JACKSON, Wyo. — Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer captured a bull elk proudly standing in all his glory in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
The bull’s breath lingering in the crisp morning air shows that dew has formed on the sage brush and grasses overnight. When the sky is clear at night and temperatures begin to drop, dew will form water vapors in the atmosphere, according to the National Ecological Observatory Network.
According to GTNP, the elk rut or mating season runs from late August or early September through mid-October. This bull elk appears to still be on the look-out for a harem or herd of cow elk.
The bull’s impressive rack will not fall off until the spring, immediately prompting his new antlers to grow. Antlers are made of solid bone and take about 140 to 160 days to grow. While they are actively growing, they are covered in a layer of skin and fine fur called velvet. This layer of skin is packed full of blood vessels that directly supply blood and nutrients to the growing bone, according to GTNP.
Next fall, the bull elk will undergo a hormonal change and his antlers will stop growing. During this time, blood supply gets cut off to the velvet and bulls will scrape their antlers against tree trunks to rip the skin off. Elk antlers can reach as far as four feet, with as many as seven or eight points on either side.
Next fall, when this bull’s antlers grow into bone, he will proudly stand again in preparation for another rut.
