Bugling during Muzzy Season

[ridgefire]

My son and I went over to the Eastside for the muzzy elk opener and it was a all night and day bugle fest where we were. One drainage we dropped in to had probably a dozen bulls going nuts in it. It's this normal for Muzzy opener or was Washington late this year on the bugling activity? I typically archery elk  hunt and this was the first time my son had a muzzy tag for elk. Good times but true spikes are tough to come by. He could have shot a decent bull at 35 yards if he had a bull tag. The attached picture is a screenshot from a  video I got of the bull we had at 35 yards. I may have to take up muzzy hunting myself.

[LDennis24]

It's typical for the first week of muzzy.

[hunterednate]

That's an awesome screenshot.

[camanofishn]

Great photo, thanks for sharing.  Hope your son can find the spike and fill his tag. 

[Gettin Birdie]

Ahh, the blue mountain unicorns!  I've had the same experience hunting muzzy in there, monster bulls, easy shots, but only got a spike tag, frustrating and cool at the same time.  They were bugling, just not crazy.  Good luck!

[JasonG]

They seem to bugling late this year for sure !

[elkrack]

They seem to bugling late this year for sure !

 
Definitely behind normal schedule where we elk hunt. A few years ago I had a bull that had his harem in front of my trail cam on October 13th and he was going nuts bugling

[WildcatRanger]

Great photo! Agree this is normal behavior for early Oct, nothing is behind schedule. Cows that weren’t bred during their first estrus cycle will go into estrus a second time about 3 weeks later. So these bulls are chasing the ladies who wouldn’t give it up on the first go round (I’m not a biologist, I just read too much).

[jstone]

I have almost  always had them bugle during muzzy

[huntnnw]

Some of the best bugling I’ve ever heard has been early October

[Matth]

Great photo! Agree this is normal behavior for early Oct, nothing is behind schedule. Cows that weren’t bred during their first estrus cycle will go into estrus a second time about 3 weeks later. So these bulls are chasing the ladies who wouldn’t give it up on the first go round (I’m not a biologist, I just read too much).

Exactly this.

[boneaddict]

I always thought muzzle had the best dates for the rut. 

[Bone collector 13]

My 2 cents is muzzy has a better rut then archery. But I think peak is right around the last week of sept? Muzzy bulls are always way more rutted up then archery it seems atleast where I’m hunting

[Karl Blanchard]

I always thought muzzle had the best dates for the rut.

  I'd take the first 5 days of October over any other time to bugle up bulls.

[baker5150]

Skagit bulls were piping off all weekend.

[2MANY]

I always thought muzzle had the best dates for the rut.

  I'd take the first 5 days of October over any other time to bugle up bulls.

Especially this year.
Especially in Idaho.

[Damnimissed]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

[jackelope]

Ahh, the blue mountain unicorns!  I've had the same experience hunting muzzy in there, monster bulls, easy shots, but only got a spike tag, frustrating and cool at the same time.  They were bugling, just not crazy.  Good luck!

Pretty sure there aren’t any true spike only units in the Blues.

They were going bonkers Friday and Saturday night here all night long and then for the first few hours of daylight but so was Doug Flutie. Last night from camp they were quiet and not a peep this morning.  It’s not with bluebird skies. I’m not much of an elk expert, but I’m pretty sure this is not ideal October elk weather.

[Limhangerslayer]

Definitely normal this time of year, honestly a lot of what shuts them up right about now is usually pressure on them from muzzy guys I think.

[Griiz]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.

[jowings22]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.

This.

[GASoline71]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.

This.

Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.

Gary

[boneaddict]

If all the guys with calls knew what they were doing, the elk would all be dead.

[bobcat]

Been elk hunting here by Mt. St. Helens since Saturday and the elk are very quiet. I'm betting archery season would have been much better.

[zwickeyman]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.

This.

Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.

Gary

                                                                                                                       
        Yep

Killed my 6x7 last year and a Spike this year and didnt talk to either one

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.

I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.

This.

Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.

Gary

I think all elk hunters that want to call need to: practice before opening day, learn when and why elk bugle, and when to shut up and sneak in. Seems like most guys just expect a bull to respond all day after he’s called his cows to gather and push them over the next ridge. Joel Turner is a great resource on elk calling I suggest all serious elk hunters practice some of his communication techniques or Elknut he’s great. These guys talk elk. Most guys scare elk.

[huntnnw]

most think the bull runs the herd, reason hes in the back hes following the herd not pushing. Lead cow goes they all go and he follows and will bugle his head off. If he doesnt want them to go to another drainage he will run to cut that lead cow off and try and keep that herd from going to another herd where he could lose his cows to another bull.

[hunter399]

See it all the time on the hunting shows.
Seems like everything is late this year.
That's why everybody hunts muzzy elk I thought.
Cause they are still able to call at them.

[Karl Blanchard]

As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.

[Dark2Dark]

As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.

So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?

For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.

Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.

I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.

[Karl Blanchard]

As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.

So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?

For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.

Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.

I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.

cows come into estrus based on the amount of daylight entering their eye (according to people that study that stuff). So yeah, it's more or less the same time every year. Every cow is different as well. Mature cows will typically come into estrus sooner than younger cows. Often as early as late Aug.  They've been bugging good in most of the yakima and Kittitas gmu's for a month now. 

[Matth]

As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.

So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?

For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.

Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.

I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.

cows come into estrus based on the amount of daylight entering their eye (according to people that study that stuff). So yeah, it's more or less the same time every year. Every cow is different as well. Mature cows will typically come into estrus sooner than younger cows. Often as early as late Aug.  They've been bugging good in most of the yakima and Kittitas gmu's for a month now.

This. It hits peak within a few days every year.