Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: Duckslayer89 on August 01, 2016, 08:28:50 AM
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For westside muzzleloader what was the rut for your guys season last year? Many elk talking? Later in the archery season it was hot but wasn't sure if it carries into the first week of October. Thinking about switching it up next year from eastern archery to western muzzy
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I was in Willapa Hills the entire muzzy season last year (which started on the 3rd if I recall right) and never heard a single bugle. I know of some others that heard a few.
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I only heard a couple elk bugles last year for early muzz. Lots of human bugles. Lots of the hunters showed up about a week before the season and just drove around bugling and marking spots for the week.
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Elk are definitely actively rutting in early October. Just because you might not hear bulls randomly bugling doesn't mean they aren't looking for babes. If you can get into elky areas, within a few hundred yards of Bulls...it might surprise you how frustrated and willing they are.
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We heard 1 bull bugle all season. He bugled about 15 times and died 10min into opening morning. So all season was short for us lol
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I went from eastern to western about 3 season ago when my quality points got zeroed out. To me acoustics in the woods is way differnt in the westside then the east thus making it harder for me to juge where and how far the the bugle and cow calls are coming from. A few times i thought i had more time to set up because the bulls i had coming in on me was way closer then i thought having it only to come out when i was not redy. On the westside the elk droppings and another sign is much harder for me to judge how long it's been there and/or how old it is. It's harder for me to smell the elk on the west side then it is the eastside and it seems as if the elk smell doesn't linger around as long or something...idk Also it seems like westside elk are way quieter, much more sneaky and more spooked then eastside elk. This is only the acquisition of three seasons and one hunters prospective and suggestions. In regards when they bugle; Idk much about west side other than they don't do it as much in my experience yet, I was only hearing 5 to 10 a day along with some cow and caf calls and the later in the season the more i heard. I too was thiking of buying a muzz. tag and using a bow just to hunt later in the season.
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I've bugled elk around Mt. Rainier early muzzleloader season. Thought it was other hunters the first season and dismissed it. Realized it was really elk. The next season called in a big bull but could never get him onto the west side of the Crest trail. Both times it went silent by Tuesday.
Have spent a fair amount of time hunting early muzzleloader on the coast, in 460 and 454 and have yet to hear a bugle. That is with plenty of fresh sign and walking up on several elk deep in the woods.
Last year I was near a watershed and thought I had one on day one of early muzzle. It was another hunter! The west side bulls are quiet. But they still like girls and they are in the rut. I could smell them like I was in a barnyard last season and never could find them. Had a great time, anyway. Sure would like to figure it out though. Good luck!!
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What gmu were u hunting in that u were trying to get a bull to cross over the Pacific Crest Trail to the west side? Not asking for a honey hole at all just a gmu number?
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I believe bulls on the west side tend to get educated quickly by the archery guys and others driving around trying to locate prior to the start of early muzzy season. But, I believe you can get into the nasty holes and still manage a response from time to time. And, if you can draw a special permit into some of the more remote hunts, bulls will bugle into the middle of October. My son had the Whittier tag 6 years ago and we got responses each morning. I had the Mudflow tag last year and bugled bulls nearly all day long. That tag starts a week earlier than the Whittier. Less pressure = more vocal bulls. Having said all this, I believe the biggest bulls leave their cows prior to the start of early muzzy. Some cows, especially the year-and-half old ones, come into estrus beyond the normal range of dates.
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What gmu were u hunting in that u were trying to get a bull to cross over the Pacific Crest Trail to the west side? Not asking for a honey hole at all just a gmu number?
That should be very easy to figure out
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What gmu were u hunting in that u were trying to get a bull to cross over the Pacific Crest Trail to the west side? Not asking for a honey hole at all just a gmu number?
That should be very easy to figure out
:yeah: I was thinking the same thing
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I wonder how many archery people think gmu 653 has a gen. season? Lol
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I wonder how many archery people think gmu 653 has a gen. season? Lol
:bash:Alot
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lotsa bugling morning of day 1, a little morning of day 2, nothing after that.
