Early Rut ?

[Alpinebullwinkle]

I've been hearing bugling pretty routinely for almost 2 weeks now in unit 27. Yesterday I got into a large herd that was very vocal again but surprisingly I heard glunking and witnessed wallowing. This is the earliest in history that I can ever recall. Is this suggesting an earlier rut than normal this year? What are people observing in other units?

[Guest akaspecials]

I've been in 4a. Haven't heard a single bugle yet. Large herds (largest was 70 or 80) of cows and raghorns are still together. I have not seen any respectable bulls mingling with cows yet.

[Pixman]

I was in unit 22 yesterday and saw a bunch of cows but no bulls with any of them and only a few bugels.

[couesdiehard]

This past weekend on the rim I also saw heards of cows, calves and spikes running together. Only bulls I saw were alone. Heard no bugling at all.

Lee

[120carp]

i have been hearing some and have heard lots of people saying they've been hearing bugles up north here.

[couesdiehard]

Rut activity starting at different times in different locations is interesting but I believe this weekend the elk will be well into the early rut all over the state. Should see and hear bulls trying to pursue the cows and maybe even trying to run off the spikes. Feel pretty confident herd bulls will have harems by the Sept 14th opener. I can't wait!

Lee

[Devil Diver Down]

I was in a different unit mid-week and had different experiences in 2 different parts of the unit. First spot, one bull kept me up all night bugling every so often from 8:30pm-9am. He was cowed up, with a bunch of raghorns with them and he kept sounding off from where they were feeding during the moonlight to their beds in the dark timber. I never got a look at him, but I saw a bunch of the cows and smaller bulls with him. Some of the raggies were still in velvet, if you can believe that.

 

Next night, I went a little bit further south and not a sound all night (except thunder) but I did spy a beast of a bull from real close quarters the next morning. Not a cow in sight.

 

Weird for sure.

[naturegirl]

I've been out the last few months. I have heard a very occasional bugle this week. did see 2 herds of cows that had good shooter bulls with them. still seeing lots of bachelor herds though. its not happening much yet in 6a but will be soon :0) Have seen way more people scouting the last week for sure.

[cohntr6]

I think on Monday and Tuesday there will be lots of reports of rutting (or lack of) activity! Keep the reports coming becasue I cant get out until the week before the hunt to scout some more!

 

Jeff

[Alpinebullwinkle]

All year long the elk have been doing things out of character. Might be Wallow Fire consequence. The last three days have been especially different. Lots of bugling starting by noon, bulls glunking and wallowing, cows quacking with extreme excitement like they are in rut and the greatest surprise is finding the bigger bulls already with the herds and totally in charge. Everything seems two weeks premature. Never experienced this soon in 40 years for some reason.

[ready2hunt]

I was in 6A for a few days last week and they were bugling pretty consistent and night. We were cold camped though and pretty far away from everyone. Just sounded like 2 bulls. They didn't do it long but it was every night.

[bigorange]

All year long the elk have been doing things out of character. Might be Wallow Fire consequence. The last three days have been especially different. Lots of bugling starting by noon, bulls glunking and wallowing, cows quacking with extreme excitement like they are in rut and the greatest surprise is finding the bigger bulls already with the herds and totally in charge. Everything seems two weeks premature. Never experienced this soon in 40 years for some reason.

 

Assuming you're in 27 near Alpine, I thought exactly the same. Up scouting 2 weeks ago and things already seemed to be starting...early. Well hopefully they'll still be cranking on opening weekend!

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Here in 3c they have been going well for a while..it sure seems like it is the earliest I've seen in recent history.. archery hunters should have a great hunt..

[billrquimby]

Something is radically different about this year!

 

I spent about 20 days scouting and hunting in one of the August Round Valley "limited opportunity" cow elk units and never saw a cow or calf, although we did find old tracks at the edge of our unit.

 

Before that hunt, if someone had told me I wouldn't find a cow elk in 20 days there, I would have laughed in his face!

 

As far as I can tell none of the ten tag holders shot a cow elk in the first two special seasons. Don't know about the season that ends tomorrow.

 

Just as unusual is the fact that we haven't had an elk in the meadow across the road from our cabin in a couple of weeks, and I've yet to hear a bull bugle at night near us. Strange!

 

The locals claim the elk are higher on the mountain, staying close to the Wallow Fire burns where the forest service seeded last year. Could be.

 

Bill Quimby

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Without question animal behaviors have been changed significantly by the Wallow Fire. We now see about 1/10 the amount of game that we used to see prior to the fire. But if you get out and walk you will find they are very scattered and do not have to travel the distances they used to prior to the fire for food and water. Bottom line the animals are more reclusive and nocturnal. On the other hand I am seeing probably 5 times more bears minimum than ususal. The elk rut definitely has started two weeks sooner than normal and even soon than last year. Will be interesting to see if the rut is lengthened more than normal or whether it will just start earlier and finish earlier than all prior years.