Every fall, hundreds of elk gather for an age old battle of brute force and sheer willpower. In Central Montana, the Slippery Ann Wildlife Viewing Area on the Charlie Russell draws bulls and cows alike for the rut. Bulls battle not 20 yards from the road and bugles roar so loud, onlookers’ ears ring. Many of the bulls leave maimed, with stab wounds and broken horns. None the less, people from near and far, treat this event as a ritual, returning year after year. For any Rocky Mountain Elk lover, this is an spectacle that should be on your bucket list. If you plan to make the trip, click here for information on travel and where to stay.
Each year there is a different bull elk in charge. This year, while all the bulls were dandies, there were three that really stood out. The broken horned bull, the wide 5×6, and the almost perfect 7×7. These three bulls showed for great footage you will see in the video. After counting, there were probably 30 bulls that we could see at one time, plenty more that we could hear in the timber that never showed. Most were good 6×6’s that anywhere else would be giants. It is only due to the size of the massive bulls that they seemed small.
Just as most say, a video or photo can’t do it justice, but we hope ours came pretty close. If you enjoyed our video, we would really appreciated your vote.
