Even in a landlocked state such as Colorado, you can hear orca whales singing in the mountains.

Okay, actually those would be the elk bugling.

I remember going on a 4th grade evening field trip to Estes Park to hear the elk bugle. At the time, while I remember thinking the bugling was majestic (it is), I couldn't even comprehend (nor should I have comprehended) that the elk were pursuing the baby-making process. September through mid-October before sunrise to mid-morning and afternoon to sundown is the best time to hear the elk bugle in Estes Park. This period marks mating season, and bull elk are basically showing off their pipes in a series of grunts and bugles to attract the ladies.

Even so, it's still worth the trip to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park to see the elk - adding this once-a-year ritual of theirs is the cherry on top of the experience (in a weird kind of way).

With all this hype surrounding the elk, I also figure it would be a good time to share with you what elk bugling sounds like:

I told you they sound like (mountain) orca whales. 

The Coloradoan says the prime places to watch and listen to the elk in Rocky Mountain National Park include Moraine Park, Horseshoe Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Harbison Meadow, and Holzwarth Meadow. In Estes Park, you can get a good view at the golf course and near Estes Park High School on the east side of town.

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