Bugling during Muzzy Season

[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.