Traffic jams aren’t ideal… but an elk-induced traffic jam is at least a bit more bearable.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have that be a realistic scenario. Wild elk are only found in 28 states in the United States, and it’s estimated that over 280,000 elk live in Colorado. That population estimate is actually enough to give the state the honor of housing the largest concentrated population of elk in the world.
And where there are herds of elk, there are occasional elk traffic jams.
I’d be preaching to the choir if I sat here and said, “Traffic sucks, am I right?” We all know that, and we’re all very much aware of the road rage that can be caused from slowing to a stop when you’re supposed to be moving. It just might be the most infuriating thing a human can experience.
But if beautiful, wild animals like elk are to blame, would you say that makes sitting in traffic any more tolerable? Obviously you’d have to be a crazy person to stop and admire a herd of Nissan Altimas holding things up in front of you. That’s a given. Though I’d argue that if it’s dozens of elk that are holding things up, the majestic element of nature might make the delay easier to digest.
In this video shared by Good Bull Guided, a herd of over one hundred elk were funneling down onto a roadway from a rocky hillside. The animals were having to clear fences on both sides of the roadway, and in typical elk fashion, they were all following along in what’s very close to a single file line.
Unlike some other videos where we’ve seen elk herd moving at full-sprint speed (they can run at 40 to 45 miles per hour, by the way), this grouping of antlered and non-antlered animals didn’t seem to be in a hurry. I hope those behind the wheel being held up by this herd were in a similar mindset.
“A herd of over 100 elk crossing the road this evening! The migrations are happening!”
That’s “put it in park and get comfortable” traffic right there.
Good Bull Guided mentioned that “migrations are happening” in the caption for the footage. They are actually referring to the Fall Migration, which is one of two periods of the year that elk are known to move in masses. From October to December, elk move to lower elevation in search of more sustainable food sources (frost in the higher elevations doesn’t do them any favors in terms of grazing).
The other time that elk herds are on the move is during Spring Migration (which typically happens during April and May). That’s when they return to higher elevation ranges in search of fresh, green vegetation. Both periods of migration are, obviously, motivated by the weather and, thus, food availability.
So keep that in mind if you are out in “Elk Country” during migration seasons… your travel could very well be held up by the travel of hundreds if not thousands of elk.
