New Early Archery Elk Season...?

[popeshawnpaul]

Tell us what you think.  We worked hard to get this season for bowhunters and wanted to hear your feedback on the new season dates that run later into September.  Was it cooler?  Were you more successful?  Were the elk "talking" more?  I know we had fire issues this year and that likely effected people somewhat.  Thanks!

[D-Rock425]

We seem to have more people in our area this year.

[krout81]

cooler for sure.  In the area I hunt there are a lot of people and the bulls have not been vocal for many years.    I had high hopes that the later season would make the last week echo in the woods, but only heard one bull bugle on opening day.  Saw him 3 more times,  after that but he never made a peep.  Might have been because I hit him in the brisket opening day, but in years past bulls bugled from every hole even early on.  I blame pressure more than the season dates for less bugling.

[2MANY]

How about if you talk you die??

Perhaps we are systematically weeding out the talkers and replacing them with a herd of mutes?

[mburrows]

I liked the later season. Was unsuccessful but was in a completely new area.

[X-Force]

I like the season change. As a guy who almost always had to work the first week of the season it was good to be able to be out there with everyone else on opening day. It was crowded for sure but almost everyone can make a Saturday opener.

I also like the tail-end of the season because by Monday or Tuesday 99% of people went home and the last day or 2 were quiet except for elk bugling.

[JimmyHoffa]

cooler for sure.  In the area I hunt there are a lot of people and the bulls have not been vocal for many years.    I had high hopes that the later season would make the last week echo in the woods, but only heard one bull bugle on opening day.  Saw him 3 more times,  after that but he never made a peep.  Might have been because I hit him in the brisket opening day, but in years past bulls bugled from every hole even early on.  I blame pressure more than the season dates for less bugling.

There were LOTS of people running around scouting and bugling probably a week and a half before the season even opened.  Guys out checking every hole with big uptick in pressure starting Sep 1 or so.  The end of the bow season had tons of guys with muzzy tags doing the same thing. 

[krout81]

  Yes.  We talked a few people that they came in to scout and there was people in the woods "deer hunting" with bugles for the first week of the month doing exactly that.

[kentrek]

I liked it...we got our butts kicked but had unbelievable vocal elk...if you had a bad time its not because of the dates

Keep it later !!

[pianoman9701]

I like the later dates but wasn't able to hunt much this year do to outside influences. It was just as warm, but I don't think that'll be the case most years. This has been an odd year.

[Mxracer532]

The later the better, infact I would love it if it were moved back another week. The bulls are still screaming on the east side last weekend.

[TheHunt]

I liked it.  I harvested an elk opening morning. They were screaming in my area and I called for some newbies which was a lot of fun. 

[Casey]

I liked it they were talking all day opening day but every day after that it was a calf that would answer. Or they would come in quite witch happened to us and we missed a bull.

[Roosevelt]

For me it was a much better season.  The elk were more vocal.  Most of the bigger bulls had cows which made it a different challenge than the previous seasons.  I never hunted a single day of the season without hearing a bugle.

[Jonathan_S]

I like the later dates better.  If I look at the small picture, I killed a bull last year in early season but not this year.  I am able to recognize though that the later dates will be better in the long run.

[jstone]

LOVED IT

[dreamingbig]

I liked it despite the drought and unusual conditions.


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[huntingbaldguy]

Opening day i ran into muzzy hunters scouting too.  And lazy quad people ruining every possibility for elk coming out to stretch their legs.  Then of course i got an opportunity by complete chance and blew it, but hey, it is what it is.  First archery season, so nothing to really compare it to here.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Better season than before.  The starting date makes it tough.  We need a season like Idaho 30 days straight.  Spread the guys out.  With all the permits the land we hunt was packed.  All new guys to the area.  They all said it was first year there and they had all come from permit areas. Super crowded.  Last year for a archery elk camp in WA for me.  Just too much effort and too little opportunities.  Same effort applied in better states and oppurunity will be plenty.

[motg9_6]

definetly cooler fires played a huge part as already stated but I scored good this years as well as a couple buddies! not talking as much as i would have hoped tho

[snarkybull]

I am glad that the 12th is the latest starting date possible on the new regime.  I really prefer somewhere around the 8th.  Next year is the 10th, and I'm happy with that.   Sep. 2 last year was miserable and hot, so this is better.

[cle elum bowhunter]

Got my elk third day of the season.  Cool that entire day with even a few snow flakes falling around lunch time.  No yellow jackets or flies which was fantastic.  Better than the earlier opener but seemed like a lot more people in the woods this season.  Bugling was dependent on which drainage we were in.  The further down in we dropped from the roads, the better the activity got but that would be expected.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

This year has been unseasonably warm.  I have had yellow jackets into late October this year.  I was in the lowlands, but late October isn't right to still be 70. 

[hoof rot]

I liked it and was successful, just wish archery deer was the same dates so the deer hunters wouldn't push out the elk before season, but u cant have it all.....

[ouchfoss]

I liked the later opening date this year but its hard to gauge whether it was better than other years. Not sure how the weather was else where but locally this was the rainiest and wettest early archery that I can ever remember. Made stalking thru the woods much easier but bugling for locating bulls was almost impossible for at least 8 of the days because you couldnt hear anything over the rain. Not sure how the opening date might play into it but bulls were not talking here either. I heard two bugles all season that were for sure from a bull. Called in and bugled back with several other hunters though.  And that brings up the other difference for this season. Far more people in the woods than I have seen in probably 15 years at least. Thats not to say that elk werent getting tagged though. My friends camp of 4 guys notched all their tags by the end of the first week. I didnt do as well. I tried some new areas that were showing many bulls on trail cams the first week of September but when season started they seemed to vanish. I called in one dink 4x4 in the heavy rains one day and screwed up my only chance for a shot. I really like the later opening date and hopefully the weather will be more normal and drier for me to take advantage of next year.

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

it was fine, oddly enough it was my first year in a while not shooting a bull, my issue is the length.. not the start date.... oregon gets a month, idaho gets a month.. we get 12 days..... ill gladly trade late cow hunts for a long early season.