Byron has some good input re: ask the outfitter. Especially if you are talking access to a ranch the outfitter will have much better advice than us. If the outfitter is saying it doesn't matter, some years are better early Oct, some years better late Oct then it probably doesn't matter. You're looking at a post-rut hunt so (if on public land) food and isolation (if you're looking for a bull) are probably most important. I've never hunted elk in Wyo where water was a limitation. Maybe Red Desert area, I haven't drawn that tag yet.

If the outfitter says it doesn't matter then I pick early Oct over late. Can you still have blizzards in early Oct? Yes. But (if you're in the backcountry) you can typically wait them out/keep hunting through them. Late Oct blizzards make me more nervous. Again, not a consideration if you're on a ranch.

Our camp was in the Bighorns this year (we've only hunted public land), no bugling the 3rd week of Sep. No bugling 4th week. 1 Oct (the day archery closed/first day of cow only) I sat in the midst of a bugle serenade! It was lovely to behold. So even early Oct sometimes still bugling. And you might occasionally hear a bugle in later Oct, but it's less common. One of our camp members killed a 6x6 hanging out, bugling, with 3-4 cows in late Oct about 4 years ago in the Tetons. He said it was one of the damndest things.

Otherwise I consider the 3rd or 4th week of September the best time to hunt elk. Some units (i.e. WY Area 60/Thorofare) are open for rifle season at that time. I've only hunted twice when bulls would respond/come in to bugling with either a muzzleloader or a rifle, and it's awesome! Just as fun as turkey hunting.

Here's a picture of a bull hanging out in the Bighorns last year. Taken through 10x binos. Not a huge bull, and he was isolated. I was about 1000-1200 yards away (I don't remember which), and there's a huge section of canyon timber between me and him.

[Linked Image]