Bugle report

[Fullfan]

Salmon zone has been tough in Idaho. Been here since the 9th. Manages to kill 2. Both came screaming to the call. One mine other a buddies. Only hearing half hearted bugles early in morning some days. Other days not a peep.

 

[Josiah Bower]

For the moo cows... everyone has an opinion, I was successful this year and was listening to moo cows down in the valley the whole time. If I were you i'd get moving. Move until you find an elk that bugles back or you find fresh fresh sign. Waiting for elk to move into an area they haven't been in awhile isn't a very productive strategy. Going high is usually a good bet

Gerbdog thanks for the advice-that’s what I ended up doing. I eventually glassed up a spike and a 4x4 bull and made a perfect stalk to 40 yards, but the wind swirled while I was waiting for him to step out from behind a tree.

There was one bull a couple miles onto private land that started bugling last night and responded to most of my bugles. I heard four bugles in a row at one point, but I think the rut hasn’t started in that area.

 

[Gerbdog]

Gerbdog thanks for the advice-that’s what I ended up doing. I eventually glassed up a spike and a 4x4 bull and made a perfect stalk to 40 yards, but the wind swirled while I was waiting for him to step out from behind a tree.

There was one bull a couple miles onto private land that started bugling last night and responded to most of my bugles. I heard four bugles in a row at one point, but I think the rut hasn’t started in that area.View attachment 217221

Hey that's awesome! If you have the time keep at it, the cards will fall into place eventually. If your seeing elk your doing better than many and hearing bugles is what its all about, gotta be one of my top favorite sounds to hear in the woods while sitting and waiting for shooting hours. Nice job at stalking into 40 yards also, no easy task

 

[307]

1 bugle in 4 days in south central WY. Eerily quiet. Put a puzzle together to get thwarted by a rogue wind swirl once, and then pulled the trigger on a bull at 35 yards only to have a nock failure and the arrow splinter... It was a very 2020 elk hunt.

 

[Hooverfb]

October rifle tag holders are gonna have a good time this year

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Nope, no elk in the woods, nothing to see here...

 

[nobody]

Last Saturday was the first day I really had them going on the Wasatch here in Utah. Been too hot, didn't really ever hear anything until then. HOWEVER.......

I heard bugles in every canyon I came to on Saturday, and pulled some mature bulls without much effort. The rut is finally running!

 

[Fullfan]

Heard 13 bulls in one drainage yesterday. My son miffed a shot at a nice 6x6 at 35 yds. Same drainage this morning only 2 half hearted chuckles.
Someone flipped the switch on and right back off.

 

[Wrench]

I just came home from north Idaho and there were only two days between the 6th and 20th that bulls were not ripping every morning. I had a blast messing with them.

 

[Vandy321]

all is quiet in SC CO...6 days in.

 

[stratofisher]

Unit 66 Idaho near little elk mountain only bugling at night. Did get a response when close. Not lots of calling, but some. Just not during the daylight hours.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Off mountain from 7 days SW Colorado.
Heard Bulls and close encounters every day.
Bro in law killed 5x5. Filled my cow tag and harvested chocolate phase bear.

 

[chops24]

hunted unit 13 in NM for the first hunt and the Gila for the second. they were bugling but not fired up the first part of September in 13. In the Gila from the 14th to the 20th they were absolutely screaming. I backpacked in, couldn't get any sleep, i hunted from the truck as well and they were fired up.

 

[rileybassman]

Heard 13 bulls in one drainage yesterday. My son miffed a shot at a nice 6x6 at 35 yds. Same drainage this morning only 2 half hearted chuckles.
Someone flipped the switch on and right back off.

Had a similar thing last week... I think a lot of bulls, once they run into each other, steal cows, fight etc... they take their cows and leave. I had 4 in one drainage - saw two sets leave right before dusk... your elk may have just moved.

 

[reaperukon]

First time elk hunter here. It’s dead quiet in the north Bridgers in Montana today. I found old beds with droppings that look like they were from the spring, plus a couple more recent ones, but there is zero fresh sign.

It seems like there aren’t any elk here and there haven’t been any for a while. I’m just trying to find any legal elk for meat – bull, cow, calf doesn’t matter. That being the case, should I sit it out or move to a different area? I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, so any advice would be appreciated. I don’t know if I’m hunting too high or low, or if there are even elk in the area. Also, does the presence of moo cows on grazing permits tend to push elk out of the area? There are tons of moo cow beds but no cows to be seen either—just two spike muleys I ran into at 8 yards

Most elk don’t mind cows. They do not mix with sheep though. I think a big reason for that is the presence of sheep dogs. If you can find where the sheep herders are try and avoid their local by quite a bit.


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[StillBald]

I've spent a week hopscotching around south central ish Colorado and have yet to hear a bugle. I've run into a ton of hunters and a couple of park rangers saying they are seeing the same. Hard to even find fresh sign, I don't know if it's the drought and heat or what.

 

[Gila]

The bullfights are on in the Gila! They are screamin' just about everywhere. Some of the boys stuck some big racks over the weekend. No question that the antler growth is stellar this year. If you guys have a Gila tag you have a chance for the bull of a lifetime. My tag is next batter up, I'm stoked! This little bull challenged my truck yesterday:

 

[sneaky]

Most elk don’t mind cows. They do not mix with sheep though. I think a big reason for that is the presence of sheep dogs. If you can find where the sheep herders are try and avoid their local by quite a bit.


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They don't like being around sheep because the oils from the wool on the sheep gets all over the vegetation. They won't really move back in until those oils come off from heavy dew or rainfall.

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[chops24]

The bullfights are on in the Gila! They are screamin' just about everywhere. Some of the boys stuck some big racks over the weekend. No question that the antler growth is stellar this year. If you guys have a Gila tag you have a chance for the bull of a lifetime. My tag is next batter up, I'm stoked! This little bull challenged my truck yesterday:

Definitely agree. I saw some absolute studs.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

This weekend everything changed. Finally they are talking and the harems are forming. They’re only advertising after dark, but will talk to you if you get in close enough. I had three stellar encounters over the weekend, but of course blew all three of them!

 

[Randle]

North Idaho bulls finally woke up mad.