Caribou crossing the Susitna River during the autumn rut, Alaska

© Tim Plowden/Alam

Time to make an impression. Caribou rutting season in Alaska

It’s that time of year when Alaskan caribou are beginning to feel a little frisky. From late September until early November, males will be strutting their stuff, locking antlers with one another, and competing for the attention of females in hopes of furthering the species. Successful males will mate with 15-20 females a season. After the rutting season, males will shed their antlers while females keep theirs until spring. In today’s photo, we’re looking at some caribou in southcentral Alaska crossing the Susitna River.