BANFF – Residents and visitors are being reminded to play it safe as aggressive, horny bull elk begin rounding up females to breed.
While the sound of bugling elk is thrilling and their antlers an impressive sight, mature bulls become extremely belligerent and dangerous during the fall rut in September and into October.
“The bulls are going to be particularly aggressive as they fight for dominance over the female harems and their right to breed,” said Dan Rafla, a human-wildlife management specialist for Banff National Park.
“With an increased level of testosterone and aggression, they can certainly do damage if they feel you’re a threat to them, or the harem they’re trying to keep together, so people have to have their wits about them and give them a wide berth.”
During the mating season, bulls bugle and rub trees, shrubs and the ground with their antlers to attract cows and intimidate other bulls.
When bulls display their antlers and body, they are gauging each other’s fitness and ability to defend the right to mate with the cows. Sometimes, bulls will wage violent battles with other bulls for a harem.
To avoid a serious elk encounter, Parks Canada officials advise people to stay at least 30 metres away from elk and recommend against approaching the wild animals for "selfies" because bulls will charge and lash out with their antlers and hooves.
“People need to be more attentive, and never get in between females and the male because the males can easily look at you as a threat,” said Rafla.
In the past, bull elk have charged at vehicles parked between them and their cows.
“Sometimes the bull elk may see its reflection and charge and do quite a bit of significant damage,” said Rafla.
“Nobody gets hurt in that case, but you will incur some costs for repairs.”
Bull elk are also starting to rub velvet off their antlers in preparation for the rut.
Parks Canada asks residents to make sure there are no loose festive lights or wiring that could get tangled in the antlers of bull elk.
“At this time, they tend to be more animated and using their antlers as a threat display and they could get their antlers tangled,” said Rafla. “We’ve seen that several times over the years.”
Parks Canada provides the following tips on how to avoid and handle elk encounters: Travel in groups, watch for elk and detour around them, stay back at least 30 metres, keep dogs on a leash and carry bear spray. If an elk gets too close, act dominant and try to appear larger than you are.
“Pick up a stick or branch, wave arms and a jacket,” said Rafla.
If you are knocked down or fall, get up and try to move to cover or use an object to protect yourself.
“If charged – and hopefully this doesn’t happen – get something between you and the elk, like a tree or a car. Do not play dead,” said Rafla.
Any elk sightings in town should be reported to the Banff resource conservation office at 403-762-1470.
Rafla said wildlife personnel work diligently to keep elk out of town, regularly patrolling the townsite.
“We really want visitors and residents to call in elk sightings, particularly in the townsite, because we really want to avoid them becoming habituated and leading to conflicts,” he said.
“It’s really important for us to haze them back to their established territories where they intermingle with the wolves and coyotes and cougars and not potentially risk drawing those animals into the townsite.”
