2024 Bugle Report

Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
1,967
Location
Kalispell
Haven't seen a bugle report thread yet this year... If I missed it, mods feel free to nuke this one!

Heading out later this week and curious what you all are hearing!

Cold stretch in MT last week but opener is looking hot again so I'm expecting it to be fairly quiet till towards the end of next week.

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3Esski

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
188
Kind of disappointed nobody is posting some opening morning success stories. It's after 3pm on the west coast, plenty of time to have packed out and logged on to brag...
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
1,534
Location
Great Falls MT
Haven't seen a bugle report thread yet this year... If I missed it, mods feel free to nuke this one!

Heading out later this week and curious what you all are hearing!

Cold stretch in MT last week but opener is looking hot again so I'm expecting it to be fairly quiet till towards the end of next week.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

The heat won't shut the elk up one bit. They're already screaming even when it's pushing 90.

These kind of posts are sorta dumb.
Like a couple years ago I was packing my bull out, a load of just meat in my main bag. I ran across another guy on the main trail. Asked if he heard anything and he's like no. Asked if I had seen anything and I said no, which was true at the moment. Didn't disclose the part of how I was packing a bull out.
But it was funny because for the past couple days before that it was a rut fest. A lot of people think just aren't close enough to hear bugles. Like if an elk bugles in the woods and no one hears it does it make a sound? Also you can't hear a bugle usually if you're back at the trailhead in your 5th wheel at 1030.

Also depending on bugles to be successful is a weak strategy. You really need to know the elk and how they use the landscape where you're hunting. We use a cold calling strategy as plan A and a bugle is just a bonus.
 
OP
rileybassman
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
1,967
Location
Kalispell
The heat won't shut the elk up one bit. They're already screaming even when it's pushing 90.

These kind of posts are sorta dumb.
Like a couple years ago I was packing my bull out, a load of just meat in my main bag. I ran across another guy on the main trail. Asked if he heard anything and he's like no. Asked if I had seen anything and I said no, which was true at the moment. Didn't disclose the part of how I was packing a bull out.
But it was funny because for the past couple days before that it was a rut fest. A lot of people think just aren't close enough to hear bugles. Like if an elk bugles in the woods and no one hears it does it make a sound? Also you can't hear a bugle usually if you're back at the trailhead in your 5th wheel at 1030.

Also depending on bugles to be successful is a weak strategy. You really need to know the elk and how they use the landscape where you're hunting. We use a cold calling strategy as plan A and a bugle is just a bonus.
Thanks for the contribution. I enjoy seeing these threads on a yearly basis and enjoy seeing regional trends. Not intending to be dumb or fishing for information - my days off and areas I'm hunting are set in stone so it won't impact me.

I love elk, love elk hunting and enjoy hearing what others are experiencing.

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Rooster46

FNG
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
69
Thanks for the contribution. I enjoy seeing these threads on a yearly basis and enjoy seeing regional trends. Not intending to be dumb or fishing for information - my days off and areas I'm hunting are set in stone so it won't impact me.

I love elk, love elk hunting and enjoy hearing what others are experiencing.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk
Don’t even bite on that comment ^. “These posts are dumb” … as he posts on the thread with his opinion. Name tag with “tradlife” in it is all we need to know.

These types of threads get me pumped up. Love hearing what’s going on around the elk woods in different areas.
 
OP
rileybassman
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
1,967
Location
Kalispell
Don’t even bite on that comment ^. “These posts are dumb” … as he posts on the thread with his opinion. Name tag with “tradlife” in it is all we need to know.

These types of threads get me pumped up. Love hearing what’s going on around the elk woods in different areas.
Thanks - I still stop by the wall of fame at my local sports store and check river fishing reports. Fishing and hunting are community things to me and I love seeing others success!

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Rooster46

FNG
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
69
Thanks - I still stop by the wall of fame at my local sports store and check river fishing reports. Fishing and hunting are community things to me and I love seeing others success!

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That’s what it’s all about. Hopefully we are all chasing bugles in a few weeks!
 

wapitibob

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
5,953
Location
Bend Oregon
Pulled into camp on Friday and they started bugling about 6:00 pm. They moved up next to camp later that night and went at it all night long. Still bugling at 10:00 opening morning.
Sunday evening and this morning has been sparse with only a cpl bulls sounding off but cows have been real vocal. Heard it all, bugles, glunking, and estrus mew.
 

Rooster46

FNG
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
69
Pulled into camp on Friday and they started bugling about 6:00 pm. They moved up next to camp later that night and went at it all night long. Still bugling at 10:00 opening morning.
Sunday evening and this morning has been sparse with only a cpl bulls sounding off but cows have been real vocal. Heard it all, bugles, glunking, and estrus mew.
Cant beat that!
 

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
6,322
Location
WA
I'm in north Idaho and it's been quiet. I have been out dark to dark.

I have had two wild experiences so far this year. Yesterday I pushed down to a spring through some nasty dry brush and timber. It was 95* and I was tapped on water so stealth was only on level 3. I loaded water and decided to wait in the cool shade for a few hours and chill. I pop on a youtube elk vid and have the volume as low as it goes. Vid rips a bugle and something gets up from 15 yards from where I grabbed water.....a cow and calf elk. They came in on a string.

Just a few minutes ago I was warming up some breakfast and coffee when I hear the telltale sound of elk stampeding. I grab my bow and get ready.....but it's a wolf chasing a whitetail. They passed not 20 yards away.....totally wild. Fwiw, I think the deer won.
 

IDVortex

WKR
Joined
Jan 16, 2024
Messages
1,299
Location
CDA Idaho
I'm in north Idaho and it's been quiet. I have been out dark to dark.

I have had two wild experiences so far this year. Yesterday I pushed down to a spring through some nasty dry brush and timber. It was 95* and I was tapped on water so stealth was only on level 3. I loaded water and decided to wait in the cool shade for a few hours and chill. I pop on a youtube elk vid and have the volume as low as it goes. Vid rips a bugle and something gets up from 15 yards from where I grabbed water.....a cow and calf elk. They came in on a string.

Just a few minutes ago I was warming up some breakfast and coffee when I hear the telltale sound of elk stampeding. I grab my bow and get ready.....but it's a wolf chasing a whitetail. They passed not 20 yards away.....totally wild. Fwiw, I think the deer won.
Been up by CA opening day, only thing I saw was damn livestock that I moved in on thinking it was elk due to the noise they were making. Never heard a call. And the few times I tried lost cow calls nothing. Actually had a strange feeling this year.
 
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