Early September vs Late September Archery

[Lil-Rokslider]

Nah.
Perception is Reality

50:50 chance it will be the right time is the same reality.

 

[browtinebull]

red or blue pill?
it really comes down to your ability to adapt to what weather you get.
Look at the forecast in days leading up to the hunt and adjust if you can. Flexing a day or two can make or break your hunt. Examples: rain can make getting to your A-C spot impossible to get to or extreme high temps can shut down the rut and make meat handling tough.

 

[Bigborealaska]

Silent elk = hard to find

Vocal elk = easy to find.


pick your dates accordingly

I agree it's trying to figure out when they will talk that's the hard part. In Idaho with it being warmer the last few years it's been a crap shoot to figure out when their rutting.

 

[Coveyleader]

I agree it's trying to figure out when they will talk that's the hard part. In Idaho with it being warmer the last few years it's been a crap shoot to figure out when their rutting.

you missed my point.

 

[PSDBowhunter]

Some spots in CO are very good the first week, then the elk flee to private ranches. Other spots are very good the last week, after many hunters have gone home and you can figure out where elk are after being pushed around for three weeks. I'm retired so I can spend the whole month in the elk woods. I hunt from a camper and move my camp often to find elk as the season progresses.

Muzzleloader week can be good for bowhunters, because ML guys generally aren't the hard chargers, don't stray far from their side by sides, are mostly happy to be in the woods and blow on calls. Nothing wrong with that, I guess. Lots of bowhunters stay home during that week. The ML success rate is about the same as archery, even though they are shooting some pretty accurate single shot rifles, which speaks to the effort expended. I don't have many conflicts with MLs where I hunt, a mile off roads.

Interesting thought. Initially I was trying not to overlap with the ML crowd, but that may not be as big of a deal as I thought.

 

[PSDBowhunter]

If I had to pick one week it would be the third week of September. Have you checked what the moon is doing to help you decide?

Not yet. We may be limited by work. If the moon is right, that will be a bonus.

 

[PSDBowhunter]

I love to be on the mountain on opening morning. I've killed a couple of screaming elk within the first few hours of archery season opening. I've also had some really tough hunts on opening weekend where I never heard a bugle or found any sign. Elk can be mysterious critters, and as soon as I think I've got something figured out with them, they humble me. The most consistent bugle fest is usually the first week of October, when there aren't any elk hunters afield (except for the early rifle guys).

What I usually try to do is book a short hunt for the first 2-3 days of the season, and then book a longer 5-7 day trip during the last 10 days of the season. But I live in Colorado, so it's not as big of a deal for me to do 2 hunts as it would be for an out of state guy.

That's the problem with living out east. Have to put all my eggs in one week.

I'm not going to get too worried about it. A bad day in the elk mountains is better than most days anywhere else.

 

[Jlujan01]

If you can scout and the unit is more open country then I’d say early before the bulls start moving a ton. After about the 5th or 6th the deck seems to get shuffled every single day. I find many elk throughout the season but the ones I scout may be gone or in drainages I’ve never seen them in.
If you’re a caller- later in the year. If you’re spot and stalk, anytime will work but early gives you a better chance to find bulls in a smaller area.

If you are hunting lodge pole country, later would probably better. Most units around here are so thick it’s impossible to spot and stalk unless you choose the right spots.

 

[PSDBowhunter]

If you can scout and the unit is more open country then I’d say early before the bulls start moving a ton. After about the 5th or 6th the deck seems to get shuffled every single day. I find many elk throughout the season but the ones I scout may be gone or in drainages I’ve never seen them in.
If you’re a caller- later in the year. If you’re spot and stalk, anytime will work but early gives you a better chance to find bulls in a smaller area.

If you are hunting lodge pole country, later would probably better. Most units around here are so thick it’s impossible to spot and stalk unless you choose the right spots.

That makes sense with calling vs spot and stalk.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is lodge pole country?

 

[Jlujan01]

That makes sense with calling vs spot and stalk.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is lodge pole country?

Lodge pole pine forests which are very dense spots. You won’t be glassing much in this country and calling will be almost a necessity. You will generally find big meadows in these places but you won’t be glassing into big basins. Now that Colorado has so much beetle kill, these spots can be covered up in deadfall. You may be able to find units that allow a bit of both if there is a burn scar, standing beetle kill or avalanche chutes but you really have to search to find those types of spots around here.

 

[LFC911]

2nd half

 

[Skerhunter]

Somewhere around the 11th-18th is when I prefer to start and plan for 2 full weeks. First half of the month is more likely to be hit and miss. The last thing I want to do is use up my PTO hunting elk that only move/talk for a couple of hours each day, so try to keep that at a minimum. Getting the timing perfect is impossible, every year/area will be different.

 

[Yooper]

Looks like September full moon is 18th. Kind of torn on dates given that info. I prefer to be hunting leading up to a full moon but not the days right after it. Kind of throws a bit of a wrench in the plans potentially.

 

[NCtrapper]

Late Sept for me. Trying to avoid super warm days that are more likely at the beginning of season. Just what has been best for me. But i would go anytime, anything can happen

 

[Hnthrdr]

Late Sept for me. Trying to avoid super warm days that are more likely at the beginning of season. Just what has been best for me. But i would go anytime, anything can happen

I usually do the same last season Co had a heat wave the last week and temps were higher than the first 3 weeks of Sept, the bulls totally clammed up, last 3 days of the season we heard 3 bugles compared to the first week it was 1/8 of what we had heard

 

[Beendare]

Seems to me opening day is the busiest in the elk woods….and the last day of the season the woods are practically empty.

 

[Maverick1]

Pick your time and go.
50:50 chance it will be the wrong time.

The 50/50/90 rule.​

Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

 

[wyogoat]

If you’re going to be in the woods all day don’t be intimated by that moon. I’ve shot, or should have shot, a lot of bulls during midday with that moon cycle.

 

[Gman12]

I go the first week. Elk are still on their normal patterns and haven't been buggered. Not a lot of water in our area so water holes are extremely productive particularly in the afternoons. It may not be the most sexy method of elk hunting but it is very effective.

 

[bergie]

Can only speak on Idaho bulls and as many have said it varies but the 3rd week is the week I can count on the most.