You never quite know what is going to walk out in front of you while driving through Jasper National Park.

 

This massive bull elk appeared beside the highway with an impressive rack and let out a call before making his way toward the road. I backed up to give him plenty of room as he crossed directly in front of our car.

 

 

Those calls were the part that got us. 

 

He called before crossing the highway and then again once he reached the other side. From inside the car, the sound seemed almost prehistoric. It turned an already incredible Jasper wildlife sighting into one of those road trip moments we definitely won't forget.

 

 

There was another reason to give this guy plenty of room. We encountered him during elk rutting season.

 

Parks Canada lists Jasper's elk rut from September 1 to October 15. During this fall mating season, bull elk can become extremely aggressive while protecting females and their territory. Visitors should stay at least 30 metres away from elk and never position themselves, or their vehicle, between a bull and the females in his herd.

 

 

Bears may get most of the attention in the Canadian Rockies, but here's a surprising wildlife fact.

 

A 2026 study looking at aggressive large-mammal encounters recorded in Canadian national parks and historic sites from 2010 to 2023 found that elk were involved in 62.6% of the encounters studied. Grizzly bears accounted for 14.4% and black bears for 13.1%.

 

So yes, that beautiful bull elk deserves a lot of respect.

 

 

Elk are commonly seen along roadways, in open valleys and even around the Jasper townsite. They may be used to seeing people, but they are still wild animals. If you encounter wildlife while driving through Jasper National Park, stay inside your vehicle, give the animal room to move and avoid blocking its path.

 

 

From elk and bighorn sheep to bears and other Rocky Mountain wildlife, Jasper National Park offers some pretty unforgettable wildlife sightings. Sometimes all you have to do is be driving down the highway at the right moment.

 

Adventure Seeker Andrea/Adventures with Ange