Montana Elk

[Clarktar]

Anyone get something on the ground yet? Spent the first 4 days of the season running around in central Montana. Bulls were around, but silent. Was able to get one bull to respond during some evening bugling, but that was it. Curious to know what other people have observed in Montana....

Heading back out Friday, hopefully they are more active!

 

[mk_v]

My chiropractor got a really nice bull opening day just before dark. Where I was hunting it was a down poor and I had no luck all weekend. The one he shot he had been bugling as a last ditch attempt before dark and the bull came in silent. I was pretty jelly =\

 

[Clarktar]

damn, sounds like my experience sans the nice bull on the ground.

Yea, it blew, rained, hailed, and night time got down to 19 degrees where I was. Figured it would get them rolling, but heck, what do I know about Elk behavior anyway!

 

[mt100gr.]

I spent opening day in snow, rain and a romping wind. Some thunder and lightning, too. Sunday was nicer but the wind was pretty stout. Saw some elk but they were scattered all over. Didn't seem like any were grouping up and no chatter. I just talked to my buddy and he finally heard a bugle tonight. Just one in response to his and he couldn't get it to sound off again.

 

[dble07]

Hunted all day saturday and sunday then half day on monday. Only saw 1 cow the entire weekend when she came out to feed before dark. Lot of sign in our area but elk were silent.

 

[Clarktar]

Well looks like very similar results thus far. Hopefully things pick up soon. A bull did charge into the wallow, he was there for less than 60 seconds, 40 yards, branch in the way But he lowered his rack and just tore the shit out of the wallow. So I figured that was a good sign and the next several days would be action packed. But it was the opposite.

Oh yea, that branch is now removed! Rookie error I suppose.

 

[airlocksniffer]

I hunted Saturday evening and Sunday morning. No elk or bugles where I was and not a ton of fresh sign. Did see a nice bull moose at about 20 yards and a black bear about 400 yards away. Felt good to be out creeping through the quakies though.

View attachment 28583

 

[MT_Wyatt]

That wind last weekend was killer, didn't hear any sound off either. Going in for 5 days next week, hopefully it's on.

Did find a tore up wallow with some cloudy water that wasn't around last year.....I ended up shooting a mule deer that came and bedded in front of me while I was cow calling. Still can't believe that happened, but got to break in the stone glacier right.

That Kifaru meat baggie is just awesome, can't believe I didn't have one sooner.

 

[mt100gr.]

Nice buck. We also found some wallows that had been worked and some that were absolutely destroyed and quite a few fresh rubs and tore up trees. It's like they were on mute all weekend, but the sign was definitely there. Hopefully it comes unglued this weekend!

 

[Brendan]

Looks like a weather change and some slightly cooler temperatures getting into next week. I'll hope it comes unglued starting Monday

 

[goodgrouper]

I spent yesterday, overnight, and this morning in one of my favorite local honey holes. Didn't hear a single elk sound the whole time.

 

[Clarktar]

Yea, I can't take it anymore. Im leaving tomorrow morning, really early to go check things out for a few more days!

 

[Takeem406]

Heading out Saturday, going to use it to scout for a multi day hunt next week. Hopefully it works out. I haven't bowhunted elk in six years or more, yeah Montana Man card got revoked! Anyone been up around Lincoln country yet? Obviously not wanting secret spots, I got my own spots. Just wondering what the rut is doing and if there's been any blackies out and about.

 

[Shrek]

I got a report that bulls were screaming this morning in central Montana. Not my place so I can't be any more specific. Person I talked to arrowed his B tag cow this morning and is already back out after bulls. Good hunting to all !

 

[goodgrouper]

My brother was fighting fire around Lincon as recently as last week. He was on private ground with elk all over. He sent me a couple videos of some mature Bulls with groups of cows and he was getting them to respond to bugles.

 

[Logan T]

Bulls have been screaming like crazy at evening and night in central Montana since the end of August. I've got pics of a 330 bull with a harem of 40 cows since the 1st of September, chasing small Bulls out of it. But I also saw a group of 19 bulls with no cows this past sunday, several a lot bigger than the bull with the cows. I've heard both ways from my buddies about not a peep and bulls screaming at night.

 

[airlocksniffer]

One of my coworkers had some video sent from a friend in the elkhorns this morning. He said it was like a light switch and Bulls were bugling like crazy.

 

[Takeem406]

My brother was fighting fire around Lincon as recently as last week. He was on private ground with elk all over. He sent me a couple videos of some mature Bulls with groups of cows and he was getting them to respond to bugles.

That's the area I'm heading too;-) Actually my father inlaw owns a piece where the fire burned. Not sure if it got burned or not.

 

[MTELKHUNTER]

I dont believe the fire burned any private land, but I could be wrong. Its my understanding that the area is still closed to the public. This is according to Lincoln Rangers office and not expected to reopen for at least few weeks.

 

[hobbes]

Didn't hear a peep opening weekend. I could only do a morning hunt today, but heard one bull bugle six to eight times. All but one of those bugles were in the dark and I was unable to locate the bull any more precisely than the left side of the drainage. The bugles were nothing crazy, and did not bring visions of a giant rut crazed bull.

I'll start a week of vacation next Saturday.