First Time Archery Elk Hunting Experience

[wapitibob]

Where you live and where you hunt has a huge impact. 10K for an Elk as a resident that can hunt them 2 hours away is absurd. For a guy on the east coast, yea, that number might be close.
As for no bugling, everybody I have heard from that hunted semi locally this year, bugling was very sparce, kind of a weird year. Could be the same where you were.

 

[gentleman4561]

Where you live and where you hunt has a huge impact. 10K for an Elk as a resident that can hunt them 2 hours away is absurd. For a guy on the east coast, yea, that number might be close.
As for no bugling, everybody I have heard from that hunted semi locally this year, bugling was very sparce, kind of a weird year. Could be the same where you were.

Agreed, I think it’s crazy that folks pay a guide $5K to kill N Georgia black bear…but I can hunt them 40 min from my house.

That seemed to be what we heard from a lot of folks. One guy who did kill (local, this was his 36th elk and 34th bull on public) said they were just chuckling/barking a bit and you had to be within 200 yards to hear them.

 

[Skerhunter]

Pressure makes them quiet whether it’s hunters or wolves (usually both in Montana).

Every year in Montana I watch a lot of ppl get above elk in the early AM (thermals going down to them) = elk quietly moving through timber to bed and zero bugles. Days I hear/see wolves are generally very quiet also.

My advice if you want to hear a lot of bugles, don’t bugle at them unless needed. If you want to play that game you have to cover a lot of country to find that one bull willing to play. Bulls want more cows and not to lose the ones they have to another bull! Learn to be a loose cow looking for a bull.

That said some days they don’t seem to care and will fire back every time. We have killed elk using bugles on those days.

 

[Jfkbeast2]

Just drove back the 33 hours this weekend— similar but less elk on my experience too. I didn’t see a single one, and heard zero bugles my week in MT. I was in central Montana though. Great thread to learn.