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Last year about this time I talked to a guy at the archer range saying he heard bulls bugling already while he was scouting his area. I went out this weekend to pick up my cameras and has a look. I had a few pictures of elk, but mostly just the cattle that are grazing in the area. I also didn't hear anything and I got there a little before 5am.
anyone know if the cattle tend to drive out the elk? It's late but I'm wondering if I should bail on this area.
elk bugle all year. cattle is not a good sign. No bugle is not a good sign. My verdict would be to bail if there is not steaming sign on the ground and lots of it.....NF is big, lots of elk in there if you can find them.
Too many variables, my biggest concern would be no sign on the ground. I shot a cow elk a few years back with moo cows just a few 100 yards away. If the cowboys are really working them though then that may push the elk out. How many times have you heard about elk getting pushed to private property where cattle and cowboys are a regular thing. Sheep and sheep herders are a different boat all together! Look where the sheep haven't been yet!
I hunted an area with cattle for about 7 years. There always seem to be elk around the area, they didn't seem to be too bothered by the cattle. The downside to cattle is that if they get in front of you, they keep running ahead and ruining your hunt.
I have been scouting a different area this year and have had not seen any cattle sign. I also have not seen any fresh elk sign but I have gotten quite a few pictures though the summer of bull elk and moose (cow, calf, spike, and bull moose) up till a week ago and then just started getting some cow elk in the pictures this last week. Hopefully the cow elk are moving into the area for the rut. I was a little worried that the bulls wouldn't stay around if there were no cows in the area.
I heard bugles on Saturday.
In my experiences, the bulls tend to bugle when they are loosing their velvet, then they quiet up for a week + then start up again.
Yep, some half-hearted bugling the last couple days in my area.
Most seemed to be young bulls from what I saw and heard.
It was 37 degrees at my house this morning.
Bring it on!
WENT OUT SCOUTING SW COLORADO THIS WEEKEND. MOST WERE RUBBED OFF. SAW COUPLE 5X5 SPARING AND A MONSTER 6 WAS IN A WALLOW IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEADOW GOING CRAZY AND LET OUT A HUGE AGGRESSIVE BUGLE. SAW 2 SMALL SIXES STILL IN VELVET THIS WAS IN NF GET READY BOYS ITS STARTING
I may have to start looking at my backup plans because 90% of my trail cam pictures are cattle. I also didn't see any fresh rubs in the area and most of the other sign looks older.
It's getting really close and I'm so anxious. I wish I would have put more effort into a back plan because I really don't know what the other areas have this time of year.
was surprised Saturday morning with a buglefest!! we call anything over 25-30 bugles a "buglefest!!!
ran into a FAT 6x6. with his head behind a tree, you'd have thought he was a Hippo, rather than an elk!!
I should clarify that the buglefest comments are referring activity in August!!
Bulls are starting to sound off in the high country. We rode the area in sw Colorado with great elk activity. We're flying the area the next few days, so we'll see how the numbers are holding up.
Everyone wants the elk to be bugling in their areas already, always seeing activity they think are signs of the rut. But the bulls are still by themselves, and up high compared to the cows and calves. Yessir, some bulls are rubbed off, but we seen several good bulls still in velvet. And in New Mexico, bulls are rubbed off and hitting ponds like clock work, coming into the ponds by themselves. They'll be looking for cows soon....
X2 w/ cnelk... Always hear a spike in elk bugles in the the first 2 weeks of August when they're stripping velvet...
If I ever draw a Utah tag I can chase bugles in August then.
Heard a couple of bugles last week, Saw one spike with 3ft long antlers, still in velvet, and another spike with partially stripped velvet today.
Terry AZ 23North
Anthony, your comment "And in New Mexico, bulls are rubbed off and hitting ponds like clock work, coming into the ponds by themselves. They'll be looking for cows soon.." Meaning NM is ahead of Colorado in terms of the rut? I'll be in SW NM in one week chasing bulls. I heard last year bulls were hot the last week of August. Hopefully, that continues.... Hope your well bud. Thanks again for all the help in 2B last year. -tony
spent the whole of last weekend in Unit 34 in NM and didnt hear a single bugle. did see a few elk but never heard them at all. its been raining a lot up there and im hoping thats the reason for the silence. ill be back up there again this weekend and i hope to hear some starting up.
As far as cows, I would tend to believe that cows are a good indicator for elk. While they are different range cows will often look for similar habitat as an elk. This includes comfy bedding areas, food, water etc. Where the cows tend to concentrate the elk seem to naturally concentrate. The differecne is after season starts and the elk are looking to avoid humans they will move into the deeper, darker and thicker stuff.
Bulls Bugle whenever they feel like bugling. Even Cows (elk)bugle.. the difference is when, and why are elk bugling. Early August bulls will often "display" bugling and posturing in front of other bulls. As August continues a few cows (elk) will come into estrous. This gets the young ones fired up, and the excitement can cause some bugling, but most bulls are still only spending some time with the herd. Most bugles are just social calls, still in the process of establishing the hierarchy of the herd. Lead cows will wander off with their followers, and bulls will be calling to them out of curiosity, not wanting to leave the area they are in, but have an irresistible urge to follow the cows. In middle to late September the cows will come into estrous again, and because estrous only last for 12 hours, and several cows will be in estrous at the same time, this is why you hear the most bugling in late September, the excitement and activity results in all the bugling. As far as looking for a new area, I could not tell if you have hunted the area before, or not... If you have and it held good numbers, or is a place you have exclusive rights to, I would walk the area and look for the few places you can find elk sign, and concentrate on those areas when you go back during season. It does not take a lot of elk to make a hunt successful, just the right one. Also, Hunting pressure from other areas also will send elk into new areas, you might be there when they show up. It is always easier to call an elk in when he is already coming than it is to get one to come back to you, or catch up to one who is leaving...
I've heard elk bugle in December and in April. They can bugle whenever
This is a new area for me. I've had cameras there since June, but the more time goes by, the less I'm seeing elk on them.
I didn't hear anything last weekend and I also didn't see any fresh rubs or droppings around.
The place I hunted last year was different. All I could hear was nonstop bugling from about 5-10 in the morning and then it'd start up again in the evening. I'd go there again, but it had too many hunters and most of the elk you could hear where on a private ranch so you could never see them, just hear them through the trees.
I've only lived in Colorado for about 4 years and this is my third year elk hunting. I really want to get one this year and I thought I finally found an area that would produce. It just seems like the cattle are causing the elk to move out of the area or maybe it's all the smoke in the air.
I'm going to at least give it a shot this weekend. At least archery seasons long enough to give a guy a chance to regroup and try something else.
Good luck to everyone this year.
I'm hearing bugles every night , they just keep going off over and over and over again. It's hard to sleep at night I wake up in a cold sweat!! I put my head back down on the pillow and BOOM!! They start going off againIt's pure torture!!!
I've heard them in June, late July, early August, and February. Like others said, they'll bugle any time the mood strikes...just means something a bit different in September.
