Where do the bulls go..?

[WoolyRunner]

Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..

[Humptulips]

Often the first time they get jumped, and this could happen before modern rifle, they end up being split from the herd and being a lone bull. Tremendously difficult to find and sneak up on a single elk. In the past I have had the luck to find a herd of bulls, so they do also herd together from the cows sometimes. Also, hard to find because typically you are only going to find two or three together. Hard to track and I don't think they move around as much as a herd. Pretty easy to be close to them and not even realize they are around.
The other thing is that bigger bull that was in that herd might be in someone else's freezer by now.

[lewy]

Post rut bulls can be tough but the one thing they do need to do is feed and replenish some of what they lost rutting, like bruce said they can tend to bach up and pocket out somewere

[pianoman9701]

Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..

After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.

[Bullkllr]

I believe the term my dad used was they "hole up"

[Humptulips]

Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..

After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.

That paints a picture. Maybe replace the dogs playing poker picture with bull elk playing cards.

[pianoman9701]

Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..

After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.

That paints a picture. Maybe replace the dogs playing poker picture with bull elk playing cards.

You might have the next great felt painting there. It's been a while since the last great one; maybe the 70s.

[boneaddict]

Hole up is about the best description. 

[Backstrap]

2 ridges away from the closest road.

[builtfordtough]

They are big for a reason.  They are in the deep and steepest places imaginable.   

[Dark2Dark]

In my opinion, if you’re seeing herds you’re probably only going to find small immature bulls still in the family group. Spikes and three or four points.

The big boys go far into crappy stuff where they won’t be seen or heard by other people or elk.

In my opinion, if you can find him, it’s much easier to kill him than a bull in a herd.

[WapitiTalk1]

They start moving into their bachelor quarters shortly after the rut.

[haus]

They don’t have to go far to be difficult to find if it’s the westside. Even in the eastern units they might be within a mile of the herds, just tucked into a brushy spot.

[metlhead]

Don't forget that plenty are hanging out in freezers already. I know of quite a few bulls killed around the Harbor this season. Often the small herd's bull has been picked off. You could be doin everything right, but 3 guys did it righter earlier.

[WoolyRunner]

Don't forget that plenty are hanging out in freezers already. I know of quite a few bulls killed around the Harbor this season. Often the small herd's bull has been picked off. You could be doin everything right, but 3 guys did it righter earlier.

Very true.. was out all day today.. didn’t even see fresh sign..

[time2hunt]

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[Badsmerf]

I couldn't find a mature bull this year either. Saw plenty of elk in the clear cuts, but couldn't find any in timber, draws or creek bottoms. I hunted some nasty stuff and put in a lot of miles. I read the bigger bulls break off, but how do you find them? They still need to eat, so wouldn't they want to venture into a clear cut at some point?

[Big6bull]

I couldn't find a mature bull this year either. Saw plenty of elk in the clear cuts, but couldn't find any in timber, draws or creek bottoms. I hunted some nasty stuff and put in a lot of miles. I read the bigger bulls break off, but how do you find them? They still need to eat, so wouldn't they want to venture into a clear cut at some point?

There is just so much food everywhere they go, I don’t think they need to come to the cuts. even a lot of timber has food for them and most creek bottoms have plenty.

[LDennis24]

Ah ha! So they are in Lake Havasu, Arizona according to time2hunt? Is that right?

[Stein]

Ah ha! So they are in Lake Havasu, Arizona according to time2hunt? Is that right?

I think New Zealand is where those "elk" come from, not sure how they get themselves down there though.  Poor choice as it doesn't seem to be any safer than staying here during hunting season.

[dilleytech]

I couldn't find a mature bull this year either. Saw plenty of elk in the clear cuts, but couldn't find any in timber, draws or creek bottoms. I hunted some nasty stuff and put in a lot of miles. I read the bigger bulls break off, but how do you find them? They still need to eat, so wouldn't they want to venture into a clear cut at some point?

Elk will eat leafs off maple vines or whatever they want. They don’t need to come out of the thick timber. If they do it could all be at night any way.

[Badsmerf]

There is just so much food everywhere they go, I don’t think they need to come to the cuts. even a lot of timber has food for them and most creek bottoms have plenty.

I'm guessing if you don't know where they are from scouting the off-season, probably hard to find them in season. Makes it even tougher when there is pressure and a ton of the known shooter males in an area are already taken.

After the first few days I think to myself where "would an elk go to get away from people?" Then I try to get in there and look for fresh sign. Problem is I've yet to even bump elk in those areas. See sign, mostly old. There is just sooo many creek bottoms/timber to walk that it gets daunting.

[Stein]

They can move a long way, I had the same thing happen this archery season.  If they get bumped or shot at, they might go one or two ridges over or they might pick up and move miles.  They can also stay in a really small area and like deer you could simply not see them and have been pretty close and not seen sign.

There is a reason rifle elk success rates are what they are.

[Rugsnfeathers]

Often the first time they get jumped, and this could happen before modern rifle, they end up being split from the herd and being a lone bull. Tremendously difficult to find and sneak up on a single elk. In the past I have had the luck to find a herd of bulls, so they do also herd together from the cows sometimes. Also, hard to find because typically you are only going to find two or three together. Hard to track and I don't think they move around as much as a herd. Pretty easy to be close to them and not even realize they are around.
The other thing is that bigger bull that was in that herd might be in someone else's freezer by now.

Absolutely agree!  During our hunt, the bull, a raghorn we captured in our trail camera was already harvested by a muzzie hunter and was confirmed when we showed the pic to a hunter that knew the muzzie hunter.  However, days into our hunt as I've bushwacked my way into our area, I found a small herd of cows,with no bull just 300 yards from where we camped.  Further northeasterly from that area, about a half mile away, one of my hunt buddies found another group of about 8 cows, a spike, and this time a royal bull.  This is the same day and approximately the same time.  The royal kept his distance from the heard and was still about 70 yards from the herd.  He picked up my buddies scent and took off wihout my buddy getting his shot leaving him only with nightmares to remember.  All this time, no bugle heard.

[Humptulips]

I don't think a bigger bull can keep up with or maybe doesn't want to keep up with a herd when jumped. I have seen this quite a few times when I jumped a herd and even though I glimpsed a big bull, after chasing them a way and getting a good look at them when they stopped, the big bull would be gone. They just pull up in the brush and let you go on by. The spikes and small bulls usually stick with the herd but the bigger ones, I believe are wore out from the rut and don't have much staying power when the herd takes off. Unless you have snow, It is about impossible to track a single elk.
Last year I found a lone bull before season and he stayed within about a mile radius but to track him, about impossible. I did have one chance when I jumped him in a thicket but he was gone in the blink of an eye and again no way to track him. If you get a loner you have luck going on yer side.

[GASoline71]

Hole up is about the best description.

Yup... hell hole

Gary

[Griiz]

I don't think a bigger bull can keep up with or maybe doesn't want to keep up with a herd when jumped. I have seen this quite a few times when I jumped a herd and even though I glimpsed a big bull, after chasing them a way and getting a good look at them when they stopped, the big bull would be gone. They just pull up in the brush and let you go on by. The spikes and small bulls usually stick with the herd but the bigger ones, I believe are wore out from the rut and don't have much staying power when the herd takes off. Unless you have snow, It is about impossible to track a single elk.
Last year I found a lone bull before season and he stayed within about a mile radius but to track him, about impossible. I did have one chance when I jumped him in a thicket but he was gone in the blink of an eye and again no way to track him. If you get a loner you have luck going on yer side.

I've tracked bulls in the snow hunting and some of them pull half hitches so they can watch their back trail like wounded bear do. This was in thick brush and timber. Smart animals.

[branches]

The bulls on the coast sure like to "J" hook when I bump them.