Silent September

[7Bartman]

Was it just me or was it really slow hunting this Sept.? I talked to a bunch of folks and all of them had similar experiences. I recognize that success rates hover around 10-15%, but it still seemed really slow.
Here's my video recap.

 

[Gerbdog]

Hey Bartman,
The grouse will be tasty and your buddies mustache/chops are next level. That stache looks like it could hold the bow draw by itself.

Everyone i talked to had a quiet September also, but, i had the opposite experience, hunting the same areas, and was in bugling bulls from Sept 2 - Sept 28. I think only 1 day in the days i hunted did i not hear a single bugle.

That said.... states are huge, units are big, and you cant be everywhere on the mountain all at once.... i could have just been lucky and in the right spots at the right times.

I found the elk down at the bottoms near the rivers / willows and up above tree lines and everything between

 

[Randle]

We had very vocal september in Idaho this year.
The bull I called in for a buddy came in screaming and so fast we barely had time to set up.
The last 2 weeks there were alot of fun encounters.

 

[MallardSX2]

The full moon did what the full moon does.

 

[KHNC]

Pretty quiet 2nd week in Wyoming compared to last year. I think lots of Grizz around this year contributed.

 

[7Bartman]

The full moon did what the full moon does.

I was there 19-26th so I don't think the moon was a big factor. From the lack of tracks I saw in the snow I just don't think the elk were there. That's why I tried the other 2 units. One looked awesome and was mostly void of hunters, the other was absolutely packed despite being desolate when we scouted this Summer. I try and learn a few new things every year.

 

[BullsDeep]

Quiet couple weeks in Wyoming for the most part. Blamed it on wolves. Had to move a couple times and eventually found vocal but pressured elk.

 

[justinspicher]

Not a sound or even a trace of elk in the areas I normally hunt. I saw elk everywhere the week prior.

 

[Jbehredt]

I heard a lot of elk sounds. They were almost exclusively coming from humans.

 

[wardl_3]

Sept 22-29 was lights out in CO for us. The wks before was hush… much better than last yr tho!

 

[Jethro]

We hunted CO from 18th-29th and heard 2 bugles. 1 we believe was a hunter and the other we think was a bull, but that is unconfirmed.

 

[TripleJ]

The elk were very vocal this year in the area I was hunting, at least on the days or parts of the days it wasn't storming.

 

[Scoot]

Kinda disappointing bugling action in the place we were at in NM. Lots of elk but very sporadic bugling.

 

[bridgerbenson]

I think it’s just a matter of being where they’re at. We were hunting pretty heavy griz and wolf country and had melees of 10-12 bulls screaming all around us at times. General tag area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MTPipeliner]

my hunts were really quiet, only heard one bull in areas where I normally find elk every day.

 

[Tahoe1305]

Think I must have got lucky. Had an amazing month. Looked at bulls most days and put a few stalks on….I just suck at closing the deal I guess .

 

[Ducks&Bulls]

Gen tag in Wyoming, I think we were there too early. Left right during that cold snap and hunted for 8 days prior to that. But midway through we heard lots of bugles, but I think my bugles were too aggressive and we could never cut them off as the dead fall was insane. Bulls pushing cows away from us.

 

[Fullfan]

I spent 23 days in a western state chasing bulls. Hunted 18 days, bulls weee vocal every day. Had 9 bulls in bow range, with only 4 giving shot opportunities. I do not want to discuss what happened to the 4 bulls

 

[Gerbdog]

I spent 23 days in a western state chasing bulls. Hunted 18 days, bulls weee vocal every day. Had 9 bulls in bow range, with only 4 giving shot opportunities. I do not want to discuss what happened to the 4 bulls

Well now we're all curious... thats a heck of a cliff hanger to leave us on... are they all dead? are they all alive?

 

[Fullfan]

Well now we're all curious... thats a heck of a cliff hanger to leave us on... are they all dead? are they all alive?

Well not something I'm proud of. But it happens. we played catch and release with all 4. We are all experienced archers, with several archery bulls kills each. we shoot all year and keep our equipment in like new shape. All 4 bulls were shot less then 30 yds. Video on two bulls revealed a limb or brush was clipped after the arrow was released. Being a disabled archer, I can only shoot a cross bow. Shot a bull at 28 yds, 1/4 to me. 450 gn arrow traveling 430 fps from a raven 29x. Sevr 2.0 head was used. Shot was in the pocket behind the left shoulder. He ran about 40 yds and stopped; right side revealed no blood. When he trotted off his left side had a steering wheel side blood spot. Gave him 2 hours, then took up the track. Not a drop of blood. Followeed his tracks for 400 yds, then lost him. Looked for 2 days and nothing. No ravens, nothing.