Elk bugling....or the lack there of?????

[STICKBENDER98]

This is a question for the guys out west, my brother and I just returned from Colorado where we spent 3 weeks in a drop camp. We saw plenty of sign, but the elk were sticking to the dark timber and were not being very vocal, we heard a couple bugles when we got into camp, but it was very quiet compared to past years.  We had elk in the meadow below where our camp was, we would hear them mewing, chirping, or barking, but never a bugle.  Was just wondering if it was just in our area because of hunting pressure or if it was happening elsewhere also. We thought for sure when the full moon hit last week we'd start to hear something, but all was quiet.


Jason

[Maclean]

Jason,  I just finished my archery elk season here in central Idaho. Pretty much the same story, lots of really fresh sign but no talking. I was into fresh tracks, scat, beds, rub trees and my favorite, a super fresh wallow. But not a peep. I don't bugle anymore (another story for another thread) but I do cow talk and I couldn't get any bulls to fire up. They were playing hard to get and acting like ghosts. My friends that bowhunt different areas than me all had the same story. I don't know what's going on.

I live in a very rural area in the mountains so this next tidbit isn't that rare, but now that we're in the 2 week break between archery elk and rifle season, I'm driving into our little subdivision at about 3 p.m. and in my neighbor's yard are 7 cows, a calf, and a 6 x 6 bull looking like they're not worried about a damn thing. Go figure.

[Smguinnip]

My experience this year was quite the opposite, we rolled into Colorado on the second day of archery season and the bulls were bugling good up until MZ season. They continued to bugle but just not as much. Hunting pressure was quite high this year and it was plenty warm the first week.

[Switchensticks]

I am in Eastern Oregon, hunting an area I have hunted for over 10 years with a number of bulls killed. This year our season started a week later than it normally does I thought it would good, I was wrong. Opening day I had a 6 point at 20 yards with no shot through the Christmas trees, I did get to watch him bugle twice before he left, the only bugle I heard all season. My son had 7 different bulls on his camera at the ground blind 4 days before season, never seen a bull, it is like they just disappeared. Hunting pressure was less than normal and the elk would not respond to any calls. Weird season.

[charles m]

This is interesting after reading the bear hunt story of the strange year also. 

[STICKBENDER98]

Thanks guys, as I said I heard it was a state wide thing in Colorado, but had heard it was happening elsewhere, wasn't sure if it was factual or not.  I don't claim to be an elk hunting expert, as this was only my third trip west for them, I have hunted whitetail for 40 plus years, and there is some similarities as far as trying to pattern them at food sources, or watering spots.  Being able to spot them and listen for them is a bonus that didn't happen this time. We pretty much used cow calls this year, I bugled a few times, but started leaving my bugle tube at camp since I wasn't using it.


Jason

[durp]

Same up here in the idaho panhandle...very little talk from real elk but plenty from the two legged kind...I did manage to see a few dinks and a couple of cows...been hunting this area for 57 seasons now and its only getting worse...

[snag]

There can be quite a few reasons the rut can be quiet or delayed.
One is the bulls will be quiet if wolves show up in the neighborhood. Also with the
human buglers in an area they do get educated.

[Hud]

I agree with Snag, wolves and too many hunters calling.  A third and less talked about is the number of states with archery seasons that are in the middle of full moon. Seasons vary among the states. Eastmans Magazine did a story on it back in 2020 -22, but don't remember the issue. They found states with seasons before or after a full phase, provided better hunting.

[Surffever]

That was kind of my experience here in the coastal range northern Oregon.  Bulls on cam 2 weeks before season opened.  Plenty of sign during the month of bow season, scrapes, wallows, etc, but very quiet.  In fact the only bugling I heard I am fairly sure was hunters.  The owner of the local ammo/grocery store said from all he has heard it was a stunningly quiet season, as if they are on to the bugling trick.  I was skunked but feel better that it wasn’t just me.

[Over&Under]

Similar here in Utah…heard a couple but very quiet and a lot of my buddies said the same thing hunting other parts of the same state

[acolobowhunter]

It was so hot here in Colorado during elk season, some times that can make a difference.  The rut just seems to get going when the weather cools down some.  I usually have better luck the last week of the season.  Many of the bulls don't really get into the rut until about the 1st rifle season.  This is not always the case, but I have been bow hunting elk for over 50 years and it seems the rut gets later each year.  A good early storm seems to get them in the mood.

[Bigriver]

Just came back from a guided elk hunt in Unit 34 CO. Never heard or saw an elk the entire trip. Full moon, windy, warm, too much pressure all added up to another bust. All had hunters had action prior weeks with some bulging. Lucky me. I give.

[highcountry]

Abnormally warm-hot down here in AZ. Still have flowers outside the house!  Breaking records the weather girl says. A left-over hurricane is to come up from Mexico and cool things down. Maybe the elk will like that. 

[elkken]

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't .... From season to season timing can be different for the rut, pressure can be more, weather can be hotter or colder. The areas I traditionally hunted years ago are much quieter due to pressure and over calling but you can still some good days cow calling. I was out salmon fishing this weekend on one of our coastal rivers and heard an elk bugle ... October 21st is kinda late for bugling.

In the Washington Cascade range I always liked mid September best. After the early archery season I would take my wife hiking and bugle elk up near Mount Rainier, beautiful time of year.

I have a friend who hunted eastern Oregon this year and he heard very little bugling compared to past years,

[Randy]

Same here in NM. Hot, Dry, Windy, Full Moon. We didn't see an elk or hear a bull. There was some hunting pressure but it was close to the roads. We were on the mountain by 3:30-4 thinking we would hear something with the full moon. It didn't happen. I guess that is why we call it hunting.

[STICKBENDER98]

Thanks for the input guys!!! Being a flat lander from Michigan, and this being only our third trip west for elk, and having had an opportunity each time, and this year everything was very quiet, I wasn't sure if it was us or what.  We have heard there was a winter kill and numbers were down  So maybe numbers down and hunting pressure up added up to the animals being very quiet.


Jason

[durp]

Had a bull bugle at cow calls on the 28th of oct...fullish moon and all