Some pesky tourists got exactly what they had coming to them after getting way too close to a huge elk ... prompting it to put its antlers to good use by charging right at one of 'em!!!
The bull elk was just doing its thing in Estes Park, CO, and while several people were admiring the animal ... most kept a safe distance, at least compared to the eventual target.
The clip, shot last month, is crazy -- the elk surveys the gathered gawkers before it finally had enough ... some bystanders who were further away even cheered once it went antlers down and rushed at a guy.
The man who got chased was making noise to get the elk's attention, according to the person who filmed the incident. They also say the guy was fine afterward ... he got more of a warning than an all-out attack.
The team at Colorado Parks and Wildlife says more than 280,000 bull elk are in the state -- and they're only in Rocky Mountain National Park from September to October.
Park officials say people should keep up to 2 bus lengths away from these creatures.
Mess with the elk, ya get the horns!!!