PARK CITY — The Hi Ute Ranch is in a rut, and that's a pretty groovy thing when you're raising a herd of elk.
"They're 'velveting' — shedding their velvet — and going through calcification, the hardening process for rutting," said Ben Buehner, 26, looking out on a herd of 35 bulls, the beginning of a budding commercial elk enterprise that will include hayrides, sleigh rides and educational outings for schoolchildren and Scouts.
"It's an exciting time for us up here watching the elk and getting involved with them," said Buehner, a Skyline High School graduate, who grew up partly in the Salt Lake area and partly in Maui, where he co-owned a scuba-diving shop before returning to his family's 2,000-acre ranch here as co-owner of the elk project.
Getting a few hoofbeats away from the herd is the main attraction, says Chris Denver, 45, owner of Royal Velvet Elk Ranch in Roosevelt, which provides the elk. He is in partnership with Buehner in the Hi Ute Ranch commercial elk project.
Denver said the main purpose of the venture is educational — to provide a family outing to "get up close and personal" with an elk herd.
"They're majestic animals. When an elk bugles at you, it makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. It's music to my ears," Denver said.
And Buehner acknowledges the Olympics coming had something to do with launching an elk ranch not far from where many events will take place.
"We hope people will want to come over and see a genuinely unique experience here," he said.
"Pretty soon they'll be making their calls for mating," said Buehner, adding that 35 to 40 cows will be coming into the herd next week, along with prize bull Chief Eagle Hawk and a rare albino elk. "They'll continue to establish dominance in the herd. It should be fascinating for people to come and watch."
Indeed, as he spoke, the largest bull in the current herd, wearing a red No. 500 tag, lowered his rack and locked it with that of a slightly smaller rival, No. 519.
After a modest bit of antler rattling and raking, 519 backed off, letting 500 know he was still numero uno in the local elks club.
Another bull came vigorously forward toward Buehner, just as he tossed a load of oats and corn through the 8 1/2-foot wire fence. Bobbing, then raising his head and nodding his rack, he stared straight at Buehner.
"It's false-charging. I'm letting him know not to false-charge me," Buehner said, raising his arms high to represent antlers.
The bull bent to browsing.
When No. 76 and No. 74 lowered their heads for an antler lock, Robyn Byer, Buehner's girlfriend, said, "It's funny, those are brothers and they behave just like any brothers. They're always kind of pestering each other.
"And the one brother, 76, is the biggest crybaby. He just sort of whines when we walk away."
"It's pretty tame stuff, actually, when you get right down to it," Buehner said. "They're really very gentle animals. They're just a little more worked up right now because of the rut, and then the next two months come the mating rituals.
"They're very easy for people to come around, and visitors will find that out when we take rides out among the herd," Buehner said, pointing toward the 50-acre enclosure surrounding the elk.
In preparation for greeting the public, Buehner and company have been refurbishing the front section of the large white Hi Ute barn, a familiar and highly visible landmark just off I-80, west of the Kimball Junction turnoff and along the south frontage road.
"This is where visitors will check in, and we'll have hot chocolate and stuff like that, like we always have had," Buehner said.
Up until now, the Hi Ute Ranch, in the Buehner family for "about 70 years," has been almost exclusively private-use, with some grazing and boarding rights extended to others.
"Family members have kept their horses up here and come just to hang out and roam around," said Buehner of the spread that works its way back from the highway in a southwesterly direction, over Rainbow Ridge, Murdock Peak and Paul's Peak toward Lamb's Canyon.
The main exception to family use in the past has been sleigh rides over the meadows toward the ridges.
Now the ranch will be opening for hayrides this coming weekend, Sept. 1-2, Denver said. He said prices will range from $8 to $15 for adults, depending on the activity. Entrance for kids 3 to 12 will be $6 to $12. Kids younger than 3 are free. There will be group rates, but prices haven't been set yet, Denver said.
Interested parties may call 1-435-658-1418 for upcoming information.
"These are all domesticated elk and definitely not for hunting. They have pretty significant bloodlines," said Buehner. "We've been excited about these elk coming onto our ranch from the get-go. I think other people will be just as pumped when they see them."
E-mail: gtwyman@desnews.com