Opening weekend elk talk ?

[tritt007]

So , who thinks the elk will still be talking come the muzzy opener next weekend ? I think a cow call may be the ticket but im no expert . any other thoughts ?

[cougforester]

I'm not counting on it personally.

[ghosthunter]

I spent a entire day and night in Both Nile and Bethel sleeping in a tent cot both nights, put 300 miles on gravel roads between the two units got into elk, but no bugles.

[Mfowl]

For permit hunters, yes. General guys, no.

[tritt007]

Well thats comforting to hear lol . Im just going to tell myself there going to come running right in lol

[mitch184]

I'm guessing if they are going to talk, it's going to be in the middle of the night during that full moon on the first couple days of the season.

Although I'm not banking on them talking.  Not to say they won't come in to check out a bugle or cow call, but I kinda doubt they'll respond.

[tritt007]

Its only 4 days away , anybody seen or heard anything . I was around centralia yesterday and saw a small herd with a bull .

[zwickeyman]

They are screaming in Snoqualmie Valley big time. Bulls are really searching for the one cow

Muzzy guys are going to do well

Cow calls will be your friend

[tritt007]

Thats the best news ive heard all week zwickeyman ! Im hoping its a good season .

[ghosthunter]

Leaving about six hours. Be at Eagle Rock by 5 or 6.

Good luck all.

[JL]

I got a response using a cow call as a sort of immature bugle/scream on Saturday 8:45PM.

[tritt007]

More good news haha . good luck fellas hopefully we can all get it done ! Ill be leaving friday so hopefully my spots open lol

[RatRodMike]

Good luck to all you pumkin slingers out there.  I'll be in the woods Saturday and I'll have a cow call in my pocket.  Who knows?

[adamR]

Leaving about six hours. Be at Eagle Rock by 5 or 6.
Good luck all.

Not sure where you are going but if its Maloy canyon rd at the beginning of the rattlesnake its closed

[Cervid]

Called in at least one bull with a cow call last weekend, never put eyes on him though. Lots of bugling too.

[floatinghat]

Quiet from what I have heard in the SW area where I normally go.   

[dominknows]

There's been a few talking on the wetside since last weekend.

[tritt007]

Tommorows the day ! Good luck everyone !

[3dvapor]

Spent all night between Carson and yacolt.   Not one bugle.

[pd]

Tommorow's the day ! Good luck everyone !

Good luck to all the muzzleloaders.  Boy, I wish I could be with you.

Early archery was (mostly) a bust, just too dry, a lot of private forest closures or fire closures.  This past week has been clear at nighttime, with a beautiful full moon.  But today (in western WA) a cold front blew through, and the animals should be packed up for the night.

Tomorrow morning is going to be golden.  With the poor success of the bow hunters, I think the ML guys are just going to kill it tomorrow.

[cryder]

One more time !! Elk don't talk , or mew , or bugle , or grunt , or squeal anymore , it's just sounding the dinner bell and they have adapted to it , IN 90℅ OF THE TIME , Again with the Wayne Charlton thing , lost calf call is all you need anymore , or your just scarring them away , or telling them how lost in your own mind you are . So get out there before they raised the parking rates , or that slacked jawed yokel gets back from the dentist . Course if they were talking it wood go something like , hey Willber , that sounds like a good place to stay away from , yep Jedd , you and Clive stay away never know whatcha might catch , at least in my delusion .

[bobcat]

We hunted a unit near Challis, Idaho from October 1st through October 6th and there was absolutely zero rutting activity. Found a couple bulls and they were both by themselves, with no cows anywhere nearby. We bugled in the areas where we knew the bulls were and never got a response. I'm not sure if it's due to the early snow in mid-September? Or is the rut earlier at higher elevations? (We were hunting at 7500 to 8500 feet.) I was quite surprised that the rut was over after reading on here so often that our muzzleloader season gets the tail end of the rut.

[tritt007]

I didnt hear squat today . tried cow calling and some mild bugles and chuckles .

[Mallardmasher]

I saw one masher on a Rayanier RLU, leased unit, that I did not have access to. Five small groups of cows with no Bulls, and to small rag horns, munching I. A clear cut. No rut activity where I was on the coast

[tritt007]

Saw some cows with a couple spikes today that's about it .

[CLARKTAR]

I haven't heard a squeak since the rain on Friday night. All the elk seemed to vanish that I knew about also. Back to square one

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[Chukarhead]

Between morning and evening, I sat through five hours of bulls screaming bloody murder on Saturday on public land.  My buddy had to walk down a ridge after dark on Saturday night to help me pack meat, and he was all bent out of shape upon arrival because he had to walk for two miles with bulls screaming from the canyons on both sides of the ridge.  Over the course of the day I saw a few big bulls with harems of 6-12 cows and calves, and one group of 50+ head with a HUGE herd bull.  I also saw big bulls solo, and quiet.  If you didn't hear anything over the weekend, you may not have been around many elk.

[gee_unit360]

Bugled in a 6 point with 30 cows yesterday. East side. Wish I had a quality tag instead of spike only... 

[tritt007]

Chukarhead , you hunting east or west ? I almost sealed the deal on a nice 5x5 today thanks to the dropping snow level but couldn't quite make it happen . Other than that I've seen spikes and cows and haven't heard a peep hear in sw Washington!

[Chukarhead]

Chukarhead , you hunting east or west ? I almost sealed the deal on a nice 5x5 today thanks to the dropping snow level but couldn't quite make it happen . Other than that I've seen spikes and cows and haven't heard a peep hear in sw Washington!

East this year.   

My buddy hunted upper Winston and Lewis River and had plenty of bugling, too, so it wasn't just an eastern thing.  It's a bull density thing.  Lots of bulls, lots of bugling.

[Harleysboss]

We hunted the east side of lewis river unit. Not a peep. Did call in a bull but alas we needed two more steps to clear for a shot and he did not comply. No shot. Really snowed heavy last night and today. The bull responded quietly to cow calls. Not alot of sign either. Not sure whats up with the elk numbers in the area we hunt.

[WSU]

Just spent Saturday, Sunday, Thursday and Friday hunting the west side. Weyerhauser property with lots of elk. We saw bulls and cow and killed a bull. One other close call.  I did not hear a single bugle and was in the woods from dark to dark except for today.