The best time of the year! September and early October is the elk rut—their mating season—and their calls to each other echo across the valleys as they gather against backdrops of gold, red, and orange. I find elk to be endlessly fascinating creatures in terms of their behavior and characteristics, let alone how strikingly beautiful they are, too. Over the years, I’ve made numerous trips to Estes Park, CO, a prominent breeding ground for these animals, and here is a collection of my favorite pictures!