ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo.—When it comes to viewing the elk during the fall rut, finding a sparring, bugling and romancing herd can be as easy as spotting a line of slow-moving and parked cars. However, for an education in the natural spectacle, look for the volunteers in the orange vests standing on the sidelines of the elk show.
Each autumn, as thousands of visitors travel to Rocky Mountain National Park from around the globe, the Elk Bugle Corps volunteers trail the animals to educate the crowd and keep everyone—elk and people—safe.
“We have the best job in the world,” said Mary Bowman, who has been volunteering with the group for about five years. “We get to watch elk and talk to nice people.”
The volunteer group was founded almost 20 years ago when watching wildlife began growing in popularity, said Rocky Mountain National Park ranger Sue Langdon.
While the meadows had been closed to human foot traffic since the 1970s, spectators were still disrupting the elk and the viewing experience with vehicle traffic, including honking horns, bright headlights and dangerous driving.
The Elk Bugle Corps was created to accompany the elk, keeping the scene quiet and the traffic under control.
Today, while visitors know to shut off their headlights and avoid slamming car doors, the Elk Bugle Corps still is on the sidelines to guide traffic, answer questions and keep everyone safe.
“We’ve never had any visitor get hurt during rut, and I really do credit it to (the groups’) presence out there,” Langdon said.
“They do a wonderful job with our visitors. We couldn’t do it without them.”
On a recent Wednesday evening, a line of about 30 vehicles parked on the road lining Moraine Park as visitors gathered with binoculars and cameras to watch the herd.
Among the crowd of people was Elk Bugle Corps volunteer Bowman, who seemed almost as popular as the animals in the field.
Six visitors stood around the Bowman, asking questions about the scene in front of them—from how the male elk spar to the new elk birth control program.
The Fort Collins volunteer, who trails the elk once a week, answered each question with ease.
While she often gets quirky questions—including when deer turn into elk (they don’t)—Bowman said she loves to help answer them all.
“It’s so exciting to be out here with the elk,” she said. “It’s the whole atmosphere out here. It’s so beautiful.”
Down the road, Donna Rolston was answering questions for curious visitors, too, chatting with Michigan’s Sherri Bower about the female elk’s behavior.
Before she left, Bower said Rolston was a great help.
“You can learn a lot from the volunteers out here,” she said.
Rolston started volunteering with the group 11 years ago as a way to help the park she enjoys so much.
“I just wanted to give something back to this beautiful piece of heaven,” she said.
And as a former teacher, educating the public about the elk was a perfect fit.
“This is the best classroom I’ve ever had,” she said. “I learn something new every time I come out here.”
And the natural beauty of the elk is something that everyone should be able to enjoy, she said.
“This is for all of us.”
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