First or second week of west side archery?

[simpleperson]

Assuming that you can hunt both weekends (12th-13th, 19th-20th), but can only take one week off, would you hunt 14th-18th, or 21st-24th? The earlier week has an extra day of hunting, but the latter week would be deeper in the rut. The unit I'm going to be in will be 3pt or antlerless, and I'd be equally happy with either! I'm leaning towards the latter week at the moment. What would you do?

[Jonathan_S]

Depends on hunting style, pressure, familiarity with how the elk react to pressure etc. I'd prefer the later dates myself, just as a general rule.

[jk78]

i have found that opening day can be rewarding if you bedded the herd the night before. I also believe you cant get them from the couch. Find your elk and learn where they go after pressure hits. Good luck

[huntingaddiction]

Just kill one opening weekend and no problems

[Stein]

Opening week is actually two seasons in my mind, opening day and the rest of the week.  For that reason, I'm more inclined to hunt later where things don't change that dramatically.

As mentioned above, if you know where they are the day before opener, it can be great.  If not, I've spent a day or two scouting and then hunted the opener and if not successful, it's basically starting over as the pressure will change things up pretty dramatically.

It also depends on whether you know the area well or not.  If you know where they are likely to be on the opener and then where they go when pressured it can be very beneficial.  But, if you are new to the area it can be real frustrating.

Regarding the rut, I would likely choose the later dates, but that's choosing between two good options,  so have a good hunt either way.

[Milkman]

Week 2. Let me kill one the first week 😆

The 22nd is a new moon, I think,  if your into the moon fases

[huntingaddiction]

I have never hunted west side but I bet it is a zoo.  Hunting opening weekend west side then heading for Idaho.

[huntnfmly]

New moon is a good time to be out it's a dark moon

[WapitiTalk1]

21st-24th hands down between those two date ranges.  The third week in SEP is the peak of the rut.  That is, when most of the cows come into their first/main estrus cycle.  The bulls are much more vocal (than other parts of the rut cycle) during that third week due to on-going endeavors to breed the hot cows.  More vocal translates to locating the stinky beasts which is what its all about.  Now, I'm not telling you to head out into the elk woods and toot your horn incessantly, not at all.  You can gain an advantage by merely foregoing the after dark beers at camp and head into several listening posts where you should be able to hear vocal bulls.  If you hear em', no need to talk back at all....and, they will be really close to that spot come the crack of dawn.  Work your way below them (gaining the morning thermal advantage) before or right after sunrise, and get close as you can before doing anything else.  Yes, if you're at a listening post, after dark, and don't hear anything.... throw out one lonely locator.  If you get an answer, that's it... back out quietly and do the same thing I mentioned when you hear an unsolicited bugle.  What to do when you get close to a vocal bull?  Well, that's fodder for another thread   

[Fullabull]

We don't get to hunt past the 20th very often. Take advantage of it.

[simpleperson]

This is all really helpful stuff! Thank you all!

I'm now thinking that I'll take Friday, day before the opener off, hunt the weekend, and then come back to hunt the latter week of the season.

[Martinhunter]

I'm starting to like the earlier part of the season more personally.. Seems like the bulls are more willing to come in to cow calls, verses later on when their already cow'd up it take more work to get them to leave the herd. Just from my experience..