Have you cake OR get to eat it?

[ribka]

X2

I got the impression from his quote that he would not be in favor of allowing scopes on crossbows......

Yes and no.  He implied that crossbows are available for all archers during archery season which they are not.  Don't lump crossbows into the general archery user group and don't volunteer to decrease archery opportunity for all by offering scopes for crossbows for disabled hunters.  That was my beef.

You sure that's what he was implying?  Crossbows are available for disabled archers, and perhaps the elder gentleman is disabled?

I know crossbows are available for disabled archers and that is the only user group that can use them during archery season.  I agree with NWBOWHUNTER in that they will take away our opportunity if the effectiveness of our weapons increases.

[bobcat]

Just because you hear bugles does not mean the elk are in the rut. They bugle all year round but it picks up in August when they start figuring out who is in their territories for the coming breeding season. When we talk prime rut, that is when they will come into calling and the cows are ready to breed (late Sept. and the first three weeks of Oct).

I've always heard that the biggest bulls are easier to call in before they get with a harem of cows. Is that not the case?

Either way, as I said, if the muzzleloader season is so much better, then I assume there will be a whole lot of archery hunters switching over to muzzleloader this year.

I do know I've never been able to call a bull in during muzzleloader season. And two years in a row of hunting the Toutle unit, where there is no shortage of elk, we never once heard an elk bugle.

But I sure do hope it's as good as you say because I am buying a muzzleloader tag this year.

[ribka]

Can only speak for the e side but the peak of the rut seems to be the first part of Oct.

I help a neighbor every year with hisnhandicap tag and always hear elk bugle during modern firearms. The spike I shot for him last season the third week of Oct was bugling and chasing  cows.

I only hear a few bugles the last few days of early archery every year and the bulls do not yet seem to be in full rut.

Maybe ask Norse peak as he spends more time in the woods.

Just because you hear bugles does not mean the elk are in the rut. They bugle all year round but it picks up in August when they start figuring out who is in their territories for the coming breeding season. When we talk prime rut, that is when they will come into calling and the cows are ready to breed (late Sept. and the first three weeks of Oct).

I've always heard that the biggest bulls are easier to call in before they get with a harem of cows. Is that not the case?

Either way, as I said, if the muzzleloader season is so much better, then I assume there will be a whole lot of archery hunters switching over to muzzleloader this year.

I do know I've never been able to call a bull in during muzzleloader season. And two years in a row of hunting the Toutle unit, where there is no shortage of elk, we never once heard an elk bugle.

But I sure do hope it's as good as you say because I am buying a muzzleloader tag this year.

[Fullabull]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

[bobcat]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

Yep... think a lot of bowhunters should do that this year... and apply for all those bull tags during muzzy!  Oh ya and the antlerless tags in the Colockum

[bobcat]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

Yep... think a lot of bowhunters should do that this year... and apply for all those bull tags during muzzy!  Oh ya and the antlerless tags in the Colockum

Wouldn't hurt my feelings any, I'm only applying for a cow tag, and it will be on the wet side.

[Fullabull]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

Interresting thought... 

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

Yep... think a lot of bowhunters should do that this year... and apply for all those bull tags during muzzy!  Oh ya and the antlerless tags in the Colockum

Wouldn't hurt my feelings any, I'm only applying for a cow tag, and it will be on the wet side.

Me either, better chance for me to draw my tag this year... :-)

[dreamingbig]

Bobcat, I tried to win a ML at a banguet in hopes of drawing a multi season tag. I will only hunt archery because of the fun and challange unless I draw a multi season. If I get drawn for multi I just might have to spring for a ML

Or, if you like the dates of the muzzleloader season better, buy a muzzleloader tag, and hunt with your bow.
(since that will be legal for the first time ever this year)

I can tell you I have thought about that.  It is very sad that we now have archery seasons that are so bad that muzzleloader season with a bow looks appealing.  Take bumping for example, you woud give up 6 days afield but you would have a chance to draw a cow tag (no cow tags for archery), have a decent chance at a bull tag, and if you don't draw then you have the same general spike only season and closer to the rut.

[Snapshot]

Either way, as I said, if the muzzleloader season is so much better, then I assume there will be a whole lot of archery hunters switching over to muzzleloader this year.

(Presuming the regulations change to allow 'hunting down' in the muzzleloader season) I believe that a 'to-the-bone' archery hunter might choose to buy the muzzleloader tag but there is no way would he/she change weapons. It would be against their nature to do so.

[dmr400]

Either way, as I said, if the muzzleloader season is so much better, then I assume there will be a whole lot of archery hunters switching over to muzzleloader this year.

(Presuming the regulations change to allow 'hunting down' in the muzzleloader season) I believe that a 'to-the-bone' archery hunter might choose to buy the muzzleloader tag but there is no way would he/she change weapons. It would be against their nature to do so.

Agreed...I love hunting rutting bulls, but at this time I don't see myself ever using anything but a bow to do it.  That is one thing I've found very disappointing about my move to WA this year, even in OR where I came from (not known for trophy elkhunting for sure!) we almost always had what I considered the peak rut for archery general season on the east side.  Down there we usually saw peak rut activity starting anywhere between the 15th and 20th of September.