nice world class photography that puts wildlife in the best light. (y)
 
I was just at the San Luis National Wildlife Refiuge and got this shot of a Bull Tule Elk. I don't know if you have any interest in the Tules but they are in a very large, fenced in paddock that you can drive around looking for them. Incidentally, I shot this guy with my D500 and Nikon 200-500 lens, and a Nikon 1.4 TC. My go to weapon for shooting wildlife.
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Looks like the consensus is heading toward RMNP with the north end (Gardner/Mammoth) of Yellowstone being 2nd. Nobody has said a lot about the Tetons. We saw a fair number of elk when we were there about 12 years ago. That was in summer and most of them were 700-1000 yards out.

I guess the truth is there are plenty of photo opportunities in all these beautiful locations. Capturing elk in rut has been a desire for a very long time.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far.

Jeff S.
 
If I had a one time trip to photograph Elk, Rocky Mountain Park would be tough to ignore.

Demodave, I have looked at your online gallery before, very nice world class photography that puts wildlife in the best light. (y)
Thanks for the kind words! I need to spend alot more time on the website, its a work in progress. I spend way more time taking pics

I'm over a year behind on post processing


Thanks again
 
Thanks for the kind words! I need to spend alot more time on the website, its a work in progress. I spend way more time taking pics

I'm over a year behind on post processing


Thanks again
I can relate to being behind on post processing. I'm also about 5 months behind on keyword tagging. However, the whitetail deer rut has been pretty fun around here this year.
 
Thanks for the kind words! I need to spend alot more time on the website, its a work in progress. I spend way more time taking pics

I'm over a year behind on post processing


Thanks again
I understand how it goes, but it is a nice website. It's been over 20 years since I lived in Summit county but I remember how beautiful it is in Colorado. :cool:
 
Something to be aware of is that at Grand Teton they do an annual killing of the elk in the park and this year it started on November 7. The elk as with the bison, compete aganist the needs of the cattle ranchers and the ranchers always win. At least the reintroduction of the wolves has had a very positive impact on the parks as they move around more and do not overgraze as they have in the past.

There are also fall burning in the park that starts at the end of October. In 2019 more than 100 piles along the Pacific Creek Road were burned. Not good for ones lungs or photography. At least it is scheduled so one can know in advance that visibility will be poor.

At Grand Teton the visitor count was much higher with people going to the national parks for their recreation. October 2019 there wree 186K visitors and this past October it was more than 351K visitors.
 
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