Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Where did the bulls go?

Drew a limited entry tag in Utah. We put trail cameras out and have been watching the bulls all summer in the roughest country you can imaging. (About 8500 feet plus up in steep country) As of last week, the bulls have disappeared. Not one on a trail camera. Never really saw the cows much during the summer. Maybe the question is where are the cows?

Your last Question is the correct one. The bulls stay in bachelor groups in winter and summer, till it's about time for the rut. Then they seek out the cows. We hunt a group of bulls in a basin the first week of our archery season or until they take off to find the cows. Then it's get on the herd of cows and wait till the bulls show up. When you find the herd you might be suprised to see some of those bulls on camera in with them. 58gscott

The only way to scout for a rut hunt is during the rut... which means previous years. Many here in Az wait 10 plus years for a rut tag, then say they will scout all summer... does them no good. It's a tough lesson.

Some of my best breeding grounds that are extremely active during the rut, rarely see even a cow during the other 10 1/2 months of the year... no way to scout for that.

Definitely find the cows, look for bedding areas that are rubbed out in the darkest areas, stink, figure the closest feeding areas for a herd and hunt the wind.

Good luck...

Kent

The rut starts about Labor Day. If it's hot, you won't see or hear much of anything, but they're there. The activity will be mainly at night. Early in the rut, the bulls start gathering cows. The way I've seen them do it is the lead cow will take off on a cross country run with the other cows strung out behind her and the herd bull trying to keep up. She'll put on a lot of miles at a fast trot which enables the bull to find more cows. One time I watched a lead cow take the whole herd straight down a steep 2000' mountain. As soon as the bull caught up, she took off and went straight back up it the same way she'd just come down.

RC,
Heard(and saw) a bull bugling(sp)? up on Corral creek(near Pioneer cabin) a couple of weeks ago. Pretty cool sound! Now I just wish I could draw a tag around there-unit 49, I presume?

Once the bulls get closer to rut, the bachelor groups disband. I have seen a lone bull wandering aimlessy for miles across the horizon....just looking for cows.

6 or 7 years ago we had tags in 49. We hunted that area during rifle season. During the earlier deer season, we listened to a bull on a really nasty ridge about 1/4 mile from us. He kept it up for 2 hrs at mid-day.
The next weekend when elk season opened, I got a bull on a ridge above the corrals you pass 1/2 way in.

Unit?

Wasatch. Funny thing is that I am not finding the cows. Saw a cow, calf and small 6 point this morning real early (full moon)down real low by the highway. But nothing else.

with the warm weather, the bulls are in hiding during the day...and they take their harems with them.

I know exactly where you are talking about, RC.
That little Corral creek mountain bike/hiking trail runs right through there, in fact.
Great area.

I wish the elk would discover the bike trail instead of hanging out 1500' higher. It's a hard climb up to them.
We haven't been able to draw tags in there for 4 or 5 years now.

Over simplified answer, where the food, shade, and water are and the people, and ATV's are not.

Not that over simplified.

Elk seem to follow the grass.

Down way low as the snow melts off and grass greens up. To way high. Bulls tend to get real high up there to eat the mountain bunch grass. Some, from what I been told, up to about 26% protein.

While the cows tend to need a more carbohydrates rich grass for milk production.

Bob Gorman from Pikes Peak Outfitters showed that to me years ago as something to watch for while afield, and there seems to be a lot to it. Bob went as far to mention that bulls tend to nip off the tops of grass more then cows as they tend to eat down into the stems more, maybe his eye for that is better then mine?

Just watch how much more feeding activity there is in a nutrient rich burnt area? Elk are very sensitive to the quality of there forage, and that changes with elevation.

But elk are where you find them. (now that is over simplified)
Changing there habits on a whim. Changing counties when pressured.

Interesting comments. Decided to go to the back up area that I have hunted for 30 years. No giant torphies, but a lot of fun. Trail cameras showed a few cows over the summer and not one bull. This is the third day of the hunt. First day rain all day. Heard 1 bull first thing and nothing thereafter. Day 2 and this am, bulls galore. There were no bulls in this area all summer and only a few cows. Saw 10 bulls yesterday of various sizes. This am, we found the cows and herd bull in the same local where a camera sat all summer. It is like they come to rut in the same place each year. Both the cows and bulls. There were 3 bulls and about 10 cows and there was quite a show including a little fighting. Out stalk was a bust. Could not coax the bulls out of the forest and the wind didn't allow sneaking in on them. Back at it in a couple of hours.

Breeding grounds... handed down through generations... like salmon in the spawn.

Kent

you think I'll ever be able to pry the info about that little 100 yrd bench where those bulls spend 90% of their lives except breeding season out of you!

please leave it in a will for us less fortunates but then agin doubt i'll out last you

Spot on comment KRP!
Tried to find some elk this summer to see what the rut would hold. Game camed a few elk but not many. August 15th a herd of 40 or so cows showed up with a few small bulls. Around the 20th a couple of pretty decent bulls showed up. Now everybody is gone again.

Actually... remember that thread Enrique had about Steve's GF going to hunt elk this year with a 243... and all the hoopla about caliber choice...

Those bulls are in trouble opening morning Nov 25th... if they want to hike in that far... lol

Kent

Lunch time. Sitting on a ridge fighting off yellow jackets. Tech has changed lunch somewhat. Lots of bulls. No more sitting on the ridge looking for them. From here on going in close and calling. Bulls are bugling and are coming to the calls. We had a young 5 point walk all the way up the mountain to 25 yards before he winded us. Should be fun. Watched satellite bulls come into the valley all morning. Must be at least 10 5 points or better in the valley now. I believe that this must be a mating ground. Makes sense.