Just returned from weekend hunt here in Montana. Never heard a single bugle. Saw several mulies, a cow moose, a cow elk. Did manage to shoot 2 blue and one ruffed grouse. I'll have the wife cook up the grouse with peppers and squash from the garden and warsh it down with a bottle of Sierra-Nevada Pale Ale. Just wondering how other elk hunters fared this week end. I covered a ton of ground and saw little activity.
had coll wather here in wy. 55 for a high. did have 2 bull bugle, i know it was an elk because we followed them for about 2 miles. seen about 45 total no shots. maybe this weekend!
Was in Idaho on Sept. 4th and saw around 200 elk, but only heard about 3 different bulls bugling. Not going yet, but they are getting close. Temps are dropping, season is changing, it's about that time. Next week they should be going good.
Last year, opening day afternoon I called in a rag horn to 15 yards. The bulls bugled from early september until Oct 28, it was nuts. The third week of September I dropped into a canyon and all hell broke loose. Had elk everywhere, and probably 8-10 bulls all screaming back and forth, I actually got confused on which bull was what and where, it was nuts. Anybody ever had that problem? Too many bulls bugeling at the same time! Go figure.
I hunted hard Saturday through Monday, packed in 9 miles in a canyon with no trail! Saw plenty of elk, but heard only one bugle. Got within 50 yards several times but no better.
For anyone with ideas about the rut having to do with cold weather, here's some dope for you. This year is the coldest in the past six years here in my part of MT, yet this weekend was by far the deadest opening weekend for rutting action that I've seen in that time.
I had a really interesting encounter with a rutty bull moose. He was raking off the velvet as I sneaked up on him, thinking he might be an elk. His horns were a bloody, reddish-orange hue. I mewed at him and he stepped around a willow and stood glowering at me, trailing slobber down to the ground. The range was 40 feet! I had no moose tag, and was very pleased when he grudgingly retreated.
Glad to hear it wasn't just me last weekend. Never a bugle, I didn't even see any rubs. Buddy of mine just came down from the high country same result. Late rut I guess this year.
Ya the call really seems to be late this year. I arrowed a small bull on the 23rd of august but never bugled him in just caught him walkin by my stand. My partner got a spike bull on the following night but after that we were shut out. The one fella who never filled his tag had plenty of action however the elk just wouldn't come into range, but i guess thats the joys of bowhunting. lol
__________________
Its 35 below or its 98 above and he's workin through it all cause this is what he loves.
Elk opener....any thing singin?
