I have an elk question

[stick flipper]

I am an eastern guy with no experience hunting elk. I am trying to plan an elk hunt to Colorado for this fall, but I need some help. One of my good friends has been to colorado a dozen times and I have been picking his brain about this trip for awhile now. Unfortunately he will not be going due to other hunting trips. I due have one question. When is generally the best time to go for a week long hunt? I have been told that if you go early.....like before the middle of sept. the bulls aren't bugling much or poss. not at all! Is the first two weeks of the season slow? Is the begining of the season best? Middle of the season best? Or the end of the archery season best? All input would be greatly appreciated and stories are welcome also    I have elk fever.....and I haven't even gone yet!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The week of Sept.9-15. That is the best for the rut this year. Elk go into estrus by the length of the days. This week is the start of the new moon. This coupled up together and you have a great time to be in the woods. That said...if there is a lot of hunting pressure where you are hunting throw all this out the window! No matter how worked up they are if they get pressured they will shut up real quick. If I were going on an out of state hunt it would be 9th thru the 15th.

[Whip]

You will definately get different opinions on this one.  I think much of the answer lies in where you will hunt.  If public land with reasonable access, you will probably find plenty of other hunters.  In that case maybe early is better before the elk get pushed around much.  But if you have access to private land, or pack in far enough to avoid the crowds, my own preference would be later to get in on the bugling.  It just makes it so much easier if you can locate the elk by sound and move in to where you need to be.  But if you are hunting pressured areas you are not likely to hear much for bugling anyway, and the elk most likely would have headed for more remote areas.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Totally agree with Whip.

[Strutter]

You will probably want to consider that the muzzleloader season in Colorado is Sept 8th - 16th this year.

[Outwest]

Everything stirred around mixed up and considered the last week of the season is generally the best.

Good luck.

John

[bsh_jr]

It is probably a wash.  I haven't hunted CO, but here in Idaho they'll bugle all season long, usually a little more later in the season if you hunt far enough back in the nasty, but not at all if you are in an area where idiots have been running all over the mountains for weeks, especially the guys permanently attached to their idiot four wheelers.  I had bugling bulls around all but the third week of the season last year and that week my area was covered in hotshot crews and wildifires.

Brannon

[Pat B]

I hunted SW Colorado last year for the first time(first elk hunt). I flew out on Aug 28 and flew back on Sept 8. We had very few elk sitings and only heard one bugle while out there. The week after I left my buddy went back and was covered up. If I get to go again I will plan on a week or so later than last year.   Pat

[shapeshifter]

i agree with whip and bsh_jr  ......

guess it depends on what you want out of the hunt..... the earlier part of the season can be fantastic for close encounters with curious bulls with soft cow calling (don't over call). but don't be a bit suprised if a bull sneaks right in on you without you knowing it..... hunting over wallows will also be really productive. that said, since this is your first elk hunt, i am betting that you will want to hear some bulls talking..... the later part of the season is really good for that but be aware that most bulls have cows and getting into range with those extra eyes, ears, and noses can be a real challenge........... but......... if you are into the elk and they are really talking...... you will be hooked for life regardless of if you get a shot or not..... good luck this fall.

brannon..... i hunt idaho too and i can truly feel your pain with the four wheelers....... and guys that are permenantly attached to their bugle tube or hoochie mama (without an instructional video for most to follow, primos has done us wrong  by not telling people not to call so much that they sound like a pi$$ed off squrrel LOL).

[beyondmyken]

No advice on time but I have heard elk in southwest CO bugling even in early Oct.  If no experience out west, start getting in shape for covering lots of steeeeeeeeeeep terrain at high altitude.  The vastness of the country can be daunting for a guy used to 20 ac woodlots.  Be mentally and physically prepared to hike out in the dark and come back in the dark and spend an unexpected night out.  Dress for snow but be prepared for mosquitoes.  Practice steep uphill and downhill shots.  Eastmans has some good books on elk hunting.  Would not recommend going alone the first  time.

[shapeshifter]

beyondmyken- very very good advice!!!!!!! us fellas that live out here and know the country forget about that kind of stuff when giving advise.... if you can't avoid going alone, get a GPS and truly learn how to use it.

[elk ninja]

Brannon,
Ditto on your experience last season.... we need to do something about all the atvs, they have thier place, but they are ABUSING the land and ruining a lot of otherwise pristine areas.
Mike

[**DONOTDELETE**]

How many elk have you guys actually bugled in an taken with a bow? i'm curious.....

Everyone has opinions on the best time to hunt bulls in the rut....if you spend the time, and know how to bugle and mix enough cow talk....i've had just as much action having them come in silent early in the season....i prefer Mid season myself while the bulls are still rounding up their cows. The new moon has always been a good one for me too...the 9th through the 15th would be my choice if i were traveling too....

i also agree with Whip....too much pressure, or too many guys practicing their bugling will shut them up pretty quick.....

But keep an eye over your shoulder my friend.....i've had an unbelievabe amount of bulls come sneaking in for a peak....i've got in the habit of staying put and keeping my head down for at least 30 minutes after bugling with no response....i've had them come in so close i could feel their breath on the back of my neck before....that's a spooky feeling let me tell you!.....i usually get 2 or 3 per year to come in pretty close....that's not saying i get shots at them though...these jungles in Oregon are pretty darn thick in spots...It may not be quite as much fun as hearing them scream at you. but when they come in silent.... it sure is exciting when they just materialize out of thin air at 10 yards.....

I hope you get into em bro! There is nothing better than elk hunting in my book.....Kirk

 

[shapeshifter]

i have killed 9 bulls with my bow.
bugled in and taken......1 bull......... but that is because i got between him and his cows....... i never bugled prior to that moment and only when i knew the time was right did i only chuckle..... i seldom bugle............ i let them do the talking.

here is a pic that was more fun..... i stalked this fella and killed him from his bed. after a 500 yard 5hr stalk i got to spend 45 minutes with him at 16-18 yards before he stood up and gave me the shot.

 

[Plumbob]

Stickflipper, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Go out and have a good time, cover ground and hunt smart. It's not always like you see in the video's. Like Kirkll said the can be sneaky.

Don't bugle too much, hunt with your ears. Elk make alot of different sounds. Try and find some Elky looking spots and keep the wind in your face. Above all relax and have fun.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Right on Crowdog! That's it exactly...the sattilite bulls espeacially are the sneaky buggers.....The come creaping in to see who the bad boy making all the noise is, and maybe steal a couple of his cows while he's tearing up trees or fighting....

I think the biggest mistake guys make is by taking the term Bugling to extremes...ya watch the videos with these guys screaming out full musical bugles all the time.....i've only brought very few bulls in screaming at them like that....some of the best action i get is using a single reed making squealy high pitched bugling noises that most guys would laugh at.....another good one is just grunting a few times, and raking a tree.....i had the same bull come in 3 different times to just a couple grunts and rubbing a stick on a dead aller tree.... simulating antlers rubbing trees attracts some aggresive critters now and then too... one of my favorite tricks is using a 100 foot of small rope and tying it to some vine maple.....after i've  done my puniest bugle i rake a bit then wait about 5 minutes.....then i cow call with several different types of call and pull on my rope now and then....moving the trees a bit here and there....i've had those elk almost step on me putting the sneak on that moving tree....What a hoot.....Most big herd bulls don't want to fight you....they want to group their cows up and move them away from you if you challange them with a monster bull call.....Now they WILL come back to kick some skinny little bulls butt a lot more often.....stay with your cow calls until you figure out the moods of the bulls....once you start seeing blood in the cows pellets....start making a bit more noise would be my take on it......What a hoot!!!! there just ain't nothing finer than elk hunting in the rut....Had some fun with that Hoochie Mama call the last couple years....that and the old hyper- hot call....Kirk

[Ric Anderson]

The biologist here in Montana tell me the peak of the rut is around Sept. 19th.  Bulls seem to bugle less earlier in the season but come in more readily.  It's my understanding that that is because they haven't as of yet developed a pecking order.

[T-Bone]

Here in Colorado the elk get pretty noisy about the third week in sept.  Like Whip said, if you're in an accessible area, early can be the best.  On the first day hike around and look for wallows or fresh sign in feeding areas and ambush them before light.  During the afternoon and early evening, wallows can be best.  My best day ever was in a fairly accessible spot the wednesday after the muzzle loaders cleared out.  The elk had a few days to settle down and they were very vocal.  I called in two bulls that day 1/2 mile from my vehicle.  I had about a dozen or so responses to my cow calls and did not see another hunter.

Just do it!

Good luck!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Well our hunting party consists of pretty much meat hunters...oh don't get me wrong, the boys love calling in the bulls. but when a nice fat cow presents a clean shot we readily harvest them. Our Roosevelt elk down in the coastal range don't have quite the huge racks on them the rocky mountain elk do....But.....we have had cows hanging on our meat pole than ran 950 pounds on the hoof, and i've seen bulls close to 1500 pounds.....that's a fact....this thing looked like a work horse it was so big....the guys used a backhoe to load it in a pick up....It was huge!!!! that ragged looking 5 point rack with my new bow hanging from it had an ass like a horse too....it was well over a thousand pounds on the hoof...i got almost 575 pounds of meat off that bull.....half the rocky mountian elk i've seen east of the mountains wouldn't go half that big,but some of the bulls over there were good sized critters.....never was one for trophy hunting....i couldn't tell the difference between a 300 class bull and an antilope....we got a classification of our own we use....if it's got 6 points or better and fairly symetrical.....it's a "hat rack" class bull...might just put that one inside of the barn.....the rest we nail on the outside and let em get mossy..... they make a good bow holder too.....

I'm with ya Crow dog....stalk the early morning, bed down with em in the heat of the day....and find a nice stand in the evening....i'll go out about 3:pm and find a nice funnel to stake out...read a bit and doze off in the sun....the action usually happenes right before dark on a warm day....when its raining i stalk all day....