I mentioned in an earlier post that injuries are common in rut battles. Some are superficial and some are a lot more serious.

In this image you can see the blood streaming out of the bulls left eye. I didn't get a shot of that side of the bull but I was told by another photographer that did that the eye appeared to be badly injured and possibly even lost.

While this is an injury that the elk could survive, add the rigors of the rut, the testosterone driven state of the bull and the lack of nutrition during this period and the seriousness is multiplied.

If you add the possibility of infection, and the lack of ability to see from that side of his head this could very easily be a fatal wound. As winter approaches this bull could be in for an even more monumental fight for his life...