Montana Elk Rut Report 2019???

[ccfisher99]

Anyone Hearing Anything out there in Montana? Whats the Rut report where you're at?

Been Eerily quiet in SW Montana. Might get a location bugle first thing in the morning, but they're quiet for the rest of the day until just before dark. Sick to my stomach. Feel like I missed the Rut, but talking to others hunting up in the NW, its been a weird year for them too. One Old Timer says Rut might be as late as mid-October, but that can't be true???

 

[rustneversleeps]

These questions pop up every year - are you sure you're on elk? Bulls were fired up opening day where I was and have heard bugles every time I've been out.

 

[jmav58]

Went out yesterday and was getting soft bugles here and there from one bull. He was semi interested, but not hellbent on engaging.

 

[ccfisher99]

I agree with the Opening Day comment.

Opening Day, at least I was getting Bugles throughout the day. I do think the Elk wise up to it real quick after the first weekend with everyone and their momma out bugling in the woods - lots of pressure - so they quiet down until the Rut.

My question is more asking along the lines if you guys think the Rut is happening yet, and in what part of Montana? SW and NW is a NO, not rutting yet, from my experience this year so far... have you experienced something different where you're for sure in your mind the Rut is On?

The Bulls I've seen thus far are by themselves, and the cow herds have been bull-less other than the spikes. I think the Bulls may be just starting to round up the cows, and the rutting maybe still a week or 2 away, but that is my opinion based on what I've seen out in the woods. What is your opinion?

Maybe this Cold Snap we had might turn them on for this weekend?

 

[GregB]

Weather doesn't have anything to do when the rut starts. It might affect how they behave, but its caused by the amount of daylight and the elk have no control over when it starts.

 

[aachey]

I was in SW Montana September 13-22 and had two days of bulls fired up. Heard bugles every day but couldn't get anything going. Saw a few smaller bulls with cows but no dice.

 

[hobbes]

I posted the following on the other MT elk report thread:

Their biological calendar pretty much requires rutting mid September to early October so that next year's calves are big enough to survive the following winter. The intensity, however, is affected by multiple factors of which I'm incapable of predicting.

 

[Scrappy]

I agree rut hasn't started yet. The only reason is my next hunt starts Saturday. Gonna be on like donkey Kong.

 

[JV3220]

I hunted the 12 until the 23 and heard very little elk bugling in 4 different units and 117 miles of hiking. The 18th was the only day i heard some angry bulls at dark. The only action I had was if I was calling right in their bedroom.


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[MTNMAN5C]

I'm in SW Montana and it has been slow the entire season. I've hunted 9 days and have only found 1 bull with cows and was able to get him fired up...just no shot. We have had bulls respond to calls, giving 2-3 lazy bugles and showing no interest of coming in. I'm going to do a few more day hunts this week but, my time is running out and need a lonely raghorn to get fired up!!

 

[Journeyman]

I've been in elk pretty consistently since the 3rd day of season (I was looking for mule deer the 7th and 8th).

I had consistent bugling/call ins during the day up until the full moon. Then things seemed to slow down a bit during the day and the action was at sunrise and sunset. In my mind though the rut has been going hard since the beginning of season. The combination of the full moon and more guys blowing their horns in the woods as the season went on seemed to quiet them down during the day.

I shot my bull last Friday. He sounded off to some whiny cow calls right before sunset a few hundred yards down the ridge. I cut off a bunch of distance quick and ripped a bugle which fired him up even more. A little back and forth and I shot him at 20 yards 15 minutes before last light.

All this is in SW Montana.