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Editor's note: The linked video contains one instance of foul language at 01:59. Viewer discretion is advised.BENEZETTE, Pa. — Now that the rut is over, there aren’t as many reasons for elk to engage in the kinds of epic fights that we have featured earlier this fall. But bulls will be bulls, so there will always be some clashes.
A new video from Pennsylvania shows two elk doing battle in a snowstorm. The video begins with them already locking antlers. They then go at it for the next couple minutes, shrieking at each other like banshees.
As far as elk clashes go, this one is pretty tame. The bulls don’t appear to injure each other, and once their battle has concluded, they behave in a most civilized manner. While the victor calmly munches on some grass, the loser saunters off with his head held high.
The video was shot at a rental property in Pennsylvania called Camp Critter. According to Pennsylvania’s tourism website, it’s located in the heart of “Elk County,” an area where elk sightings are common.
Elk were once found throughout the state of Pennsylvania, but hunting and habitat loss completely wiped them out by the late 1800s. The state’s wildlife website reports that the reintroduction of elk began in 1913 and continued to 1926.
That original herd of 177 elk found a reliable haven in the Benezette area and it became their preferred home. The herd now numbers more than 800, making it the largest elk herd in the northeastern United States.
So it’s no wonder that clashes occur from time to time in Benezette, a place where the elk are so plentiful there’s even an Elk Country Visitor Center.
