Last Saturday evening (September 5th) I was out driving around scouting for Whitetails when I came across a herd of 820 Elk that had just came down out of the mountains/foothills to take up residence on a valley floor private ranch!
They were just 250 yards (the closest ones) from a paved road and I pulled over over and set up my window mounted spotting scope and started counting Elk.
It took a while.
I then counted the various age groups of Bulls - results: 3 mature 6x6 Bulls, 20 5x5's and raghorn Bulls and right at 80 spike Bulls.
I sat there with the window open for 1 full hour and during that time I heard a total of 6 "bugles".
Cow calling and chirping was non-stop however.
That day started out with heavy rain at sunrise and cool temperatures all day, along with some ice at sunrise under the pivots, and short lived snow covered peaks that afternoon once the clouds lifted.
The cow calling was exceptional (IMO) in its non-stop intensity.
At first I thought the cows were nervous about my close proximity but even at the end of the hour the constant cow calling had not subsided at all.
The Elk were VERY entertaining to watch and appeared especially healthy (fat and sassy!).
Not an especially high ratio of calves to cows (lots of Wolves/Bears and Mt. Lions in the nearby foothills/mountains) though, but the calves I did see were chunky and frisky.
Hope everyone has a safe and successful Elk season.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Opening day they headed for the ranches, huh?

Smart buggers...

Same down here in Colorado. Those elk aren't dumb. They head for private ranches.

I hunt muzzle loader season also and usually they are not very vocal yet. That season starts this coming Saturday.

Hearing they are bugling their butts off in my part of NM right now. Headed out in 3 weeks.

No offense, friend, but that is music to my ears.

Last Thursday night they were pretty vocal in West/Central NM and did not hear a single bugle in North/Central NM this weekend.

Way more noise this year than this time last year around here. It's a lot cooler this year. We roasted last September.

Guess I'd better be watching a fence line Saturday morning

We just arrived in Gunnison today, packing up tomorrow or Thursday. Hearing that they're pretty quiet here still. I'm ready to go!

There is plenty of bugling in the Dubois WY area. It started about 12 days ago. I'm out every evening, the elk are still high, far from roads. I got a spot, public land where I can peer into the wilderness area and I see multiple Bulls every evening. Bow hunters should be doing good.

Photoperiod.....and the elk cows coming into estrus go hand in hand. Whether they invite you to the party is another story. That's a clue there.

We've covered dozens of miles in elk country around Dolores, CO in the last three days by foot, ATV, and truck both day and night listening and calling. Haven't heard one bugle yet or talked to anyone that has. It's been about 80 degrees here in the afternoon. Saw a few cows tonight and will hit a new area in the AM. I think next week will be better.

Listen when it rains. I have no clue why.

Still not a sound after many more miles in the last couple days. Found some great areas for future hunts though. Heading to WY.

The only elk I've seen have been on a ranch. Did hear one bull bugling, but that's it.

Spoke with my aunt last week. She said she thought she heard one there on the ranch, but if it was a pretty poor excuse for a bugle. Unit 18 just south of RMNP. She went on to say she hasnt seen any in the big hay meadow. So I suspect they are still up high.
Oldest son and I are headed up there 14 October. Mebbe we'll get lucky.

This Shiras was at the end of her driveway last week there on the place. We do see lots of moose on the ranch.

Pretty quiet down south here so far ...

Dennis is on an archery hunt now and reports little bugling but just enough to work with.

I saw about 20, including at least one young bull, last weekend. They were definitely not in rut mode.

Every time I go out I find turkeys, and of course no tag. That's ok, I like turkeys.

Camped at the trailhead, I was eating supper at dark when an ATV pulled out of a little 2-track, hesitated, and stopped. A middle-aged lady dismounts and comes over. She's in camo with binocs strapped on, scouting for deer. 2 dogs in the quad and a 1911 strapped on. Says she just finished glassing a tom lion "as big as a deer" 250 yards from me.

I love Arizona!

These two were quiet, but about a half mile away one was vocal with a bunch of cows. Private property of course. And the smaller one got ran off

Starting to hear some buying, though not much still in the snowies. Seeing lots of small groups of cows with no bulls and lone bulls.

They are going off here in SW MT big time now. Laying in bed at night listening to the orchestra.

Home from Enrique's elk hunt for a Dr. Appt. I managed to get a humdinger of an ear infection during the week. Headed back tomorrow with a supply of augmentin. Bulls were talking until 7:30-8 am and a little just before dark. Lots of big bulls with no cows. The bulls with cows were mostly the 340-350 class bulls. Saw on 390 with cows opening morning. The small bulls are being almost completely silent. Hopefully it will pick up.

Finally getting fired up in the snowies. Not a lot, but getting there. Called in a herd bull and his harem tonight, but my buddy wasn't able to get a clear shot through the brush. Great time nonetheless. Next week should be roaring.

Still not rutting but some talk early and late.

Up around 10k right now north of I-70, not a single bugle all night or morning. Talked to some guys who come here every year and they say it's very unusual.

First rifle could be epic!

Maybe not... realized what was going on at this place, is the exact same thing as the other spot I tried. One of two things:

They're either on private land down low

or

Because it is so hot out (drove through a 9000' town that had tourists wearing shorts still) the rest are way up at the top.

Came across a guy who had been camped out about six miles in and he had to go another four miles to find the elk at 11,000 feet. Got into a good herd, about 100 he claimed, and even had a cow broadside at 30 yards. But the reason he didn't let it go is the reason I didn't go that far back - once you get it you have to get it all the way out.

If we don't get some cold temps and snow they might stay way up there through some of the rifle seasons. And he did say up there they were bugling.

Found bugling @ 9000' the last couple days.

I just got off the mountain (public ground) in Colorado. We were up for 10 days. Friday was windy so bugling was limited to early, and saturday was perfect weather and heavy frost but not a bugle. That being said those are the only two days that we didn't engage bulls. I called in 6 bulls over my stay but we didn't seal the deal, everyone had a shot (or two unfortunately).
Now that I've said that I think it's just pre-rut activity. I did have a few single cows come in to the bugle and one with a bull in tow. Guys going into camp now should time it perfect.

Last Thurs-Sat was pretty good for bugling. Last 3-4 days here were pretty dismal. Home now, tough hunt for Enrique. My hunter ended up at Urgent care with a respiratory infection and is done for the season. I'll go Thursday and see how the elk are doing during the rifle hunt

No bull for enrique Dennis?

Bulls vocal every morning from stands. We only have archery cow tags.

Seeing g bulls daily too bad no bull tag. Arrrggghhhhh

I sure hope so. We will head that way on the 5th.

Us too.

Hope yall have a good hunt. We will be down toward pagosa spring way. I just hope to get a shot at a cow. A bull would be great but after shooting and eating last years cow I'm fine with that again.

I was a chitty caller, this is the first time I didn't call a bull in to shooting range ever. The rut just never happened yet, there were bugles as bulls established a pecking order but the 340 bulls still were cowed up and big boys weren't kicking them out.

Saturday morning Enrique, Kyle and I had a bull with cows in a saddle, 50 yds on the other side of a thicket, that bull was hung up but there was two bulls coming up from each side and I thought one would come all the way in. I was 100 yards back, Kyle was behind Enrique and that cowed bull was just under bugling, all of us calling. Both those bulls hung up under and finally wandered away uninterested... frustrating.

Saturday evening we had a bull and cow at a water hole we snuck in on to 100 yards but with three of us they heard us and walked off.

Sunday morning, Enrique's last morning, him and I went back to that water hole, he sat while I looped down into the beds and wallows. It was dead silent. Naturally sneaking through the bottom I find the herd, could have killed the bull multiple times, and when they finally work towards Enrique the wind changes so they smell him and go to the next draw.

There's bugling and then there's 'we're F'n' bugling that horns up all the bulls, I can tell the difference and they never were F'n. The big boys can hear the difference and come in and kick ass. It didn't happen yet, what a great year for moisture and antlers but a crappy year for hot weather and rutting during the archery season.

Here's that bull yesterday morning, I had him at 36 yards broadside multiple times as he went back and forth sniffing his cows, when he went out of my sight I got my my point and shoot and videoed him walking by me at 10 yards.

It was a tough year and we had not one lucky mistake by a bull... PHUUCK!!!!


[video:google]http://s289.photobucket.com/user/kentpowellp/media/videos/MVI_0827_zpsscisk0w7.mp4.html[/video]

Holy [bleep], Kent.

How do you keep calm when one walks by like that?

Wow! Kent!!!! Heck of a story!

Spoke with my aunt by email. She said very little activity at the ranch. Said she's seen a few animals but very few. Ranch at approx 7500'. Or so. Said they had a snow other night up high but it didn't last long.

I'm kinda hoping for an epic second rifle like we had in 2010 up there!

31 years ago, my first ever elk hunt, solo, total rook for both elk and archery, I had that same scenario. When the bull finally stopped running around sniffing cow trail I pulled back and shot thinking shoot, shoot, shoot... 2 ft over it's back.

I'm much calmer now.

Kent

We were at that same elevation, very hot and going to be a late rut.

Kent

My archery area, near Collbran, CO, is still in the mid to high 80's every day forcast out to the next two weeks. It was so hot last week we could barely sneak in an afternoon nap between hunts.

Some nice bulls were killed by other hunters but we just couldn't put it together. Half the camp got sick, we were close every time out, the nontag holders had the bulls in kill range... Frustrating!!!

Kent

Krp: Supposed to get to a very unseasonal high of 80 degrees here in SW Montana today (81 tomorrow!) - average for this date 62'ish!
Half a moon last night - things should cool down and perk up soon?
Sorry you weren't successful - it still great to get out in out in the mountains in September!
Keep after'em.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have been following this thread with interest as I have an elk hunt in Colorado that starts in just under three weeks . My wife has been in Jackson, WY, for 8 or 9 days, and elk bugling all night long have been keeping her awake. I thought that was a little strange, given what I have seen posted here on the campfire. However, I just got off the phone with a friend who said that he had been in Taos and Red River in northern New Mexico over the weekend. The elk there were bugling constantly and the bulls were herding harems--the same behavior that my wife reported from Jackson.

You do realize cows come into heat and will be bred regardless of weather conditions or the moon right?

Lots of noise in NV. This one bugled on command. Awesome sight!



talked this one in to 30'.

Bulls are bugling and have been, but there is a difference in rutting activity bugles and pecking order activity bugles. Usually the rut is very active by the 18th.

I can draw that tag next year with my bonus points. this year the hunt started on the 11th, 2016 is the 9th and 2017 is the 15th. I will decide next feb which year I want to hunt.

Kent

2017 Kent!

Callnum: I have been Hunting Elk for 53+ years now and I do realize "a lot" about their breeding habits - in fact I saw a mature (6x6) Bull this morning mounting a cow about 3 miles from my home.
Sadly said Elk were on a private ranch and are immune to my advances because of my unwillingness to pay the $10,000.00 (ten thousand dollar!) tresspass fee to get sweaty and Hunt them thereon.
The Elk though, are now bugling MUCH more frequently than they were 15 days ago when I first posted.
You do realize, callnum, that Elk are more active (observeable) to human Hunters during days that occur during the dark of the moon?
This day time increase in "dark of the moon" activity occurs both during the rutting season and after the rutting season as well.
Get after'em boys.
Good luck all.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have very little response from the elk across the street from Enrique with my hunter. I called in one bull is all. The rest could have cared less. They would answer and you would try and outguess them. Lots of silent bulls and only saw one big bull the whole hunt and that was the opening morning with Enrique- a 390" bull that got away. The rest of the bull tending cows were what would normally be satellite bulls.

The bull in Kent's video was typical of the bull size with cows. I am headed to 10 on Thursday- hope the rut is better and nobody else gets sick!

On the hoof the evening before we saw that bull, originally I thought he was a 340ish bull in the trees. But looking at the video he's narrow, I'm thinking 320 to 330 6X7. He was sniffing all the cow's butts and not sticking with one... he'll get his ass kicked once a cow goes into heat. The breeders let that size bull round up the cows and keep the rags off, then walk in slow and threatening when it's time to get the job done.

Kent

Didnt happen for me in Utah either. Managed to find a real old bull and took him. It will be interesting to get his age from the DWR.

How would they know?

They have hunters send in teeth on LE kills.then they are sent to a lab, I have heard USU does it for them but not sure.

So it is not the wuffs? Astounding.

I was wondering how that hunt panned out for you. Congrats!

In many species, including virtually all members of the deer family, there are annual rings laid down in the teeth as their growth rate varies during the course of a year. The tooth is decalcified, stained and sliced into very thin sections across the axis of the tooth. With a microscope, the rings in the tooth can be counted to determine the animal's age.

I have used this method to age deer, elk, nilgai, coyotes and bobcats at various times in my checkered career. When it was first developed, we assumed that the variations in growth rate that formed the rings were linked to annual variations in the quantity and quality of the food consumed. However, it was subsequently found that these rings were formed in the teeth of captive animals whose diets did not vary in quantity or quality over the course of a year.

If anyone has determined the root cause, I haven't heard about it, but I no longer keep up with the literature like I used to do. I suspect it is driven by hormones and photoperiod (annual variation in day length).

Whole lot on nonsense here as usual. Weather, moon, private land, wolves, blah, blah, is just excuses for guys that don't kill elk.

You mean it's an excuse for a certain pattern to be absent.

Killing elk is easy... killing elk in a specific manner may not happen.

Of course at some point if chasing/calling bugles isn't productive, you need to hunt elk where they are.

Kent

Pulled the center two to send in..Not much Ivory left there.







Thanks. Spent 10 days on the mountain alone, looked over lots of bulls. This guy gave me a great hunt, he won round one in the timber. The next day I caught him in some country that gave me a slight advantage, he still used the tall oak brush really well,he was responding to my calling efforts,but never came in..Ended up shooting him at 50-60 yards thru a small opening.Weak 5ths seemed to be a theme this year in that area..Good luck to you in WY.

Sometimes, all you can say is "this one was really old" (usually 13+). I have aged wild white-tailed deer that were at least 15, but the oldest elk that I have heard about was "at least 13, probably a little older".

As I said, I don't keep current on this stuff anymore.

Buddy of mine took his dad on a ML cow hunt, lone cow walks by and he shoots it. It was so old the cloves crossed and the backstraps atrophied to almost nothing... she was so tough you couldn't cut the gravy...

Kent

They really started up on Friday around here.

Much better over the last few days. Had six going at once yesterday

Don't bow hunt, but my dentist does.. He is now retired.. Saw him last weekend.. His crew had filled out on bulls, but they usually do.. I suppose there were 5 to 8 hunters all had filled by the 19th.. A few more of Doc.s friends were headed in for bow season..

mudhen, your post on age just caught my eye.. Often the game and fish are waiting at various places to age game and check to see if it is legal.. Probably 20 years ago, I killed a big cow elk, and was headed in with her.. Ran into a check point and they ask if they could age this cow..
I told 'em sure no problem.. When they checked her teeth they said she was at least 8 years old.. I ask if they could get a better estimate.. They said yes, but they had to slit the jaw.. No problem.. When they were finished, they said she was over 20 years old!! I knew elk used to live long, but never thought it happened much anymore..

LE kills?

Limited Entry

For the rest of the story...

Enrique's friend Steve filled his tag this morning, last morning of the hunt, with a very nice 6X7.

Kent

No talking at all from the elk, including the spike I had at 12 yards (4 point or better area). Talked to a warden who hasn't been hearing them anywhere and has personally only seen two taken this season in his area.

Anyone hunting in the hospah or grants area of New Mexico? If so, how's it sounding?

NM Unit 52 north end was hot and heavy bugling last night.

NM_ElkNut: I went by the local resident (hiding on a private ranch!) Elk herd this morning before I went to the range and the Elk in that herd of nearly 1,000 animals were bugling like mad (even after the late setting full moon last night).
Saw some mounting activity as well.
Only got to listen/watch for 15 minutes or so.
Get after'em boys!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I'll be hunting in the 7,9,10 corners area. I start hunting next Wednesday. Hopefully, there will be a little something happening.