Colorado 1st Rifle Bugling?

[JDeck]

I'm thinking about drawing a first season rifle elk tag. I've always hunted during September. How was the bugling last year?

 

[elkocd]

Elk bugle all thru Oct. It depends more on where you are and if they are pressured or not. If you find unpressured elk with good B/C ratios then they will be bugling. If you're hunting close to a lot of people and or low bull densities then it's hit or miss.

 

[come2elmo]

nada in SW CO this year. But only saw 2 cows in 5 days and we are newby's so take that for what it's worth....

 

[elkocd]

JFYI, my son and I heard 100's of bugles during 2nd season in CO this year. OTC public land, but we also never saw another hunter and we did see 40-50 legal bulls. You gotta be in the right place and away from the pressure.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

It is possible all the way through 2nd season in my experience. I wouldn't count on it though. I do bring a bugle tube the first few days to get a feel and then make a decision to continue or not.

 

[Coveyleader]

No doubt they will be bugling. If you don't hear them, you're in the wrong spot. Every time I've taken my brother or friends out during the first rifle, bulls were going off still. One of the best seasons to kill a nice bull.

 

[JDeck]

Thanks for the feedback. I've hunted the unit in the past and know that if they aren't talking its difficult to locate them.

 

[GunsAreFun]

JFYI, my son and I heard 100's of bugles during 2nd season in CO this year. OTC public land, but we also never saw another hunter and we did see 40-50 legal bulls. You gotta be in the right place and away from the pressure.

Think you could spare a bull or two for a new guy lol

 

[davsco]

JFYI, my son and I heard 100's of bugles during 2nd season in CO this year. OTC public land, but we also never saw another hunter and we did see 40-50 legal bulls. You gotta be in the right place and away from the pressure.

holy crap i prob would have wet myself! hunted nw colo last two first rifles and didn't see much and def didn't hear any bugling, those were my first two elk hunts so still def a newbie.

 

[iowawhitetailnut]

I am a newbie elk hunter. Planning on rifle 1 this year in colorado as well. Any tips on how to know if i am not hearing bugling because there are not any elk around or because they simply arent bugling? Just trying to determine how long to stay in an area before moving on. I have so much to learn... Thanks for any advice!

 

[Coveyleader]

its a short season. get out 2-3 days prior and find them. The elk havent been hunted for almost two weeks so they will be doing their thing.

Be there opening day and waiting for the sun to rise.

 

[elkocd]

Think you could spare a bull or two for a new guy lol

It's simply about understanding elk. They are animals that are just doing what they want/need to do to reproduce. Yes, I have a TON of elk hunting experience so I can find elk no matter where we go, but anyone can do the same. Simply stop thinking as a human and start thinking like an elk. Which usually means going where humans don't want to go. If you're hunting in a human comfort zone then you're probably not where the elk are.

 

[C.Oshlick]

sounds like solid advise

 

[LargeFarva]

I am a newbie elk hunter. Planning on rifle 1 this year in colorado as well. Any tips on how to know if i am not hearing bugling because there are not any elk around or because they simply arent bugling? Just trying to determine how long to stay in an area before moving on. I have so much to learn... Thanks for any advice!

We had some snow 1-2 days before opening day this past year in CO, which helped to find the tracks and zero in on where they are and are not.
Didn't hear and bugling, but did get into some elk. We were in a fairly crowded area, we found elk where we didn't find other hunters.

 

[iowawhitetailnut]

Good info, thank you. We are doing a backpack camp hunt. Would certainly prefer to not have snow for the camp aspect, but would certainly be helpful to figure out if there are any elk around. Can’t wait to go!

 

[western406]

So I have been guiding in SW Colorado for 3 consecutive seasons now. (Unit 71) this past season I didn’t hear a single bugle all 1st rifle. Some of the other guides did but the action just wasn’t there this year. But during 3rd rifle, my client shot a small 5x5 bull about 25 minutes after he decided it would be a good idea to bugle. (All this about 1 in the afternoon) I heard what I thought was a bugle earlier that morning but my client didn’t so I didn’t wanna seem like the crazy guide telling his client there’s a bulging bull in November. Generally bulls will bugle until they start hearing the 1st gun shot on opening day. Colorado also changed their season dates around this year so 1st rifle might be earlier or later this year. - -Western

 

[Indian Summer]

I agree with Western406 that the norm is for bulls to bugle but quiet down pretty quick after the first day. We heard about a hundred bugles the opening morning in Wyoming this year as usual. After that pretty quiet even when I went up to my spike camp where there lots of elk, a good bull to cow ratio and no other hunters.

If you really want to hear bugles and locate elk go out a couple days before the season starts.

 

[ChrisAU]

Bull in my avatar bugled a couple minutes before getting shot, last day of 2019 1st rifle. We had been in that spot for 15-20 minutes or so and had not heard him bugle before we saw him. Right after he bugled another bull over the ridge past him bugled. Or maybe it was a hunter that had pushed him over that ridge trying to get him back...either way, I was tickled with the outcome.