October Montana Archery Elk

[Mmomn]

Anyone hunt elk in October? I am going to MT this fall for the first time. I noticed the archery season goes until Oct 18. I have hunted several other states and usually hunt all of September. The bulls are typically still screaming at the very end of September. Just curious at what point does the bugling generally start to slow down? I am guessing that the nonresident pressure would die down in October as well?

 

[jmav58]

Still quite a few guys around come October here in central MT. Plus, all of those bulls have been called at and are pretty with it on guys calling at them.

 

[Morrid7]

I killed a bull on October 10th in MT last fall. The days leading up to the afternoon that I connected were definitely hit or miss in terms of action. It’s nothing like the rut, but there was some bugling action occasionally. I saw lots of young bulls. I called it a 5 point convention. It’s a good challenge. My dad killed a bull the very next morning using a spot and intercept strategy (no calling).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

I was there last week of September. The public lands we had been on were pretty dead for calling as you could get up on top of the mountain and watch yahoos drive down the logging roads blowing their calls. I was in the elkhorns for a couple of days and heard some bugling one evening and that was it.. They were screaming on the private ranches during that time so pressure seems to be a big part of it

 

[Indian Summer]

It’s definitely hit or miss. Big bulls are really tired and laying low often alone. But you never know and in western Montana you’ll have the place to yourself. This bull was bedded alone. I cow called and no response. But 10 minutes later a single short bugle. He was in a burn and I moved in to about 75 yards on the edge of the timber until I could see him. I was thinking about my next move when he got up and walked straight to “the cow”. It was October 5th.

 

[Deadfall]

Depends on who you listen too and area. Rut is changing here and has been for awhile. The fancy tv know it alls will still tell you September 15. My experience rut is getting later. 1dt week of October has been the best last few years. Too each their own. Bigger bulls are firing up then anyway. Coming out of high country/hiding.
Few years in a row now we've called Bill's the first week of rifle.

 

[Mmomn]

Thanks for the responses. Having a tag that's good from Sept 5 to Oct 18 could lead to me getting divorced and/or loosing my job!

 

[Dos Perros]

Two years ago I went the first week of September and it was awesome. Big bulls already with cows, bugling their heads off. I shot a nice bull 330ish on Sept 3 but never found him. Spent the rest of the week looking and cut my tag over it.

Went back with a friend the first week of October and aside from one small herd we were mostly into those 5x5 kinda bulls, all solitary. Not much bugling. Called two bulls in, the second one got killed.

Pressure was for sure down but it wasn't a ghost town. It was rainy muddy mess so maybe that kept the locals away. I wouldn't hesitate to go back either really early or really late.

 

[Beendare]

Dang, OP you are giving away a dirty little secret that MT goes so late.

A couple years ago we did a drop camp moose hunt in AK early and hunted elk late in MT right around oct 1st.

Very few in the woods.....it was nice. As always elk in pockets.

They seem to be a little more wary as the season goes on...they come in slower to calls.


_______

 

[Ross]

Some of my best bugling days in both north Idaho and nwest Montana have been in October.....and as noted it seems like some years the most intense bugling is getting later and later.....catch the 2nd and 3rd estrus and it can get crazy

 

[SBAHunts]

I went last year @ the week of Sept 22nd.....the only bugling I heard during that time were from other hunters

 

[mtview]

I'm in the same boat. I've got my brother coming out here to MT to hunt with me the last four days of September. I've only got so many total days to hunt in a season. Not sure if I should get out much early in the season, or put more days in right before and after his arrival.

 

[backcountrypackraft]

Your odds definitely go down in October, but I've had elk in range that first week of October in Montana.

 

[elkocd]

Oct. bow hunting for elk is definitely more difficult. You can get into very vocal bulls in Oct. and spotting them can also be easy. Neither of those are really the issue. 1. You have to be prepared for the weather. It can be much more difficult in Oct especially in MT. Not always, but you better factor it in. 2. The bulls have been hunted for a LONG time already. The better bulls are not going to be called in. You're going to be using more rifle hunting tactics, but with the range of a bow. 3. Often they are all ready or are getting very herded up. I've been in situations where I've had multiple accessible herds of elk in site, but they are so large and spread out, usually with the best bull(s) being near the center, that getting into range was impossible. Meaning I could be within 20-30 yards of the herd, but the bull(s) I wanted were 100+ yards away because of the herd size.

I actually like hunting elk in Oct with a bow because it fits my solo style of spot/hear and stalk, but I treat it as an additional season not my primary archery elk hunt. No way I would plan that time of year as my only hunt.