Needing some post rut Uinta advice

[HighUintas]

During the 2nd weekemd of this year's rifle hunt, I found that all cow groups were without bulls. This is my 3rd year elk hunting and first time doing 2nd weekend rifle. I just couldn't find a bull to save my life. The area I'm hunting holds some good bulls through the rut but they seem to disappear. And like most uintas hunting, very little glassing opportunity and heavy trees... So it's pretty hard hunting in general.

I know Randy Newman says that post rut bulls will be in the nastiest hiding spot you can find. But, I think a lot of the generally accepted elk knowledge doesn't seem to apply to the uintas. At least that's my experience so far.

For you successful Uintas rifle elk hunters that aren't hunting far into the high uintas, what types of places do you seem to find bulls after they've left the cows? Their pre rut areas? The same area but just separate from the herd? The nastiest possible place?

 

[Sled]

One caveat, I'm not an antler hunter and I rarely hunt rifle so take this with a grain of salt.

This year is a bit different from what I've seen. Pressure has been immense, low water, early freezes and now snow have changed things. One thing that is consistent, the bulls priorities shifted when the ladies came out of season and they're hanging out together. Both cows and bulls need good feed and some cover. Cover is secondary in most areas that aren't named soapstone. They need to feed and that's what is in short supply. Meadows among Aspen are great places to look. They had leaves to keep some heat in during the early freezes. Even the edges of evergreens are holding the last medium quality forage. The elk are likely browsing while deer seem to be on some nasty dead forbes where I've been seeing them.

 

[HighUintas]

I'm not much of an antler chaser either. I generally will shoot whatever has antlers except for a spike, just for more meat. And I like going after bulls so I can make my season last longer. But I couldn't find any at all!!

I did notice the cows were hitting the remaining green stuff in the Aspen's more than they do earlier. A lot of the awesome water/hide holes were mostly now dormant and probably due to the grass being dead.

I was thinking that even though people say bulls stay higher longer, I wonder if they had moved down a bit to get to the higher quality forage.

I may have to scout some more locations next summer to see if I can find where they might be hiding.

Now I'm just worried about getting a cow on extended season. The only place I've gone is so much work and so hard of hunting to get a cow. I could have filled that tag last year and ended up not getting to shoot because I left my release laying where I was glassing!

 

[Sled]

Ouch. I have a phobia of that. Now, during daylight it's on my wrist and any other time it's strapped to the bow. My backup release is in the pack.

 

[Grant K]

As of last week, the bigger bulls up there were still close to the cows but not with them, what we saw was a lot of bulls cruising and checking out cow herds, covering a ton of mileage and looking for the last hot cows.
if you were on cows and could watch from a distance a bull would probably show up within a day...
for an idea of distances they were covering my brother followed a bull 19 miles, all the way over onto the north slope, it checked out a couple of cow herds and just kept walking.

 

[HighUintas]

Ouch. I have a phobia of that. Now, during daylight it's on my wrist and any other time it's strapped to the bow. My backup release is in the pack.

Yup. I learned my lesson there

 

[HighUintas]

As of last week, the bigger bulls up there were still close to the cows but not with them, what we saw was a lot of bulls cruising and checking out cow herds, covering a ton of mileage and looking for the last hot cows.
if you were on cows and could watch from a distance a bull would probably show up within a day...
for an idea of distances they were covering my brother followed a bull 19 miles, all the way over onto the north slope, it checked out a couple of cow herds and just kept walking.

That's incredible. I didn't know they'd travel that far looking for remaining hot cows. That makes sense and I guess could be where they went from one week to the next.

I'm curious as to how he tracked a bull that far. Through tracks in snow? Just glassing?

 

[Grant K]

I'm curious as to how he tracked a bull that far. Through tracks in snow? Just glassing?

tracks in the snow, we were getting a nice refresher of about 3-6" of snow almost every afternoon so it was easy to keep up, in my brothers case the bull crossed his track when he left the trail to look in a meadow so he knew he wasn't more than 10 minutes behind it at the start. the tracking almost made up for the 40' visibility all week.

 

[Sled]

I generally will shoot whatever has antlers except for a spike, just for more meat.

You're in luck. I offer a free spike removal service once a season. This gives you the opportunity to harvest a branch antlered bull without all those pesky spikes running into your setup.

 

[HighUintas]

You're in luck. I offer a free spike removal service once a season. This gives you the opportunity to harvest a branch antlered bull without all those pesky spikes running into your setup.

Haha I wish I were good enough to offer you one! Last weekend I was hunting and tracking all the cow groups I could find really hard just to get a spike. Tuhe only one we found we jumped when my boy was hunting and he was the shooter. Just not quick enough cause he's new. I guess I should say I won't shoot a spike until it's near the end of general season. Then I'm desperate!