When Elk Attack: Tips for avoiding aggressive elk

Filed in archive Outdoor News on June 7, 2008

Between bears attacking and cougars stalking, it never really occurs to most outdoor enthusiasts there could be danger from the herbivores that co-habit the trail. The reality is, between the spring rutting season and the spring calving season, most elk are extremely sensitive to humans and protective of their young.

I'm pretty prepared for what to do if we surprise a bear on the trail, and I know the signs a cougar might be in the area, but until I read this piece in the Rocky Mountain Outlook of Canmore/Banff, Alberta, Residents urged to be on alert for elk with calves, I'd never thought about aggressive elk and what I would do.

The article includes ways to spot aggressive elk gestures (including grinding teeth, raised hair and staring), and what to look for in an elk herd (female elk with newborn calves tend to isolate themselves from the herd, so if you spot a solo female elk on the trail, odds are good there's a newborn nearby), and what to do if they charge you (climb a tree, appear big, maintain eye contact). Please take a look if you're going to be near elk herds this spring.

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