BJ-You are a kick in the butt. I think you might be right about the smaller six points stickin' close now. Saw five in a row like cows on a walk. You are not right about big bulls not answerin' calls. I had several huge bulls come close but they still had cows with them. I think maybe we just have huge bulls in AZ compared to what you are used to seeing<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I reckin' you do got more 400 class bulls roamin' the White mountings. We still are able to draw here, an' all the big city non'residents ain't affected the drawin' yet like down there. Our itty-bitty bulls are quiet now. 2 feet of snowfall the first week of October shut 'em down good, but they was only half-hearted on openin' day (9/20). Last year they was chargin' in thru the 1st week of October, an' talkin' well into the 3rd week. But you AZ hunters (all 10 zillion of ya) sure do have a chance at a record class bull. Not a good chance, kinda like a snowball's chance in south of Yuma in August. But there's a chance...I reckin'.

BJ

I'm looking at my notes from last night. The 70 (seventy) 3+ year old antlered bulls (there are another 70 de-antlered bulls too), scoring between 280 and 400, bugled a high of 86 times in 5 minutes between 6:15 and 6:20 last night Oct. 18. The temp was 40 degrees, there was a 5-10 mph wind from the NW, and the sky was cloudy. On Sept. 2, the Temp was 50 degrees, there was no wind, and there were clear skies; and they bugled 215 times in 5 minutes between 6:55 and 7:00 PM. So, they are way down. And they are on about the same schedule they were last year. I expect by Nov. 10 they will be down to almost nothing.

I've got at least 17 different elk calls (vocalizations) on tape. Any of you guys ever hear a Glug or Glunk? I can hear it when the bulls are herding at about 200 yards, if the elk are in the open. Ever hear a Threat Rumble (quiet, deep rumble like a buffalo bull does)? I can't hear it beyond 20 yards. Keep me posted if you know peak bugling and peak breeding dates in your state.

Any day with the elk is better than a day with any other kind of animal. I'm having a ball researching elk this year.

Got questions on elk? I'll try to answer.

[email protected]



T.R. Michels

Edited by - trmichels on 10/19/2002 13:11:58