HuntElk4Fun

Just curious on everyone's thoughts about the best week for hunting Elk in the rut. Ignore the calendar (i.e picking your week based on M-F) and pick your favorite dates and why. Personally we have always tried to center the 20th-23rd in our week, so I'd say. The 18th-25th is my favorite week. I read once peak bugling (averaging out the years and years of data) is the 23rd. I realize each year is different and each area, but if you had to block off 7 days and nothing else the entire year, when would it be?

RobinHood36

I like to take my hunting vacation from Sept.!0-24, i have had real good success from this time period. Early on,generally the bigger bulls are looking for cows and are more apt to come in too calls, once they have there harem it gets tough to try and break the big bulls from there harem, --good luck!!!

shed33

Hunt,

I would have to agree, your dates are almost exactly what I was thinking as I read your topic. I like the 17th through the 27th give or take a day or two on either side depending on the year and weather conditions.

ShatoDavis

I would have to say that my favorite dates this year are sept. 9 -17th. Thats when I'm going anyway. Generally speaking somewhere around the 15th is my favorite.

Wolf killer

I always hunt the 15th-25th.

BareBack Jack

I would like to be out around the 14-21st of sept,but this year I have to settle for the 21st-28 th of Sept.I normaly hear the peak rut is around the 23rd give of take few days.
BBJ

Hunter_59

Just to throw my 2 cents in,keep in mind this year is my first elk hunt, but I do know a lot about hunting whitetails during the peak of the rut and one thing I think screws up your plans is the full moon. This year Sept. 18 is the full moon and I'm willing to bet that elk will be more nocturnal during the full moon phase just like whitetails. Some of you elk hunters may know better but it just seems this would be the case. Any opinions on this hypothesis?

HuntElk4Fun

Hunter - IMO the moon doesn't play a big role when the rut is on. Bulls are so worried about cows, the bugling goes all night sometimes no matter what the phase of the moon. Bulls are either protecting the ones they have, seeking out more or trying to swipe one from a bull who does. I'm not saying the moon doesn't mess things up, just that they are already nocturnal during the rut.I'm sure other will second that wehave sat in camp on a cloudy night, hardly any moon and heard them bugle allllll night. Enjoy your first elk hunt, oh, and try to sleep while that's going on!

rick_reno

I like the 3rd week of Sept.

muley69

Well, don't hate me for this guys, but I'm taking all of September off, and maybe the first week of October. I'm moving the camper up to the high country tomarrow with the kids for the weekend, wife is joining in Sunday and Monday, gonna start looking around for those bulls. I really like the evening hunts the first week of September, bulls are on the move looking for that stray cow. Usaully, September is dedicated for a big trophy bull, October I start getting a little less picky, by the end of October rifle seasons kicks in and I get even less picky, by the end of Novemeber I'll take a cow, after the season closes for the year I curse myself for not arrowing the respectable bull back in September, the rest of the year I will come on here and bable about this and that, then About the fourth of July weekend I'll start getting elky again. By August I'm nearly to a fevered pitch and when September rolls around well...................see above.