bigbulls

Any one else here that is hunting elk in Colorado finding that the bulls just aren' t bugeling? The differance between last year and now are like night and day. Last year I had so many bulls coming to calls that I didn' t know what direction to go sometimes. This year I stand a better chance of taking a salmon from a bear than getting a bull to just answer a call once.

I am hoping that the rut is just really late. It seems that mother nature is running fairly late her self. The aspen trees should be in full colors right about now but are still mostly green around camp. Another thing is that we had such a good rain this spring and summer that maybe they just aren' t nearly as concentrated around the springs and other water sources to get their grasses and water. But there are enough elk around camp that they should be at least answering a call every now and then.

Is anyone else getting frustrated like me? Or maybe experiancing similar conditions?

stubblejumper

We had the same problem in northwestern alberta last week.I heard only one weak bugle all during the trip but was fortunate enough to take a bull in spite of the poor conditions.My partners never heard a bugle.

rather_be_huntin

That sucks for you guys. I' ve been talking to bulls for 3 weeks now. The leaves have changed and the elk are rutting here in Utah. Too bad my hunt isn' t for two more weeks. Hope it picks up for ya' ll.

skeeter 7MM

Here we missed the rut by days it would appear, on friday & saturday we had or heard several bulls bugling in preseason scouting, expecting a week of bugling were suprised to only hear a few bugles from elk during a week of hunting. We managed to harvest 3 bulls of which 2 were aided by cow calling only, the 3rd was right place at the right time. It appeared the Elk rut was earlier and shorter than usual, we talked with the CO' s mid week and they stated the bulls were going hard the week prior. Which may explain for the response and talking we heard on friday and saturday than nothing really to speak of the rest of the week. Our hunting party figured we had just caught the tail end of the rut and them bulls were searching for the scraps...it might explain how we managed to lure 2 bulls out with just cow calling, but the bugles produced nothing with the rifles in hand!!! The weather was perfect, cool daytime temps and frost on many nights, seemed like it should have been prime. Our trees are mostly green, but were turning after the frost and dropping by weeks end.

Another thing that pointed to an early start to breeding season was we heard several Moose calling by mid week, which is a good week to 10 days early. I called out a young bull in search of love on weds morning & one of our party members even witnessed a large bull moose breed a cow at close range. DARN to bad moose season wasn' t on[:' (]!!!!!

Howler

I agree Bigbulls. Opening weekend of archery, we didn' t hear a simgle bugle. I was back up opening weekend of black powder, and did hear some bugles, but very few and none of them showed any interest in coming to the calls. Maybe next weekend will be better. Last year compaired to this year, night and day, I agree!

Wolf killer

The bulls are going nuts in Montana. I called in a 6x6 bull two weeks ago. He hung-up about 65-yards out.
I also got in front of a herd of elk last night that had a 6x7 herd bull. The wind shifted & the herd blew out of the area. I almost got a shot at a cow, two more step & I would of had a 30-yard broadside shot.[:' (]

whitetails & muskies

I was in the Montrose area last week. From Saturday through Tuesday the bulls were going strong. Finally on Tuesday morning I screwed around with a bull for nearly 45 minutes, when he shut down. Just a few cow calls over the next 20 minutes had him move slightly so that I could hear a branch or two break, but not a peep out of him. At about 7:45 (AM) I let one short bugle go and a nice 5x5 immediately showed himself 75 yards from me, right in the direction I last heard a branch snap. One shot with the .50 caliber and he side stepped twice and tipped over like a ton of bricks.
For the balance of the week we hardly heard a bull. Both in the area I shot mine as well as a few other higher and lower spots....nothing but a few distant calls. I also agree that the colors seemed way behind.

Sigma7

Sorry to hear that the action is behind schedule....but for those of us coming out to CO for rifle seasons that report is not all bad. Leaving flat land three weeks from today. It is hard to be at work.

tulibuster

Just got back from oregon for 2 weeks of elk hunting. Heard one bugle to many people and to many roads going to pack in on horse back next year any ideas on where to start ?

06 HUNTER

DITTO BIGBULLS!
WE HUNTED SOUTH CENTRAL CO LAST WEEK AND WE HEARD ONE, MAYBE TWO BULLS BUGLE. I TOOK A COW THAT CAME IN AHEAD OF THE ONLY BULL WE HEARD FOR SURE. WE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER HUNTERS, (BOTH BOW AND MUZZLELOADER) AND THEY WEREN' T HEARING ANYTHING EITHER.