In autumn, bull Roosevelt elk in the Hoh Valley bugle, producing a far-carrying, high-pitched call that drops into grunts as they compete for mates during the rut. The river-bottom meadows are prime habitat, and dawn and dusk offer the best chances to hear and see the elk during this dramatic seasonal behavior.
If you're driving the Hoh in the fall, roll a window down and listen for the strangest sound in these woods, a high, eerie, rising whistle that breaks into deep grunts. That's a bull elk bugling, calling out his challenge across the river bottoms in the rut. It carries a long way through the mist, and the first time you hear it the hair stands up on your neck. The bulls are gathering harems and squaring off now, heavy antlers and all. Watch the meadows at dawn and dusk, and let your ears do the hunting.
Photo: DeVos Max · CC BY-SA 4.0
