The symphony that is the sound of nature is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever not put to paper. The complexity and intricacy of the song is so passively subtle it is often not recognized for its masterful ability to create a mood, evoke an emotion or simply bring a calming sense of peace. Whether it be the gentle whisper of wind accompanied by the distant call of a singing wren, or the passively tranquil and persistent rhythm and melody of a gently flowing stream, the sounds of nature are truly the refrains of the music of life.

The music changes with the seasons as movements of the symphony, and different “instruments” come and go as they are needed for their part in the grand concert. The song of the robin signifies the beginnings of spring and the turn from the cold grip of winter’s end to the emergence of new life in the slowly warming sunlight.

Here in the mountains, the cacophony of raging waters signifies the transition from spring into summer as the creeks and streams bellow forth their might, swollen with the waters of newly melted snows rushing to bring life to the lands below. It makes one wonder if it is the members of the grand orchestra that call the tune, or is it the seasons themselves that guide the song. A scientist would say (and not be wrong), that it is merely the sun and our interactions with it as we make yet another lap around its glory. I say it is all of the above.

There is one bit of the symphony that to my own ear makes and defines a seasonal transition more strongly than any I have ever encountered in my life here in the mountains, the keening wail that is the bugle of our majestic elk. All manner of instruments come to mind when it is autumn’s chance to shine in the symphony, but the wild call of these creatures carrying through a pine forest or across a great valley on a chilly evening in late September “really brings the autumnal room together” (to use a great fictional philosopher’s parlance).

Elk bugle for all manner of reasons, and at all times of the year. My own first time hearing it was in mid-summer while camping in our grand back yard. It was not a fall experience in any way. In that case it was simply communication from a few bulls keeping in contact as they went their way through the dense wood, likely trying to let each other know where they were while trying to avoid the humans. Cows also sometimes bugle when birthing. Elk are quite vocally diverse in their communications, but it is the bugle that truly defines them and sets them apart. It is the bugle of the rut that sets the tone for the segue into the lilting refrains of autumn.

This long and raspy wail, often closely followed by a sort of “chuckle” is the quintessential “central theme” of the seasonal song. For the bulls, it is usually a declaration of presence and prowess. It is not only a signal of strength used to attract a willing cow, but also a sign to any other bulls to either keep a distance or be prepared to battle.

Hunters and naturalists have learned what we believe to be subtle differences in the calls that attach meaning to the bugle. A shorter call is often used to keep a harem together, or display discontent with straying cows. The longer calls and chuckles are generally used to denote strength and willingness to fight. These may evoke a sort of call and response among bulls in a given area as they each vie for their place in this grand ritual for the right to carry on their lineage.

However, the call may be defined by animal or observer, it is the voice of the music that brings me to a place of awe and comfort in the changing of the season. For myself, it is the grand yet solitary and soulful operatic crescendo of nature’s symphony before drifting into the quiet and introverted movement of winter. To sit out on an outcropping of rock high above a forest valley, listening to the keening wail carried on a gentle, chilly breeze as the evening sun sinks below the western horizon brings me a sense of solitary peace and contentment, an internal reflection and meditation on the grandeur of this beautiful place I am blessed to call home.

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