There was a lot of activity in terms of wildlife sightings at Horseshoe Park. The highlight was the large bull moose seen at Sheep Lakes grazing on aquatic plants. He definitely had the largest antlers I’ve ever seen on a moose in Colorado, with small patches of velvet still present. We also spotted a group of 5 turkeys alongside the road. Michael and I came to monitor the turkeys in case they wanted to cross the road. We were equipped with safety vests and handheld stop signs in the event we had to regulate traffic for the turkeys to cross safely. Luckily, the birds went their way up the mountain away from the road. That moment was special because it made me feel ready to aid animals who need people like me to help them cross the street. 

Our final sighting for the evening was a bull elk. He lay perfectly still like a statue from afar in the meadow. The velvet was completely gone from his antlers, indicating they are fully grown. As we watched the lone male elk, we heard an elk bugle in the distance. I was unable to see the source of that specific bugle, but imagined it came from another bull elk with a herd he was defending from another male. The bugle of the elk I heard was magical because it was a sign that summer was long gone and that fall had finally arrived to Rocky Mountain National Park.