Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting When do they bugle/rut?

I first hunted Colorado four years ago starting after Labor Day weekend. That week and the week after showed an increase in bulls bugling and fighting. The last three years I have not expirenced the same amount of bugling or rut activity. You guys that get to hunt through out the season, when are you seeing the bulls getting active bugling and rutting?

In Arizona it's mid to the end of September.

I hope it starts September 15th because the first day of my elk hunt starts September 16th. in northern Utah. It has been my experience that the rut in Utah and Colorado does usually begin in mid September or so.

Well, they're animals, so you can't hold them or their behavior to a precise day. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. Bottom line, enjoy the experience, regardless.

I've saw them sparring in late August and still bugling in early October last year. Like anything else, the real answer is "it depends"

In so. Idaho, around Labor Day is when they normally get going. If it's hot, you won't hear much bugling, but if a cold front rolls through, they can get pretty vocal.

During the 1st week of the rut something happens that many overlook. The bull will collect a couple cows and one will establish herself as the lead cow (until a meaner one bumps her out). She will then make herself responsible for finding as many cows as possible for her bull. She'll take off on a cross country run with the other cows trailing behind and the bull gasping to keep up. I think the idea is cover as many miles as possible to run into as many cows as possible so the bull has the maximum chance to enlarge his harem.

One time on Labor Day I watched a cow come out of timber on a high ridge at a fast trot. She led the herd at a fast trot straight down a steep sagebrush mountain side to a grove of quakies. The poor bull was tripping over his tongue as he tried to keep up. As soon as he reached the quakies, the cow took off again, straight back up the ridge they'd just come down.
I've seen similar stuff numerous times during the 1st week of the rut.

Rock Chuck, the first year I hunted Colorado we hunted an area for several days covering a good bit of ground. One day a herd of 20 cows followed by a herd bull and couple satielite bulls were seen by several hunters in the area. They wer first seen coming down from one mountain ridge, going into low aspens with beaver ponds. They splashed and played in the water then headed back up towards another ridge and dark timber. I have believed to this day that they made a large circuit around the area picking up cows and then went back high into the dark timber. That group was seen that one day only. It had one chocolate colored bull with a big rack that was the herd bull. They did not act like they were running scared from anything, just moving with a purpose.

I hear elk bugle year round. I had a bull bugle last weekend about 30 yards away standing in a thick aspen patch. I have heard them bugle in Winter and Spring too.

Typically peak of rut in PNW is around third week of Sept to beginning of Oct based upon my observations

I shot a young spike bull third week of October a few years ago for a handicapped friend and he was actively chasing cows and trying to mount them.

This is spike only in WA state on E side

I have always considered the 15th as the magical day. Of course it will vary but not by much.

Thanks for the replys, it is the last couple weeks in September that appears to be most often the peak.
Would you rather hunt the peak or before it peaks. I have read during the peak they are surrounded with cows and do not respond to calling as well.

Sept 20-25 seems to be the peak.

Temps and moon cycle seem to affect level of activity too like deer

Should add - during day light (hunting hours)

hunt early in the rut and use a cow call. the bulls around here have become bugle shy. hoochie mamas work for my group but several guy's use reeds. late late august through sept here is rut with it tapering off the first week in oct except for some unbred cows.

The rut is brought on by changing day length. As we approach the fall equinox, the shorter days trigger the rut regardless of the weather. Just because it's hot, don't think they aren't rutting. They'll just be more active in the cool night and won't be vocal about it. They're still gathering cows and wallowing. The moon doesn't affect it either. It'll only change the time of day for activity, not the rut itself.

+1^^^

I have heard there are more elk killed on the 24th and 25th of Sept than most other days combined....FWIW I killed my best bull on the 24th, so maybe it's true!