Antler-clashing, elk-bugling end-of-summer fun for the whole family

Nature’s calling. And before backpacks are loaded with supplies, before lunches are made, before school bells ring, there’s a glorious end-of-summer celebration at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

Get Out of the Rut is a Labor Day Weekend celebration of elk, bison, deer and bighorn sheep during their mating season, also known as the “rut.”

The event lasts all weekend, from Saturday, Sept. 5 through Monday, Sept. 7.

Visitors can learn why elk bugle, what the clashing of antlers means and what it takes for a bull to assert dominance.

What does a bugling elk sound like? Here’s the link to a clip: nwtrek.org/rut/

Northwest Trek’s trams carry visitors through meadows and forests, past herds of Roosevelt elk, American bison, bighorn sheep, deer and other animals. You might catch a glimpse of the moose calf born July 17 during Northwest Trek’s 40th birthday weekend. There are also bison calves, bighorn sheep lambs, fawns, a caribou calf, and other babies to see.