Post by: ridgefire on October 02, 2022, 01:35:40 PM
Post by: LDennis24 on October 02, 2022, 01:54:37 PM
Post by: hunterednate on October 02, 2022, 01:56:31 PM
Post by: camanofishn on October 02, 2022, 02:45:48 PM
Post by: Gettin Birdie on October 02, 2022, 04:07:21 PM
Post by: JasonG on October 02, 2022, 05:33:32 PM
Post by: elkrack on October 02, 2022, 05:42:13 PM
They seem to bugling late this year for sure !
:yeah:
Definitely behind normal schedule where we elk hunt. A few years ago I had a bull that had his harem in front of my trail cam on October 13th and he was going nuts bugling
Post by: WildcatRanger on October 02, 2022, 06:17:04 PM
Post by: jstone on October 02, 2022, 06:29:11 PM
Post by: huntnnw on October 02, 2022, 06:39:12 PM
Post by: Matth on October 03, 2022, 06:09:41 AM
Great photo! Agree this is normal behavior for early Oct, nothing is behind schedule. Cows that weren’t bred during their first estrus cycle will go into estrus a second time about 3 weeks later. So these bulls are chasing the ladies who wouldn’t give it up on the first go round (I’m not a biologist, I just read too much).Exactly this.
Post by: boneaddict on October 03, 2022, 08:06:09 AM
Post by: Bone collector 13 on October 03, 2022, 08:32:41 AM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on October 03, 2022, 09:06:30 AM
I always thought muzzle had the best dates for the rut.:yeah: I'd take the first 5 days of October over any other time to bugle up bulls.
Post by: baker5150 on October 03, 2022, 09:31:34 AM
Post by: 2MANY on October 03, 2022, 09:54:16 AM
I always thought muzzle had the best dates for the rut.:yeah: I'd take the first 5 days of October over any other time to bugle up bulls.
Especially this year.
Especially in Idaho.
Post by: Damnimissed on October 03, 2022, 10:09:41 AM
Post by: jackelope on October 03, 2022, 10:15:06 AM
Ahh, the blue mountain unicorns! I've had the same experience hunting muzzy in there, monster bulls, easy shots, but only got a spike tag, frustrating and cool at the same time. They were bugling, just not crazy. Good luck!
Pretty sure there aren’t any true spike only units in the Blues.
They were going bonkers Friday and Saturday night here all night long and then for the first few hours of daylight but so was Doug Flutie. Last night from camp they were quiet and not a peep this morning. It’s not with bluebird skies. I’m not much of an elk expert, but I’m pretty sure this is not ideal October elk weather.
Post by: Limhangerslayer on October 03, 2022, 11:46:32 AM
Post by: Griiz on October 03, 2022, 12:01:54 PM
Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.
I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.
Post by: jowings22 on October 03, 2022, 01:16:26 PM
Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.
I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.
This.
Post by: GASoline71 on October 03, 2022, 08:23:22 PM
Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.
I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.
This.
Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.
Gary
Post by: boneaddict on October 03, 2022, 08:39:57 PM
Post by: bobcat on October 04, 2022, 01:56:36 AM
Post by: zwickeyman on October 04, 2022, 04:19:07 AM
Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.
I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.
This.
Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.
Gary
Yep
Killed my 6x7 last year and a Spike this year and didnt talk to either one
Post by: Rutnbuxnbulls on October 04, 2022, 05:08:13 AM
Where I’m at on the coast. Guys bugling, are making bulls gather up their cows and leave.
I was on a small herd this weekend with a nice 5 or 6 point, they were in range but I had branches in my shot windows. I was waiting for them to move slightly to get a shot. Another hunter who just kept cow calling and bugling caused the bull to circle up his cows and take them into the thick brush. So close and frustrating. Good luck to those still chasing. I'm done until the late season. The elk were talking the night before the opener on Saturday, but once the hunters started blasting away calls in the morning, the elk seemed to shut up.
This.
Yup... sucks when guys don't know when it's better to be quiet than blast calls all day.
Gary
I think all elk hunters that want to call need to: practice before opening day, learn when and why elk bugle, and when to shut up and sneak in. Seems like most guys just expect a bull to respond all day after he’s called his cows to gather and push them over the next ridge. Joel Turner is a great resource on elk calling I suggest all serious elk hunters practice some of his communication techniques or Elknut he’s great. These guys talk elk. Most guys scare elk.
Post by: huntnnw on October 04, 2022, 05:30:54 AM
Post by: hunter399 on October 04, 2022, 06:57:27 AM
Seems like everything is late this year.
That's why everybody hunts muzzy elk I thought.
Cause they are still able to call at them.
Post by: Karl Blanchard on October 04, 2022, 08:03:46 AM
Post by: Dark2Dark on October 04, 2022, 08:16:33 AM
As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?
For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.
Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.
I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.
Post by: Karl Blanchard on October 04, 2022, 08:33:01 AM
cows come into estrus based on the amount of daylight entering their eye (according to people that study that stuff). So yeah, it's more or less the same time every year. Every cow is different as well. Mature cows will typically come into estrus sooner than younger cows. Often as early as late Aug. They've been bugging good in most of the yakima and Kittitas gmu's for a month now.As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?
For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.
Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.
I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.
Post by: Matth on October 04, 2022, 08:51:56 AM
cows come into estrus based on the amount of daylight entering their eye (according to people that study that stuff). So yeah, it's more or less the same time every year. Every cow is different as well. Mature cows will typically come into estrus sooner than younger cows. Often as early as late Aug. They've been bugging good in most of the yakima and Kittitas gmu's for a month now.As others have said, nothing is late. Bulls rutting is triggered by cows coming into estrus. Weather only effects animal movements, not the actual rutting.So the rut happens precisely the same time period every year?
For some reason, we couldn’t get elk to talk until the very end of archery and now into the start of muzzleloader.
Most years, that hasn’t been the case and by muzzleloader they have quieted down a lot.
I don’t know the exact science. I know my observations (25 years worth), suggest rut activity is higher right now than it typically is this time of year when I’m in the woods.
This. It hits peak within a few days every year.