Ever seen an elk pee on its own face? Nah, I didn’t think so…
Living in Wisconsin, elk aren’t exactly a popular species around here, although due to conservation efforts and relatively low predation rates, there is more elk than you would think. Believe it or not, we actually have a large enough population to sustain an elk season in the Badger State, with just a handful of tags available each year.
Elk were eliminated from Wisconsin in the 1880s due to over-hunting and habitat loss, however they were reintroduced in 1995, and then a few times again from 2015-2019. Mostly found in either the Clam Lake region and Black River region, the elk population is now over 500, which allows for a hunting season in both northern and central Wisconsin.
Of course, if you grew up out west, where elk populations are much larger and sighting more prevalent, the sight of elk my not give you pause, but for most of us, we’re gonna stop and take pictures. Take Yellowstone National Park for instance, a place where folks travel from thousands of miles away to see elk.
Yellowstone is arguably the best place in the world to observe the North American elk. As the most abundant large mammal in the park, they are the undeniable lifeblood of the Yellowstone ecosystem, serving as the primary food source for the region’s apex predators and drastically shaping the landscape through their grazing. The Yellowstone elk population isn’t just one massive group; it’s divided into six to eight distinct herds. The overall estimation is about 10,000 to 20,000 in the whole park… depending on the season and winter survival rates.
While the rut, AKA the elk mating season, happens all over the park right now (from late August through October), Yellowstone offers a uniquely accessible viewing experience, particularly around the park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs. Elk essentially take over the lawns of the Mammoth area, and massive bulls will aggressively herd their harems right between the historic buildings.
Because the elk are so comfortable around the buildings, tourists often get too close. Park rangers have to actively manage crowds, as aggressive bulls will absolutely charge cars and people without hesitation. But it certainly makes for some up close viewing… although sometimes, you get a little more than you bargained for.
This group stumbles upon a magnificent specimen who lets out a bugle and then proceeds to stand up, and start… peeing on himself. On his own face even…
Yep, this ol’ elk had been sipping the horny juice. Truth is, rutting bulls will sometimes pee on themselves in order to douse themselves in their scent and attract females. My guy was just getting ready for mating season, and all of these onlookers were getting in the way. Thankfully we had the park ranger hilariously screaming at people to move along.
“Shot at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. The ranger soundtrack is great.”
You gotta love Yellowstone though, where else will an elk taking a leak on his own face cause a traffic jam?
Dumb Tourist Bugles At Rutting Bull Elk From 15 Feet Away
Not only illegal, but extremely stupid…
Video is surfacing yet again of a dumb tourist doing dumb things at Yellowstone National Park.
America’s greatest nature preserve spreads for nearly 3,500 miles across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho and is home to a countless number of incredible natural features and wild animals. This draws in over 3 million tourists per year who hope to spot a bison, hike a remote trail, and truly experience the most raw nature this country has to offer.
But the law of large numbers means that many people are going to lead to a significant number of bad decisions being made, the latest of which may just take the cake for dumbest of them all.
As hunters of pretty much any species know, calling animals to your location is a staple. From ducks, to deer, to turkeys, there’s no shortage of companies making calls to replicate all sorts of animal cries and elk hunting is no different.
The type of call varies depending on what you’re trying to sound like, but one of the most common calls mimics the bugling of a bull elk while in the rut. While I’ve never experienced this in person, videos alone prove it’s one of the most unique and incredible cries in all of the animal kingdom.
Here’s an example if you’ve never heard it or just want to hear it again.
It’s quite haunting, especially if you’re wandering around the woods and hear that nearby.
During mating season, called the rut, elk will bugle to signal their presence to females in the area, but it also alerts competitors that they have a challenge close at hand. Most bull elk don’t like this and will try to find the other bull elk and square off with them to take control of that area.
Well, a wonderful tourist at Yellowstone decided to bring his bugle call with him while roaming the park and spotted a massive bull elk off to the side of a parking lot. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. The idiot proceeds to walk 15 feet in front of the elk and start calling. As we discussed, elk generally take this as a challenge and prepare to throw antlers to defend their turf.
For some reason, this elk didn’t sprint over and stomp the man, who was of course recording everything on his phone, into oblivion, which he should be very grateful for, but for real what was the best case scenario there? Did you think he was going to do a little dance? Run in circles and put on a show?
Man, these people grind my gears, and since nothing bad happened, I’m sure he ran through the park continuing this insanely bad behavior.
Maybe everyone should have to sit through a class before visiting these national parks, because as we’ve seen time and time again, very bad things can happen quickly.
