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It's time...the rut has started!!!!

A friend of mine called this morning from the Gila and said the rut has started! Said they kept him up all night. He has to wait until Monday for his hunt, and I go on the 11th. Is anyone else hearing anything about rut starting early? I'm most curious about NM, Gila units, but how about the rest of the country. I've got a mule deer hunt starting Monday with both my kids that will keep my mind busy. But I can't wait to get after those screaming bulls!!!!

Where I am hunting in Utah, it's still pretty silent. Here are a few bugles now and then, but nothing serious yet.

Have a great bowhunt. BB

I'm leaving in 5 HOURS!!!!!

Just an odd thing to point out about the rut. A friend of mine has video of a herd of about 40 cows and a herd bull who was actively keeping the cows together and acting very "rutty". This was a month ago just outside of Golden CO.

BigMo, that's good to hear as my hunt starts on the 11th down in the Gila as well! Good luck!!

good stuff but the actual rut (breeding) won't happen till the same 1 week window. Just because the bulls want to get it on, doesn't mean the cows will let them. The amount of bugling is simply dependent on activity level of bulls, weather, and human pressure. Bulls don't need to bugle to spread their genes and just because a bull bugles doesn't mean its the rut.

headed down there sunday after work, flight, pack, drive. cant wait! Usually down in the gila there will be a wave of bugling then silence for a couple days once the labor day trailers and atvs start buzzin around.

Seems like it might be a good time to be hunting if the bulls want to get it on, but the cows don't. That scenario has gotten the best of many a good men!

Timing is different for every area. Some anxious bulls can get others rawled up and speaking. The pre rut is just starting.. they will bugle back and forth and challenge each other vocally. The activity will increase from there unless as noted there is too much pressure or hot weather moves in.

The "rut" term is often used loosely, for those literalist you can say "rutting activity" to satisfy their criticism.

Nonetheless the pre rut is usually where most of the action is. During the rut the herd bulls are busy breeding and I think the harvest odds (on a herd bull) are reduced when he's mounting a cow and has his nose up the ass of his next victim.

It has begun, why just the other day I was sniffin' up one of the cuter gals in the office as she walked by!! Oh wait, i do that anyways!!

NoWiser: Can't wait for a pic or two of you and your Dad with some gila bulls down! Lord knows you've done your research.

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