The Rut This Year

[Guest akaspecials]

I’m new to this forum and just started hunting seriously a few years ago. I was lucky enough to draw an early 4A archery bull tag this year. I’ve put in my time scouting all summer, but due to my job and lack of seniority, I’m a weekend warrior and can’t swing more than a couple days off at a time.

 

Long story short, the bugling started last weekend and there was a lot more this weekend. I’ve heard a lot of talk that the rut hits late on this archery hunt (at least the past few years). Does anyone think that’s gonna be the case this year, I need to figure out when is the best time for me to take off work to chase the bulls around. I have a few days off at the beginning, and I’m trying to figure out if I’m better off taking my other few days then, or a the tail end of the hunt.

 

I have a few 320ish bulls semi-patterned if the rut doesn’t kick in, but I’d rather have some exciting action and find something a little bigger.

 

Thanks in advance,

E.B.

[jmall]

I seem to have better luck the second week of the hunt. I have heard the rut peaks about the 21st of september on an average year. I dont know how they determined that but it seems to be about right to me. Good luck on your hunt.

[WHALE]

I have had that tag and it was a blast. If you have not shot an elk over 300" due your self a favor and shoot the first bull you can that is over 310" or so. I had encounters everyday but only saw 1 that would have gone better than 320" with no shot oppurtunity. It will be fun. That year the first 2 days were good, 3rd was off and great on the 4.

[BowNut]

Most years the end of the hunt is better. But i have seen the bulls shut down because of pressure also. If had limited time a 320 bulls that's were I would be!

[ultramag]

To early to tell just yet we need some cooler temps and more rain to get them going good. The rut is cool awesome when its on, but being a bow hunter the season is just to early in my mind, find a good water source and plan on being sitting for many hours. the rut is sometimes overrated because the big bulls have many eyes around when the rut is kicking in good but pre rut those big bulls are alone and just waiting for the right smell in the air. pre rut is a good time to kill a big bull they are also more predictable during this time as weel. but just as anything there are no rules to this game we love to play.

 

 

good luck

[Alpinebullwinkle]

To early to tell just yet we need some cooler temps and more rain to get them going good. The rut is cool awesome when its on, but being a bow hunter the season is just to early in my mind, find a good water source and plan on being sitting for many hours. the rut is sometimes overrated because the big bulls have many eyes around when the rut is kicking in good but pre rut those big bulls are alone and just waiting for the right smell in the air. pre rut is a good time to kill a big bull they are also more predictable during this time as weel. but just as anything there are no rules to this game we love to play.

 

 

good luck

Good advice Ultramag. What I have learned from 40 years of elk hunting is the bulls are usually pretty vocal the first week of September. They then go fairly silent the next 5-7 days and things continually get better until the full rut kicks in about the 23rd-24th of September. The bulls lose their minds from September 24 to October 5.

[Guest akaspecials]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge all! This is my first bull tag so I'm still a little wet behind the ears when it comes to the rut.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

To early to tell just yet we need some cooler temps and more rain to get them going good. The rut is cool awesome when its on, but being a bow hunter the season is just to early in my mind, find a good water source and plan on being sitting for many hours. the rut is sometimes overrated because the big bulls have many eyes around when the rut is kicking in good but pre rut those big bulls are alone and just waiting for the right smell in the air. pre rut is a good time to kill a big bull they are also more predictable during this time as weel. but just as anything there are no rules to this game we love to play.

 

 

good luck

Good advice Ultramag. What I have learned from 40 years of elk hunting is the bulls are usually pretty vocal the first week of September. They then go fairly silent the next 5-7 days and things continually get better until the full rut kicks in about the 23rd-24th of September. The bulls lose their minds from September 24 to October 5.

One of the biggest reasons they stop being vocal is because of the hunting pressure. The biggest bulls will be easier to kill before they "cow" up but the rutting action/activity will be more consistent later in the hunt. Good luck.

[ultramag]

One of the biggest reasons they stop being vocal is because of the hunting pressure. The biggest bulls will be easier to kill before they "cow" up but the rutting action/activity will be more consistent later in the hunt. Good luck.

 

Yep hunters walk around and toot there calls non stop. They don't realize sometimes they are saying to the elk "here I am a human with a bow trying to get you" sometimes it works sometimes it don't the elk will usually tell you what to do.you just have to listen to them.

[Coues&Bass]

When the monsoons subside in mid September and the temps up high start to drop that is when the rut will normally kick in. last week in Sept. and first week in October.

2 cents

[Red Rabbit]

Peak is usually about Oct 1. Whether temps and moon allow you to observe rutting behavior while the rut is occuring is another question.

[200"mulie]

+1 RR....i've seen the peak very end of Sept.-begining Oct.

 

Use to hear a lot of archery guys complaing that the hunt is to early.

 

And during the fall turkey they are still going nuts...even saw couple fights.

[111]

I think the rut intensity has to do with the health of the cows and bulls and the weather and available water at the time of the rut. This year some areas look really good and others not so good. The timing I believe has more to do with the area of the State you're in or unit, and again weather the cooler the earlier usually.

 

Over the years I've noticed the bugling gets going decent around Sep 3-10 or close to Labor day. From the 11-15 it picks up quite a bit and then from Sep 15-25 I feel it's going the strongest in most units. From Sep 25-Oct 5th it's pretty strong usually but that's when I notice a lot of broken bulls running around. Heard bulls are with the cows and harder to call in and that's when you would be happy to have an early rifle bull tag. From about Oct 6th and after I think the rut begins to get less intense everyday.

 

This year I think it will get going good around the 13-16th and get stronger each day. The beginning of the hunt will be slow around the 9th but hopefully will pick up pretty quick.

[WHALE]

Saw a bull this morning pushing cows maybe a 315 type bull.

[ultramag]

I have noticed the last few years is the lack of cows, at least in the areas I have been hunting/scouting. I think we kill to many to balance the heard. I still see cows but its almost like the bull to cow ratio is out of wack big time, in this age of oportunity this is backwards thinking on the part of G&F. the last time I checked you need cows to produce young elk, but you don't need lots of bulls just the right amount. I see lots of bulls almost half in half. with that being said, I sometimes think that if there were more cows the rut would be better. what else would drive males crazy than a lot of females that needed to mate. If I was at a place that had only males I would not be to excited either.

 

 

just my .2