Early Season Archery Elk

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I think early sept is prime for calling in bulls.. they are just starting to look for cows and come in..once they herd up with cows its very difficult to call them away.. sure it will give you that classic rut hunting with lots of bugling and such..but I have called bulls in alot easier in early Sept

X2
Opening morning, scouted elk..
second week, look for where the elk you scouted all summer went.. 
If you can only hunt ONE DAY, the opener is it !!!
every other day is extra.

[CavemantheHunter]

2nd week... the bulls will be in the rut a little bit more than the first week... got a better chance... what unit do u plan on hunting in?

I'll be hunting in either the Lewis or the Coweeman. Know both of those areas well. As of now, I plan on spending my time scouting in the Lewis.

[billdo5]

oh ok never have hunted there... i just stayed around the puyallup unit and mashel

[blackveltbowhunter]

The biggest questions I would would have is, how soon do you have to request your vacation? And is the majority of your hunting gonna be on private timber or NF? With the two units you gave its a toss up, as Cowweeman is all TC, and Lewis River is a combo of the two. With the exception of September 16 your going to be hunting the " beginning" of September   

      Personnally I could care less when the season is in September in terms of the rut, This season I dont think your going to see alot of changes in elk behaviour based on "rut" cycles... and aggree with the other responses in regards to tactics. But WEATHER would always be my deciding factor when taking time off. If you may want to hunt private timber co lands at all and they are looking to be OPEN.... I would prolly shoot for the first week. If its looking like they will CLOSE around the opener, unless you have a solid plan mapped out on public ground, ( which is a good idea, if possible ) I would wait. Hunt when you can, and pray for weather. If you get it, then its no different than hunting opening day elk and you havent wasted a week of time in spots that may not be as productive; or hunting the way you want to. And if you dont, you can always join the crowds on public land the second week. The bulls will have been educated following a long and most likley warm labor day weekend anyway. So waiting an extray four days wont hurt anything.

[huntnnw]

if you know where elk are on the opener be there... after day 1 who knows where they will be.. if other hunters have pushed them then u will spend the season chasing

[whackemstackem]

I always end up going the first week, just a family tradition. I have noticed that the temperature is the key factor for success in my area and not so much so much what week I decide to go. The cooler the better.

[WSU]

if you know where elk are on the opener be there... after day 1 who knows where they will be.. if other hunters have pushed them then u will spend the season chasing

They don't move far in those units.  I've chased the same herds for multiple days.  Once they get in the reprod they don't go too far unless really pushed.  Even then, not that far.

[johnniel]

I've hunted the eastside for quite a few years now and I go back and forth about about hunting the first or second week. I get so anxious to be out there first I can't hardly stand it, but the last few years I have noticed an increase in  recreational use ie(motorcyles,Atv's, shooting and camping) because of  Labor Day. I've decided to go the second week to let things calm down a bit. I hope this helps.

[D-Rock425]

if you know where elk are on the opener be there... after day 1 who knows where they will be.. if other hunters have pushed them then u will spend the season chasing

the trick is to know where the elk go once they're pushed.

[mfswallace]

third week , way less preasure .

 

C U out there

[huntingalways]

   I hunt in Montana where we have 5 weeks of elk hunting in archery.  The first week (Sept 1-7)here is a little slow and takes more patience, calling and waiting longer for a bull to respond and come in to bow range, or just sitting over a wallow mid day waiting for one to come in and cool off.
    The 2 week (Sept 7-14) I like a little more, the bulls are starting to gather cows and are on the move more vocal and will come into lonely cow calls. the last 3 years remarkably I have shot elk on Sept 11.  My Daughters first bull at age 13 was on Sept 12.
 

[blackveltbowhunter]

   Nice bulls! Thats second pic is great 

[billdo5]

Montana is way different than Washington... U can't compare the two

[kentrek]

Montana is way different than Washington... U can't compare the two

yes you can,ive had simualr results here in sw wa on rosies...the only dif ive noticed is rocky mtn bulls have alitl more atitude(easyr to piss off)