mattys281 Report post Posted September 18, 2015 My grandpa always said once the Bulls start Mounting the Cows ( pretty much his definition as well as many as the real start of the rut ) if the nights are lit up by the moon , that most of the activity will take place through the night into the early morning.... Once the bugles stop the bulls are moving into the thicker stuff to rest .... Find water and push through the trees during mid day and you will often find them. IT always seemed to work for him. What would you be doing during the day if you had worked over a harem of females all night long? I actually had a couple nights like that in college, and the next morning always found me looking for three things 1 coffee 2 icee hot 3 a shot of penicillin There ya go, if theyre not in the hills, check the waiting area at the nearest little clinic 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntnchick Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Thanks everyone for more advice and information. I really do appreciate the willingness of sharing ideas. My husband was deer hunting in unit one the night before our hunt started and did a call just to see if they were talking and got 3 immediate responses. So he was super excited and hopeful. Then it was silent in 27. A few random bugles but nothing responding to their calls, and they are pretty good at the reed calls and mouth diaphragms. My husband put up our tree stand and 2 cameras and someone came in and stole every single step to our tree stand and a memory card, as well as deleted our other one. Super frustrating!!! so now we can't use our own tree stand until we get more steps. My son just turned a year old, separation anxiety full force, teething, and tummy issues is why I am trying to stay home as long as I can. I want a good chance to kill when I decide to leave him and my daughter with their grandparents. We only see them about once a year so it isn't like they even know them very well. Anyways if I get one day or one night away I hope I will have better odds. The weather makes sense and the over load of hunters. They did huge hikes in and got up super early and hit up a lot of different areas. The Bulls just aren't making themselves located or responding to calls in the areas they were. still interesting that 3 times when they crossed into the other units they had several responses and then jump the line into 27 and nothing. Just strange. We will be patient and my husband said he thought the day that the "weather" changed was yesterday. So we hope that tomorrow they get to the areas where the elk are bugling and responding to their calls. Thanks again for all your help and advice. I Hope to post a picture soon of my first archery bull. 😏 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted September 18, 2015 27 is kind of a weird unit. It gets a lot more rain than anywhere else in the state. It doesnt look it now since it burned, but the whole area between alpine and the rim used to be impenetrably thick, like a rain forest of coastal Washington more so than any other place in az that I've ever seen. Ive had two elk tags for that unit in 07 and in 09, both years the rut seemed to be 'late' and the bulls were pretty quiet. Its a different environment and I think they maybe do act a little different over there. If theyre not pushing cows by now then theyre eating and resting up for the games to begin. But theyre in there, thats for sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ready2hunt Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Maybe I'm crazy but the rut never seems to be in full swing until the first week in Oct. I bugled back and forth with one in late aug. but they never came in. However, every fall turkey hunt we can get them to come in within 20 yards and tear up tree's in full view of our presence. (of course I have NEVER been able to do that during an actual archery hunt- just my luck) Again that is just my experience. Good luck on the hunt though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntnchick Report post Posted September 18, 2015 I should add that in 2012 it was a great time for archery. My husband said in the first weekend they called in close to 100 bulls. Even with not being mobsters but still exciting. Hope to go out today! And test to see how my son handles it all! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpinebullwinkle Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Everything in Unit #27 this year remains "normal"........at least as normal as it has been since the Wallow Fire. Every year the elk are fairly vocal for maybe a week prior to the archery hunt. Usually you can get a real vocal first day of the archery hunt if you are in the right place. Then the elk get the memo that the hunt is on and go "silent" for 5 to 7 days, except for the nocturnal times. Usually the action picks up about the 21st and the "rut" is on big time every year by the 23rd, and lasts until about October 5 (except the 2nd heat) that is less intense up to November 1. Since the Wallow Fire........ 70% of the hunters are chasing where the largest herds are located which is different from the pre-fire days. That is the frustrating part for all hunters that fall into that category. Additionally the herd size is now only about 50% of what it was in the peak year of 1999 IMHO. As a trophy hunter I used to pass up about +15 bulls which were pretty sure kills archery season before I harvested. Now I only end up passing half that amount of sure things which is one of my KPI's suggesting our herd size is only 50% of the former peak size. Wolves and higher hunter harvest % in the late gun/cow hunts (due to improved visibility) is the cause of the decline IMO. Also the September gun hunts in 27 have been extremely disappointing the last two years due to the above. It is what it is....... unfortunately for us geezers that have experienced much better days in Unit #27. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Ive been hunting archery deer over there for about 8 years now. Theyre usually prettyvocal in august. First weekend I ever hunted that unit I had a 6x6 walk directly under my treestand. Closest I've ever been to a live one, I could have reached down and grabbed his antler. He was screaming opening weekend of archery deer! God, I love 27! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThomC Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Are you just sitting in camp and waiting for a rutting bull to walk up? You must hunt the bulls where ever they are and what ever they do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted September 18, 2015 before the fire elk could be 100 yards from the road and not have a clue you were around. now they can see a mile or more through the dead trees and i imagine if they see a truck they might shut up. the fire has changed things a lot. Lark. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntnchick Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Are you just sitting in camp and waiting for a rutting bull to walk up? You must hunt the bulls where ever they are and what ever they do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntnchick Report post Posted September 18, 2015 Until this moment I was sitting at home with my kids while my husband and 2 buddies who drew the same tag as Us is up hiking countless miles and driving to new areas to hike in 3 times a day. So no they are not sitting at camp. But they have hunted archery bull now for the 4 year in a row and this one is the slowest to get going. I just wondered if 2012 was so unique with them seeing close to a hundred Bulls the first weekend to this year of a couple spikes in over a week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnie blaze Report post Posted September 18, 2015 The only thing that's constant is change. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutzos16 Report post Posted September 19, 2015 Just got back from 27. A lot of rutting activity...and I disagree in going where it's easier terrain. You've got to put in lots of miles in your boots and you'll be on bulls. Saw 300 plus inch bulls every single day Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpinebullwinkle Report post Posted October 5, 2015 OK sports fans now that the archery and muzzleloader hunts are over what are your comments on the overall quantity of elk you saw in unit #27 and also the quality of the hunts? From my perspective the elk herd quantity continued to decline from its peak about 1999 and for the second straight year the quantity and quality of the bulls taken was down. Additionally, it was the least bugling I had ever heard in 27, and seemed like most of the rut was over by late September....when normally it continues very vocally at least, until October 5. Things really have changed in 27 and not for the better unfortunately....IMHO! What do you hunters think? And maybe you can add unit 1 comments as well? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flingingarrowsbro Report post Posted October 6, 2015 Hunted 12 days in 27. Didn't hear a bugle till the 3 rd morning, called in two raghorns. didn't hear a bugle for almost another 7 days. Didn't see rutting activity till the night of the 10th day. Last 4 days it really picked up and there was good bugling if you could find them. I hunted all over looking for bugles, drove at night, early in the morning. spotlighted, went to south end of unit, went to north end of the unit. went into the blue wilderness area. Talked to a lot of hunters and saw a lot of depressed faces. Ended up treating the hunt like a coues hunt. Glass then spot and stalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
