Elk Rut

[Bofire]

I have talked to lots of people lately about Elk Rut. Lots of different opinions out there. What are yours?
Carl

[bugle-em]

Don't know if some cows come in, or the bulls are just testing the waters, but always start to here them bugle come the middle of August. the peak on the east side here, and panhandle of Idaho seems to always be sometime between the 15th and 25th of September, once in awhile, a few days more on the tail end of that.

[Houndhunter]

rut starts in august

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

   Mature Bulls start earlier than spikes and raghorns, but the real determining factor is the cows. A cow comes into estrus sometimes as early as August for around 7-10 days, if she is not bred she will come into estrus 21 days later. Sometimes that will repeat, The peak of the rut occurs when most of the cows are in estrus at the same time +/- a few days, usually around the middle to end of Sept. The rut itself occurs from August - October varying in intensity from drainage, elevation and individual herd due to several different influences.

[Bofire]

 :)I have always felt that weather has alot to do with it. If we get a good windy rainstorm and overcast days on the west side the rut gets going better and that the August rut was pretty small. September was the biggie. I also have always thought that the rut started a little earlier here than on the east side, when I say east I mean east not the cascades.
keep posting

[blindpig]

It seems in the past few years the bulls have started mid to late september.   

[Intruder]

rut starts in august

Yep.... technically speaking the hormonal changes start in Aug and the peak is normally in mid Sept.  Weather doesn't effect the rut at all.  May effect the activity level and bugling but it doesn't change the hormonal effect that truly constitutes the rut.  Length of days does that.

[boneaddict]

Yep.....  weather only intensifies it or nullifies it or puts it more at night.   Moonlight is another debate.