Bugling to locate late-season bulls: good, bad, or ugly?

[DawnPatrol]

Howdy everyone!

Here’s my deal: most years, I rifle hunt for bulls in a heavily forested unit with low elk density in late October. I’ve spent a fair amount of time scouting and learning the unit over the years, and killed a couple bulls, but finding a bull during (or ideally just before) my 5-day season always feels a bit dicey. I’m just looking for another way to locate bulls.

My question is: does anyone bugle to locate bulls in late October or November? I’m not talking about calling in elk, just night bugling to get a general location so I can focus in on places to still hunt.

Would this work? Be a waste of time? Be disruptive and inconsiderate to other hunters? General input welcome! Thanks.

 

[Jaquomo]

I guided during that time of year and have cowcalled bulls in, but not bugling. But a couple years ago my wife shot a cow at the end of October after a big snowstorm, and bulls were bugling all around us, going nuts the whole morning. So many variables.

 

[Huntnnw]

just try it

 

[Ross]

Yes, some years the late October bugling is prime…you just need one bugle to send you the right direction so I crack one off every now and then.

 

[Dos Perros]

I've seen prairie bulls ripping on October 29.

My friends don't believe me but I once heard a bull bugle at first light Memorial Day weekend.

I'd try it for sure.

 

[Randle]

I have been whitetail hunting in October / November and had bulls going crazy. I would not hesitate to bugle during your hunt .

 

[Stache Attack]

Bugle late at night around midnight, then early morning. Every now and then you’ll get some to fire up and answer.

 

[ElkNut1]

Absolutely carry a bugle for multiple reasons! It will assist in locating in timber & before light just like glassing is effective in open terrain during daylight times!

P.S. It's a stretch in Nov though!

ElkNut

 

[intunegp]

I may have never seen the bull in my profile pic if he hadn't bugled (unprompted, I wasn't calling) right as it got light enough to start glassing on Halloween morning a couple years ago.

 

[cbailey1187]

I've had more success with cow calling during that time frame than bugling. If I remember right, some cows will go into a second cycle if they didn't get bred the first go around. I'm no biologist so if I'm wrong I apologize. But they will come into a cow call.

 

[justinspicher]

I do more cow calling than I do bugling for rifle seasons. During September everyone here is busy bugling and educating the bulls so it’s fairly pointless otherwise.

 

[DawnPatrol]

Thanks so much everyone! Really appreciate the feedback and encouragement.

For those of you talking about cow calling in the late season: are you doing that to locate a bull (ie get a response bugle)? Or are you setting up somewhere you think there’s a bull nearby (maybe in cover that’s too thick to still hunt through) and trying to get him to come to you?

 

[ElkNut1]

Sir, focus your energies on either a Locator Bugle or the Cow Bugle, you will find much better results for the situation you described. You said you want to locate not call them to you! The Cow Bugle is badass when nothing else is working!

ElkNut

 

[DawnPatrol]

Report back: I got a bull to bugle back at me in the dark this morning!! I bugled from the road and he called back, twice actually. Very cool experience—I’m a rifle hunter and don’t do much calling. Good to add to my bag of tricks.

The bull is in a spot I scouted this summer. If he’s still there on Wednesday when the season opens, I’ll go in there and scare him off.

 

[DawnPatrol]

I had to wait a couple days before the wind was right, and I snuck into his bedroom. Lots of fresh poop and rubs, but no elk. Wind must not have been as good as I thought it was.

After a very rainy 5-day rifle season here in the Cascades, I saw a grand total of zero elk. Had a blast though, and looking forward to doing it just a bit better next year.