Elk Bugling in July

[mburrows]

The hunting partners and I were out scouting this weekend, checking old spots and looking for new honey holes, etc.  My buddy and I got out of the truck at one of our favorite spots and after an hour of exploring and checking for sign we heard a faint, very high pitched bugle.  At first we were a little skeptical and then as we followed the sound we heard it several more times as well as a half dozen or so cows talking constantly.  In all it sounded like 2 or 3 bulls although we never saw them. The bugles were not like the ones I’ve typically heard, these ones were all very high pitched and short bugles (they didnt sound as intimidating as they do during the rut).  After an hour or so we finally found the cows and followed them into some heavy timber.  We were very cautious as we weren’t trying to put any unnecessary pressure on them.  This was my first time ever hearing a bugle outside of the rut, definitely made the scouting trip exciting and is going to make the wait for the opening that much harder to endure.

[grundy53]

Interesting. maybe some younger bulls messing around or establishing a pecking order.

[Elkterd]

Elk are very talkative animals, I have seen them bugle at thanksgiving on a hunt in Montana,( my partner shot a five point on that one), and in early Nov in Oregon my partner and I both shot our elk after hearing a bugle in a herd that we had been trailing in the snow for 5 hrs, also heard one bugle in the deer season on a western wa blacktail hunt in October, so, keep them ears open it is always nice to hear an elk bugle.....anytime 

[Old Man Yager]

Heard one once in November, during Westside late buck. It was amazing, he sounded off almost exactly 5 minutes apart each time. I snuck in, and realized I'd been duped. Don't know why the hell the guy was out there blowing, but I packed up and hunted somewhere else!!

[rosscrazyelk]

I have heard bugles every month of the year

[trophyhunt]

We heard two bugles yesterday in the backcountry, not humans either. Must have saw 30+ cows, it was a good day!  Last year on the crest trail looking into lt naches in June I heard a bull sound off about 5 times.

[tonymiller7]

I was up scouting in late June and heard one bugle.  I was pretty surprised.

[jackelope]

I've got trail cam picture of a bugling bull. I'll find it and post.  The picture was taken some time in the last month.

[PlateauNDN]

I have heard bugles every month of the year

   Like most other animals, they do communicate amongst each other outside of mating season.   I've heard them throughout the year as well and it's always a sound worth hearing.

[teanawayslayer]

We were up scouting little naches on Saturday and had a bull bugle also.

[kentrek]

ive only heard them from june until December so far......gona have to hit the woods more i guess to hear those Jan-may bugles


 

[Instinct]

Last year an this year I've heard em on 4th july weekend. I even hearrd em in January before

[MarkyMark]

I heard bugles in the middle of June on the 4-0.

[jordanramos_79]

I heard multiple bugle in May while hunting turkey.

[jasnt]

I heard multiple bugle in May while hunting turkey.

I bugle as a locator for turkey

[Sliverslinger]

I had a bull in my backyard going off for about 30 minutes straight on July 5th. I got out the tube and went back and forth with him for awhile (no need to avoid educating him- he comes to the apple tree 31 yards from my back door regularly, sometimes even when I'm outside).

[BUTTER]

There just playing I just try and make sure I leave my calls at home till it's go time

[mburrows]

Yeah I intentionally left my calls at home so I wouldnt be temped to try and chit chat/educate them.

[boneaddict]

This topic comes up every year.   THey are quite vocal animals and you can definitely hear them singing this time of year as you can all 365. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

One barked in my window the other morning ..I woke up and peeked threw the blinds ...IT WAS SPIKE .....

[mulehunter]

See them almost everyday.... But My both ears are not working.      

[boneaddict]

    

[jclancy]

I heard one down south while fishing with my family last weekend.. Thought it was strange but didn't hear anything else

[Mr Mykiss]

In July??

[Labredog]

Awesome picture!

[returnofsid]

Something to keep in mind, especially when you hear a bugle but don't see anything and it's a higher pitched or shorter bugle...

Cows bugle too.

[jackelope]

In July??

In July.

[jackelope]

Something to keep in mind, especially when you hear a bugle but don't see anything and it's a higher pitched or shorter bugle...

Cows bugle too.

Not like a bull though.

[PlateauNDN]

Short and high-pitched and fooled me the 1st time I heard them. Thought it was a young spike or something at first. Elk nut has recordings of cow bugle if you get his cd that will give you an idea of the difference.

[goat berries]

Shorter and typically with more of an "alarm" sound and feeling to it. Often accompanied by barks. May hear whistling and bugling from multiple areas in a short period of time as groups share the alarm, connection, and location calls.

[TMortensen]

2 weeks ago I heard a lot of elk talk from a herd of 60+ animals and there was bugles and cow talk but not the bugles you'd hear during the Rut. The whole herd was conversing back and forth. Was a really cool experience.

[greatnw]

Mulehunter, If you live in Hobart you probably have them in your back yard! I have a friend who has pictures of some awesome bulls in her backyard. Of course all her hunting friends want to camp out at her house. But she said by September they head back into the watershed and they don't see them for a long time.
My friend and I have tried to hunt the 454 several times and just can't seem to get anywhere near any fresh sign or bulls! My dad tells stories of working as a kid and later a heavy equipment hauler in the Cedar and Green River watersheds before it all got closed up. He was not a hunter. I would love to hunt the 485!!
OK, I have a friend who did a research paper on NW wildlife. He said the Roosevelt elk don't bugle like Rocky Mountain and he says he has observed it to be true. Quieter and meeker was the way he described the sound. Rather than come after you bugling he has watched them simply gather their cows and disappear. He changed the way he bugles and has had more close encounters. YMMV.

[HunterStrait]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPn9k5GWvzU

Bugling cow elk

[kodiak06]

I heard one bugling tonight... I know it's not July anymore, but it was a sweet sound to hear.

[Jonathan_S]

Saw a four-point bugle last late season in the Winston.  I've heard elk bugle in January.  I've never heard chuckles, it's usually just a scream.