In 36 years of elk hunting I have hunted elk pretty much on every day from Sept 1st through Janurary 15th.
Every hunt is different.
I have seen 90 degree weather, and hail, snow, thunder and lightning.
The timing of the rut is dependant on photoperiod, but the elks vocalization has more to do with weather and pressure than anything else.
It is an established fact that most cows become impregnated during the last week of September and the first week of October, dependent on the maturity of mature breeding age males.
The more mature Bulls are ready to breed in August, yet this is during the "display" period, most vocalization is meant to advertize and establish territory.
The bulls that come in early are cautious and curious.
Pre-rut (late August and early September) dictates more patience and less agression.
During the middle to late September it might be easier to find elk, but actually getting them to commit is more problematic.
Most hunters dont understand elk behavior well enough to find them without the benefit of vocal animals, why late September and early October is when they want to hunt them.
They live in the woods 24/7/365 and if it was easy everyone could fill a tag.
I just dont want to lose the number of days I get to hunt them.
As soon as "the little green army" starts chasing them they head for their core areas, mature animals are conditioned to migrate to these areas.
Sure, these spots are sometimes far away from roads, yet there are always a few that find little pockets to hide in.
Check the harvest statistics, SOMEONE always fills their tags, season timing has very little effect on total harvest.
What is DOES affect is the age class of those animals harvested.
The WDFW has the unpopular job of making it as easy to harvest an animal as they can while allowing a cross section of age classes to survive for the good of the whole herd.
Having a later season will not change my chances of harvesting an elk, it will increase my chances of harvesting a mature elk.
Balancing total harvest while maintaining mixed genetics is why "the rut" is so variable, the young bulls are more accessable during the pre-rut, while the older bulls are more accessable during the peak.
Archery seasons have been cut back because of this phenomenon, Modern seasons have been moved back for the same reason, Muzzleloder units have been restricted to balance escapement.
I hope for a later season because I want a fair chance at a mature bull, but do not want to lose days afield.
As long as it remains no fewer than 13 days, I will be grateful to hunt with a bow.
If I lose any of those season days, I will hunt elswhere because it is the days of Elk Camp that are precious to me, the animals are there, you just need to be able to adapt to the changing circumstances.
