huntnmuleys

im taking most of september off too.....elk hunting in two COUNTRIES will do that to ya

i really like the first couple weeks of september the best. seems like elk are everywhere. i will say though that a lot of the biggest bulls seem to come out to play later, at least where i hunt. dont know why, just the way it seems. but i see more elk earlier, and usually i see some big ones then too, so.........

Elkcrazy8

I like the first week the best. At this time there are less cows in heat, and the bulls are ready. Use the right tactics and the bulls seem to be very responsive to calling, espescially the bigger ones. I have found that as the season rolls on, the bigger bulls are a little more difficult to pull from cows in estreous, even though it can still be done. I sure that all would agree though, that anyday you get into the woods chasing elk, is in fact the best day!!!!!

glob3006

I usually muzzleloade the week of the 11th. This year will be my first bow hunt.But I do alot of scouting at the end of Aug. and ( IMO) the first week of archery season is when the Elk are at there most relaxed. Last year I hiked up the week b-4 the bow opener and found a group of three REAL NICE Bulls that were at 30 yrds and didn't mind me a bit.I see that alot.That is until the first shots are fired.

justhuntitall

I like to hunt the first 2 weeks there calm and it seems like you can pattern them and the last weeks of the first 2it seems like you see a lot of bulls wondering with out cows . And you dont have to compete with other hunters .


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Dirt2

I agree pretty much right on the money with your dates. When I plan my vacation each year, my gotta-have dates are 18 through 24 Sep. This year I'm off 17Sep through 2 Oct. That's a little later than I'd prefer fora two-week but that's the way the weekends fall this year. I didn't like the 10-25 Sep slot, who wants to come out of the woods on 25 Sep? I've been generally disappointed with the first half of Sep.

For the moon guy, I'll categorically state that the moon has squat to do with elk movement or whitetail movement, either. To date, no scientific study I know of has shown any connection between moon phases and game movement. (The Drury morons don't count as scientists. I probably shouldn't say morons, it'll probably get me in trouble, but I'm feeling a little feisty today. Guess it's 'cause I saw 9 bulls this weekend - one herd of six with 3 bulls of 4 1/2 y.o. or older, the biggest will definitely go over 300 (15+" brow tines).)

RobinHood36

Dirt--
Where did you see the bulls at?



I know ...........
--no tellum crik...........just messin with ya...Looks like you have a real honey hole, ...Good Luck this season, RobinHood36>>>=============<>

stinkbelly

I am an out of state hunter and like most, I hunt public land. I shoot for the first week to get a chance before they are spooked. I am not sure if this is the best option of if I should wait until they begin to bugle. When is the rush of hunting pressure on public land? Is it opening day or is it the rut?

ShatoDavis

Moon Phases:

I will say this, that I kill less game when the moon is full. I catch more fish when the moon is dark. Ideally I would prefer to hunt when the rut is really going and the moon is dark. The problem is that the elk don't wait. I look at dates first and foremost and the moon stages secondary.

To the guy who says that the moon has zero to do with movement. I say that you know not of what you speak. You say that there has been no sientific studies done....wrong. There has been. There was a scientific study preformed in the south by a university (can't recall which one)on there farm.There definately where more game taken on dark of the moon days. They said that statistically that there wasn't enough of a difference from the mean to be a standard deviation but there was more game taken. They said that it needed to be researched over several years to get enough data to be reliable. I believe that it is generally accepted that fishing is greatly effected by the moon.

So my conclusion would be to say that a full moon isn't enough to deter me from hunting. I do know that they will be less active during the day. It stands to reason that if they are out all night running by the light of the moon that they will need to rest somtime. So I would concentrate on glassing bedding areas.

PS. it seems to me that the smart we get the less we want to believe the ole timers ways. Yet science has proven the old timers right more often than not. So before you dismiss something as rediculous you should think for a minute because there may be some base to it.

Smithbros.1

The last 2 years I went colorado around the 10th-20th of sept. When we arrived there was little rutting sign. By the 20th both years the wallows were ripped up & bulgling was more consistant during the daylight hours. IMO 18th thru as loooong as you can afford to stay would be the best. I have a muzzeloader tag this year and season ends on the 18th I believe. A little early IMO.



The way that ya wander is the way that you choose!!!

1elkhunter

I like to go around Sept. 17 to Sept. 26. I have found that the bulls seem to be most responsive to calling during this time. I have had my most success at calling them into bow range like this.