Early September vs Late September Archery

[PSDBowhunter]

Planning an archery hunt for this year in a draw unit in CO. Wanted to see what more experienced elk hunters preferred timing wise. Would you rather be in the mountains on opening day or the last day? Or do you prefer the middle of the season.

Obviously elk can be killed anytime of the season, but curious to see what everyone's preferences are.

 

[4rcgoat]

No experience in CO. Wyoming archery is a toss up. I've been up on opening day and had elk bugling,other years dead silent until 3rd week. Also depends on pressure.

 

[jpmulk]

Ive tried to find the secret on this for years. There is no rhyme or reason to when the elk talk that we humans can predict. Sometime in September and October the elk will bugle haha.

 

[Matt5266]

Not Colorado. In Idaho it's all a gamble. The unusually hot Septembers are not helping either

 

[Jaquomo]

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.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I prefer mid to late September archery elk in my CO home unit(s). Opening week things can get a little hectic even in low point draw units. I've had good opportunities that second week when the local elk start cranking up.

 

[PSDBowhunter]

I'm thinking with my schedule this year it will be mid to late September.

Obviously elk can be killed anytime of the rut and it can vary year to year. I was in New Mexico 11 years ago the first week of September and had opportunities. Just didn't get it done. I was in Montana last year the first week of October and was into bulls every single day. You just never know. Pressure has a lot to do with that I'm sure.

In my head, I was making the analogy to the whitetail rut. Some guys like hunting the last week of October when bucks are hitting scrapes and looking for those first does. Other guys like hunting the week of Thanksgiving and finding those bucks cruising for the last does.

 

[Coveyleader]

Silent elk = hard to find

Vocal elk = easy to find.


pick your dates accordingly

 

[Next Ridge]

It is hard to say in CO, I’ve seen both ends of season be the best time. My personal preference is in the middle.

 

[MallardSX2]

First week!

 

[Z Barebow]

If I have experience in an area and have good spots, 1st 2 weeks.

If I am new to area, I prefer to show up around 9/11 or so. You need to find them. Trying to tip the odds to be on the ground when they are more likely to be vocal. (But as others have said, I have witnessed bulls bugling on ID opener IE 8/30 or so)

 

[Gerbdog]

No hard fast rules to this question... the bulls are bugling some days / weeks and others not. So many variables in that equation as well that its hard to predict and what is true one year isnt true the next. Fact is is elk are in the woods all of September and i'd just focus on taking the longest amount of time you can to go hunt them. A 2 week period in the beginning / mid is still gonna be more likely to produce an elk than just 1 week of hunting at the end of September. I've had opening day bugle fests and dead silent final weeks of September.

 

[wyogoat]

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?

 

[Hnthrdr]

It varies year to year and unit to unit, example: this year helping a buddy otc, opening weekend was a bugle fest in our drainage. I hunted muzzle loader a couple weeks later in a draw unit, very very quiet. Then back to helping another friend for the last 3 days, we had full moon and the warmest weather all month… elk clamed up! I think I heard 3 bugles in 2 days between the 28-30th of Sept. cooled off a week later and had trail cam video of an elk bugling his butt off. Best time to go is when you have time. Used to hunt the whole month and you would have peaks when a cow in the herd your hunting cycles… then it would mellow out some, but no way to say X week will be the best week. Far too many variables

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

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.

 

[cnelk]

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

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

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

Glass is half empty kind of guy, huh?

 

[cnelk]

Glass is half empty kind of guy, huh?

Nah.
Perception is Reality

 

[wapitibob]

Depends on the unit; I've been in plenty that had great bugling and call ins during the 1st week of Sept.

 

[Ross]

19th on for the most fun and craziness.