Do Bull Elk \'Play\' With Each Other?

[cohunter14]

This is kind of a silly question, but we have all seen bull elk fight each other. Head down, antlers up, and go at it. My question is, do they ever do this just messing around with each other and not really fighting?

Here are some pictures from a trail cam with the date (August 26th) on them. The reason I ask is that this trail camera never turned up a picture of a cow elk, only bulls. We also had a newer hunter in our group a few years ago, of course with a cow tag, watch a couple bulls lock antlers during first rifle season in what he described as \'messing around\'. If you saw these pictures with this date on them, would you assume cows must be around as well?

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[cohunter14]

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[Tdiesel]

Short answer yes. Bulls spar as soon as their horns harden I think and even see it go on in January or February when we have been scouting where elk will shed if they are serious it\'s definetly a different atmosphere than when they are just sparring.

 

[iccyman001]

Derek, what you have trail camera pictures of, I watched at 20 yards full draw last year.
They were just sitting there playing around.

So similar to what Tod said, yes!
With other animals they do it to strengthen their muscles leading up to the rut.

 

[Deertick]

At the Elk Refuge near Jackson just this February, I watched a lot of bulls sparring. The big ones -- not so much. The rag horns -- knocked antlers a lot. They looked bored more than angry.

I\'m not sure, though, that this is the same sparring done in August.