Washington Muzzleloader question.

[6 Point]

I am going to be hunting Unit 108 and 111 for deer and Elk Oct 6-12.  Will the Elk be done with the rut by Oct 6th?/  Or should i take the bugle and try to call in a bi boy??  108 has either sex, but 111 is Bull only, so if all else fails guess i could take a cow.  Never been up there before, but am told there are many animals.

[kirkl]

I think they will be singing big time then. I drew a big bull tag in 2000 for rifle and we scouted during the muzzleloader season and they were bugling all over here in yakima.

[jackelope]

you should have a hard time finding the elk in those units IMO. people spend a lot of time trying to get a handle on those animals and i know there's a couple guys on here that know them, but they are not easy to find and i wouldn't say there's lots of them either. i've never seen elk in 3 years of turkey hunting up there.
that said...they might still be buigling, and the bugle doesn't take up much space or weight, so carry it along. whats the worst that could happen??

[Lincoln4]

I've hunted deer there for 8 seasons and have never seen an elk.  Some sign, but no animals.

[boneaddict]

They will be FULL RUT during that time.  I calll them in as late as the second week of November.  You are asking a great deal though.  THERE ARE NOT a large number of animals.  Its almost a secretive society to know where the elk are there.  TRUST ME if it were easy then every serious hunter on here would be over there trying to get one of those bulls.  Not everywhere you can go and shoot a big bull without a permit.  Even if I knew right where they were last year, they wouldn't be there this year.  They move around and are in small pockets.  If the private ranch you are hunting has them then I would concentrate on them or around them.  Thats a huge problem with most of us as the elk are on private stuff.  Most don't have access and have to guard our little secret places closely.