Bull Elk With Harem

Harems of elk are common during mating season. The elk rut or breeding season generally runs from September to mid October. At this time, the mature bulls drive the spiked and young bulls from the herd and begin bugling to attract cows to form harems. The herd splits into a number of small harems dominated by mature bull elk.
A dominant male will have a herd of around 5 to 20 or more females and their yearlings. The male will defend his territory around the females until mating season is over.
During the rut, bull elk engage in a number of mating behaviors, including posturing, antler swinging, tree and brush thrashing, sparring (which is the most exciting behavior to watch) and, of course, the bugling and barking. The bugling may be heard for miles and is the main technique that bulls use to communicate dominance. Cows are attracted to bulls that bugle the most and loudest. Thus, bulls must bugle frequently. Bulls also urinate on the ground and roll in the urine soaked soil, coating their fur with an unique fragrance in hopes of attracting cows. It is said that the cows select the bulls, which may be true, but a cow that has joined a harem is not free to leave at will. The bull uses herding techniques to prevent cows from leaving and joining a rivals harem.

Although the bull may be considered the "boss" of the harem, it is the older, mature cows that are the leaders. A bull’s harem typically consists of 15-20 cows, but may consist of as many as 30. Only prime, mature bulls have large harems. Neither Young (2-4yrs) nor aged (11+ yrs) bulls have harems and instead spend their time during the rut on the periphery, attempting to breed with cows that stray beyond the watchful eye of the dominant bull. The harem-less bulls constantly try to sneak in to the harem to breed or challenge the dominant bull for his harem. They may even "gang up" on the dominant bull so that one can challenge him to a sparring match as the others rush the harem, seeking a cow to breed.  

Rival bulls will challenge dominant bulls by bellowing, standing parallel to the dominant bull, pacing back and forth, and thrashing their antlers and swinging their head. This posturing allows the bulls to assess each other's antlers, body size, strength, and fighting prowess. This posturing becomes almost a non-stop event in the evening to dusk hours. A single rival bull will make repeated posturing moves and new rival bulls will join in, keeping the dominant bull on guard. If neither bull backs down they charge forward and engage in antler wrestling or sparring. Often, when two bulls pair off, the commotion attracts a third bull to charge in and challenge the winner. The sparring usually only lasts for a few seconds with the loser retreating. The sparring takes place in what I call a "gentlemen's agreement." The bulls nod their heads prior to rushing forward, as if agreeing to the rules of combat. In most cases, little injury results from the encounter apart from a bruised ego or an antler thrust into the rump of the loser as he retreats. Death rarely occurs.

During the rut, bulls also constantly roam from cow to cow sniffing rumps and sensing the air with their tongue to determine whether a cow is in estrus and ready to mate. If the time is right, the bull breeds with the cow. This constant need to manage, maintain and defend the harem and to breed requires enormous amounts of energy, and provides little time for bulls to feed. As a result, bulls will lose about 20 percent of their body weight by the end of the rut. This means that unfit bulls may not have the stamina to breed and may even struggle to survive the coming winter.

By mid October the rut ends and the mature bulls resume their solitary ways. The cows reform the herd, rejoined by the spiked and young bulls. Come winter, the herd migrates to their winter range. The older bulls often do not migrate. As spring approaches, the heard migrates back to its summer range. Pregnant cows leave the herd to calve, typically giving birth to one tan colored and spotted calf. They rejoin the herd when the calf is able to travel with the herd, usually in two to three weeks. In the summer, bulls either form small bachelor groups or roam as lone individuals. Bulls are non-territorial, and only establish and defend harems during the rut. 
(Information source - Purdue University on-line)

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