A bull elk that is successful in winning a harem of cows and the right to breed them during the fall mating season expends enormous effort in the process. Much of the time during the rut is spent fighting off male rivals. The mating season ends as winter begins, the big bulls are thin and tired and weak and now must face the cold and starvation in the snow. Many of them are in such poor condition that they will not survive until spring.

This bull is exhausted and will not even stand to bugle his answer to the challenging bugle coming from the forest 300 yards away.