weather

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

So, I am just curious...
I always hear other guys claim that the Bulls are not bugling due to a variety of reasons.
Too hot.
Too cold.
Full moon.
No moon.
Too much rain.
Not enough Rain.
etc.
IMHO "the rut" happens from late August, until early October, no matter what.
I seem to find a couple Bulls that bugle every year, despite being told that "they are not bugling yet"
This year, had them bugling from the very start.
Hot, sunny days, during the full moon.
We even had a response (and I mean he was agressively bugling and breaking stuff) at 2:30 in the afternoon.
As soon as the rain started, I could not get a response.
Other years, I hear them in the rain, usually drizzly overcast days.
What was your experience ?

[demontang]

They seem to stay pretty quite where I hunt tell after archery early season then you hear them a lot. Ive heard them in the heat of the day, cool of the morning, in the rain, etc.

[jackmaster]

i think it all depends on where you are and at what time of the season you are there, bu there are alot of threads so far of guys whacking nice bulls and thet all called them in one way or another... 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

i think it all depends on where you are and at what time of the season you are there, bu there are alot of threads so far of guys whacking nice bulls and thet all called them in one way or another... 

I understand this, I was just curious about the weather conditions, and how they feel it affected the bulls response this year.

[elkoholic]

I saw 2 bulls the first 10 days of the season without cows anywhere near, friday the 16th the rains started and I started to hear them talking and saw 3 different branched bulls with cows. I hunted the same old skid road everyday, once we got rain the elk seemed to be everywhere. I bugled and cow called to a 5pt  at 80 yards and he just looked up in our direction and kept feeding, his cows and calves wer interested but he didnt have a care in the world...

[Elkslayer]

Well I would have blamed the heat except for the fact that 3 days prior to me hunting a certain area the weather was extremely hot, I talked to a couple other hunters that said the bulls were just going crazy those days. Weather cooled down a bit while I was there and I could hardly get them to bugle unless I was right in on them.
I think one of the biggest factors about them bugling has to do with the amount of elk in the general vicinity. The more elk and larger bulls the more vocal they are gonna be. One herd of elk in a darainage all by themselves wont be as vocal. My  .

[Little Fish]

The first weekend of the season when it was 90+ degrees where I was hunting I didn't hear or see a thing (of course Weyerhaueser land was all closed so I didn't get out much). Then the temp dropped and it started raining and we heard 5 or 6 bulls. In my opinion the rut was really going strong when the season closed on Sunday.

[Yeti]

Had bulls bugling and cutting cows for 4 days in the 85+ heat. Heard at least one bugle everyday the 9th  -18th.

Unfortunately season ended with a shot over the cows back for me and my buddy downed a 5x5 but was lost. 

[whacker1]

Here are my observations, and I am by no means a respected member of the elk slaying elitists, but I have come across a few observations.

First, full moon.  I find in my experiences that animals are busier during the night hours feeding, bugling, frolicking, etc.  I find that it may make them less inclined to have the same activity during the day, because they got their fill on the above during the night hours.  I have had my best encounters this way first thing in the morning, and the woods seem to mellow during the day until the late evening.

Second, weather changes plays a part.  I find that the animals are most active during the daylight hours in a calm before the storm.  If it were overcast all night and their is an incoming storm or major barometric pressure change they will be most active during that day leading up to and during the change.  By the time the actual rain storm hits, and the barometric pressure has leveled out the animals have hunkered down in their beds for a longer period of time. 

Third, heat works the same way for me as the above two.  If the barometric pressure is changing to a high where the heat will be following a day or two later.  The animals seem to feed out longer in the morning leading up to the intense stabilized heat.  Once the heat hits they are more active at night moreso during the day.

It seems that many of the elk on this board were killed really early in the season and agiain toward the tail end of the season when the weather cooled.  a multitude of reasons for that are in play, so I am not going to pigeon whole one reason over the other.  but I will kick out a few ideas.  When it gets too hot my effort goes down, I quit earlier in the day, so I am less likely to encounter an animal even if it were bugling, just because I am not there.  Many areas got closed to fire danger during some of that middle season timeframe, and many folks have more intesity at the beginning of the season than during the later part of the season.  Or are like me and a weekend warrior. 

Activity also depends on the estrous cycles.
I think the elk are in pre-rut from late August through the first part of the archery season and really start to hit the peak of the rut somewhere between 12th-15th and lasting through the 22nd -24th give or take.  I think that you will see rutting activity during all parts of late August, September and post run into October, but the peak is in the 10days to 2 weeks I mentioned above.  Remember there are typically 3 estrous cycles, and those are 2-2 1/2 weeks apart from each other.  First is usually the strongest as most cows should be in heat during the time I mentioned above, those not impregnated should be in heat again in the end of september to first week or 2 of October, and then again in mid-late october.  I had a bull bugling near me October 31st last year, but yet wouldn't respond to calls.  I called in a raghorn bull in Montana last year on Oct 17th that came in silent.  I think depending on your area, you can move a week earlier or a week later, but again, just some observations from me and I continue to try and learn.

[BowBender87]

My thoughts exactly sticknstring.  The rut happens the same time every year.  I think the most important thing is to get to the bulls before they are called to to much.  The first few days of season are important because of this.  This year right at the begining of season (first 4 days) we had several bulls going crazy.  Then they seemed to have quit talking until we relocated, got away from any traveled road and found some elk that most likely hadnt been messed with yet. Ive heard them bugling very aggressivly from mid August all the way to mid november.