Wyoming archery elk - early or late???
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
Right now I am planning for the September 6-19. With the idea that Bulls might be easier to call in before they're herded up too much.
Is this a good plan or would you go later when elk are more vocal?
6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other. I would say your plan is perfectly fine. Hunting up to the 19th should get you into some good rutting activity.
I don't know where you are hunting but many general units have a September 15th rifle mulie season opener so it can't hurt to get some hunting in prior to that.
As MP says, it's a crap shoot. No doubt that vocal bulls make them easier to locate, especially for those that aren't familiar with the area, but that can change from year to year, and is dependent on many factors. Some years they talk better early in the month, some years they talk better later, and some years they hardly talk at all.
Regardless of when you come, hunt hard and hunt smart. Your odds of success will increase dramatically.
If you're looking at taking a good bull with archery equipment, the earlier in September you go before they get their harems together the better. I'm helping a friend the first two weeks of September in the BigHorns in hopes we can get a good bull to come in and get out of there before the Type 1 hunters who buy archery permits come in and add a lot of pressure on the 15th.
Topgun, that's kind of what I was thinking. In my experience, I've had a hard time getting bulls to come in later in the season cause they don't want to leave their cows. I know some guys do really well but that's just me.
I know it can be a crapshoot and have experienced from year to year just what Wyobullshooter described.
It does look like there will be a rifle deer season starting up on September 15th in the area we're looking at. I've heard that it isn't a big factor since most the deer hunters will be up high while the elk are typically down a little lower. Not sure if this is true but hopefully it's the case.
That is true about the deer hunters. They are higher than most elk. Also mostly glassing from vantage points and not stomping around in the timber.
I have always felt the dates you picked are the most productive. I like Sept 10-20.
The later dates may have more rut activity and may have more vocal elk, especially the big herd bulls, but I have noticed they do not come into calls and generally are pressured by then into private property or deep nasty holes.
If you are hunting public land that may get pressure I would hunt earlier than later.
In the unit I try to draw, I hunt as early as possible... Bulls are susceptible to the call and rut activity seems to be earlier than later. If I don't draw and have to hunt a general area, I try to shoot for the 20th... Early in these areas, the bulls just don't talk; plain and simple. Get some coming quiet to the call but very little activity. Later, they are herded up and nearly impossible to call in BUT they will talk and then it's a matter of ambushing them or stalking them as they are bugling and likely going away from you.
These are general rules and as with all elk "rules" there are exceptions year to year and even week to week...
I've always liked it better later in the season...but this year we have the full moon at the end so we are going earlier