Late Elk Rut

[Chef]

I was in 23 this weekend and we had a peep squeak bull bugling steady at camp from 9PM through 3AM.

[Edge]

13 hours ago, Riesop said:

Believe it or not the rut is supposedly triggered by the amount of sunlight in the day, that's what starts the estrus cycle in a cow elk.  So if that's true then the rut should start around the same time every year no matter the temperature.  Like another one posted, I think when it's hot they just do all their rutting at night so it makes it seem like they aren't rutting when we go out during the day.

This is exactly correct.

[trphyhntr]

I would totally believe the daylight theory 

[Edge]

The change in daylight also spurs hair coats to grow.

[AZBIG10]

Hunting is hard. Use point guard

[AZbowhntr]

Depending if a cow gets bred or not during the rut they will go into heat again.  I had the late archery hunt several years ago and shot this bull that was with a herd of cows.  He gave himself away by bugling and chasing cows.

[maximus]

17 hours ago, PowellSixO said:

You will have little to no rut activity. You are going to have to spot and stalk, or sit water. With how dry it is this year, sitting an isolated water source would be my first choice. It's a late archery tag, don't expect too much. There's a reason it doesn't take any points to obtain. It's a rough tough hunt, but not impossible for those who know what they're up against. 

you can't sit water if you are hunting in the big bo

[PowellSixO]

11 hours ago, maximus said:

you can't sit water if you are hunting in the big bo

Lot more places to hunt than the big bo 

[thegunsmith2506]

A few years ago we had a pocket of bulls going crazy on the late archery. They did that for about 3 days and then we never heard another peep out of them. 

[Swivelhead]

I also beleive late rut activity is basically cows coming back into estrus after an unsuccessfull breeding attempt.  Suspect it could also be young cows 1st estrous and they are late bloomers.

I've seen good rutting activity up to the 1st week of November but no later.

[UggRedBilly]

15 hours ago, maximus said:

you can't sit water if you are hunting in the big bo

I'll be going around from the bo to the east side of the unit too!

[elkaholic]

estrus cows do play a major roll in the rut. Not all cows are bred the first time around . The actual breeding can last several months.

I've seen calfs  with spots in sept before  during the early archery hunt.

Don't give up just because you don't hear a lot of bugling

[maximus]

19 hours ago, PowellSixO said:

Lot more places to hunt than the big bo 

was a heads up, i know there other places to hunt.

[MT_Sourdough]

These elk are, genetically, the same elk I hunted most of my life in Montana,  In Montana, general rifle season starts in the last week of October.  In the first week of the Montana General Season there is the random bugling, but the bugles basically disappear in the first week of November.  There are always the rare exceptions.

One November, I let a good herd slip right on by behind me, because I assumed the bugling I herd was another hunter.  I ignored the bugling and walked a bit on ahead when I crossed fresh tracks from a sizable herd.

[BOHNTR]

Really weird year......bulls bugling all night long and chasing cows around like it was the first week of October.  They're just a month too late.  Watched a 6x6 breed a cow this am.......that will be a late calf!