Mid October Elk Hunting Techniques?

[Clinty Poo]

I'm going to be going out with a buddy to help him try to find an elk. I'm new to modern firearm elk hunting. I always hunt in September (Archery). Do the bulls still bugle and are they able to be cow called in still or is it mainly find the feeding and watering grounds and spot and stalk? Any help is greatly appreciated Thanks

[madmax83192]

well the rut is over in early october and a budy of mine thats up hunting in second rifle is still hearing bulls and cows so has of right now they may still respond to you but chances are not nearly as good

[hank375]

Iwould get into a place were you know there aresome bulls and give some cow calls maybe some small grunts.You might get a bull to come insillent hoping to pick upone last cow. Mid to theend of october is nothing likemid september, but you still have a chance of callinga bullin, you just have to find the rightbull.Good luck.

[Clinty Poo]

Yea I know calling won't be nearly the same I was just wondering if there is a chance at all.. I'm pretty good with the bugle and cow call so maybe I'll coax a young bull or old bull into trying to get one of the last cows of the season

[ElkNutz]

Start walking....

[sclwald]

I hunted 4 days last week here in Southeastern Wyoming. I heard 3 bugles, no responses. I definitely think it is in the very post rut as every bull I saw was alone. The groups of cows had no bulls with them except a spike here and there. I usually sit on meadows in the first couple hours of the morning and then walk a few hours of the morningas well. Produced about 150 elk in a few days. I do not hunt elk after about 10am. I don't like pushing them all over the place.

If you hunt where there is a lot of pressure you may see elk all day long as they get pushed.

[Muliefever]

Glass!

[wyomingtrapper]

Calling can be productive, but you need to be conservative and subtle. I've had the odd bull bugle during mid to late October, but not often. Occassionally a cow will mew a response. It doesn't hurt to let an occassional, hesitant, cow call loose.

Friend and I sat down on a hill side at about 10:30 last Saturday and he let out one mew. We just sat enjoying the sun and scenery. Long story short of it: Within a minute I could hear animals running in. By the time I stood up, there were two elk within 40 yards, coming in strong. That is not the norm. We knew elk were in the area, and given some shooting going one, they'd been pushed around. This cow and her calf had, no doubt, been seperated from some others, and come in to his mew to regroup.

Mid day hunting can be productive, but you will need to probably push some timber and go slow. If you are pushing them around, you are moving too quickly. If you do spook some out, don't assume they are a lost cause. They are spooky from the pressure and may not even have a clue what you were. Sometimes they don't go far. Keep hunting thier direction, go slow, and stop and glass ahead alot.

[MTMountainMan]

Yeah, keep with the calling. Last year I was cow calling predawn on the last day of the season (Nov. 25) and I had a cow come in when it was still too dark to see through my scope. She ran off, but I kept cow calling and20 minutes latera whole herd (including a 4X5) was running toward me, presumably to pick up the lost cow. Bull down!