Post-rut/late season glassing question

[ATL-Kyle]

Going through Randy Newberg's section of UEH and he hammers home the point of "finding elk is 90% of the battle in this period of the elk season" and "let your glass do the walking" and I completely get that. Having never hunted elk before and living in Georgia, that concept actually sounds really cool to me since I've never had the opportunity to do it.

He talks about if you find elk in Spot B in the afternoon, be there the next morning and so on and so forth.

However, my question is: does that only pertain to the actual tag you have? For instance, I drew a bull tag for New Mexico so in a hypothetical situation where I glass cows one afternoon but no bulls, do I consider that a "loss" and move on the next morning to the next spot on my hunt plan? I feel like it's kind of a dumb question since I can't kill a cow but then again, the cows are there for a reason, right? Maybe I'm way off

 

[WI in the west]

I have very little experience compared to most on this sight. but from my experience last year, I glassed up a small lone bull about a mile away and lost him when he crossed over to the opposite hillside. so when I went and set up on him in the evening I came to find there were about 15 other elk on the hillside that I had no clue were ever there. so if you don't have anything better to go off and your not risking a ton setting up on those it might be worth checking out if that scenario happens and its just some cows. like you said they're there for a reason. but Im also in the boat of any bull is a good bull. so if inches matter then maybe that isn't in your best intrest if your assuming all the big bulls are off on there own again in the post rut scenario.

 

[njdoxie]

If I see cows I'll watch them for 2-3 days waiting for a legal bull to show.

 

[Overdrive]

If your finding elk I wouldn't just move on cause you don't see a bull, the bull could be hanging in the timber or out of your sight. I'd move in the next morning and give the herd another look and see what you may have missed. Sure the later season's generally the bull's are back in bachelor groups but it still doesn't mean bull's aren't hanging with cow's.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’ll give you a scenario that should answer your question. I’ve glassed bulls one day and watched them looking for the important details. Where he popped out of the cover, if he was basically heading in one direction, if he was relaxed and feeding or edgy and watching everything around him. Came back the next day and nothing but cows and a few calves. Stuck with the spot a third day. All cows again.... until the last glimmer of light and there he is.

It’s common for late season bulls to act differently. They definitely have a habit of heading to cover earlier in the morning and coming out later in the evening. Sometimes they are there but in the edges just not feeding out where they are glassable until after dark. Sometimes they just show up at a spot a day or three later. Good luck!

 

[ATL-Kyle]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Every module and podcast and youtube video I've seen of Randy talking about the post-rut has me believing my primary goal should be to see an elk, much less kill one! I'm going to stick to the plan and hope ANY legal bull shows up in my glass at some point during the season.

 

[Felix40]

How late is your hunt? There’s a big difference between the end of oct and the end of dec

 

[Ross]

Long story short late October spotted two bulls with cows night before watched them bugle through spotting scope...me and buddy started walking next morning up 2800 vertical at 4am spotted cows on top of mountain filtering in timber at 7am another 1500 up..we setup around 9 at likely crossing spot if they stayed on our side of mountain...about 10:30 cows and spikes filter through at 500 yds no bulls...noon comes guard now down boots off eating lunch and look to spot cows crossed every few minutes, I glance one time and who comes trotting out but one of bulls quick action let me put the hammer down

 

[ATL-Kyle]

How late is your hunt? There’s a big difference between the end of oct and the end of dec

I'm hunting second rifle so Oct 17-21

 

[Felix40]

I'm hunting second rifle so Oct 17-21

I would say the responses above are accurate then. There can still be a surprising amount of rutting in mid October in NM