I went up to check out my trail cams around noon today. I was about 50 yards from the first one and I bumped a large bull. He already had a group of cows with him. I checked the trail cam and started on to the next and he was bulging up a storm. Started raking trees and rounding up his cows. Seems a little early to for a big bull to be in rut but the temp did drop this last week and have been in the low 40s and upper 30s for the last month at night. I've heard people talking that they have heard bulging for about 3 or 4 weeks now. I figured it were smaller bulls just getting ready. It may be an early year for the rut. Haven't seen bulls really bugle on labor day weekend (opening day) since 2009. Going to have to set up camp early this year.
Black hills elk hunting
- Thread starter birdhunter
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Slugz
Veteran member
From an "observation biology" perspective that's pretty normal. Velvet is starting to be rubbed off and that activity in itself gets some animals wound up. Peak estrus (defined as the most cows being bred) will still be 22nd Sept this year. Normal pre rut activity is just starting is all. I normally hear or see 2-3 bulls bugling Aug 27th during the archery opener. Another thing to consider, bulls don't just bugle during the rut. The most bulging is during the rut. Contact bugle vocalizations happen all year long. Elk wanna see animals first, hear them second and smell them third........just my opinion there and what we experience in NW Colorado. Lastly, water sources can drive where the animals call " summer range also" Good luck and hope he stays in the general area for ya!
Prerylyon
Veteran member
Signs of the changing seasons, gets any hunter looking keenly at the season ahead. Time grows shorter to dial in arrows/loads! 
We had what I consider our 1st cool blast here in the upper midwest. Temps were in the lower 50s the last 2 nites here in IA.
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We had what I consider our 1st cool blast here in the upper midwest. Temps were in the lower 50s the last 2 nites here in IA.
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Horsenhike
Very Active Member
It's been pretty dry in the black hills all year. Last week of July we finally got some rain. I drew a cow tag this year for the 4th year in a row. Don't even have any friends that drew bull tags to get them on the bull I saw. The Temps are finally dropping so I'm hoping for a decent hunting season. I'm tired of rushing my elk out in hot temps hoping I get it cooled before it spoils. Be nice to be able to hang it in a tree at camp and try and go out and get a deer or my wife's elk.
Slugz
Veteran member
I hear ya. I love the feeling of one animal hanging in camp and the calmness it brings knowing you and the team got it done. Gives a great deal of confidence also to the team to go get it done again or with another species!!
You said it slugz, I've never had more than one elk or deer hanging in camp. Even when it was cool enough to have them hang. It makes it easier to come back to camp and see the smoke rolling out of the stove and your elk hanging in a tree!!!
Slugz
Veteran member
AAAAAAAAmen. We are attempting the Slugz Slam this year. Elk, Deer, Bear out of the same camp during archery.
Got camp set up this last Sunday. Walked around the area and saw lots of elk sign. Checked the trail cams and had lots of pics of elk. Even came upon a new trail I discovered and it looks like a highway. I can't wait to leave work a couple hours early tomorrow and head up to camp for an evening hunt just to see what is out there with bow in hand. Then back to work Friday and watch the home opener football game with long time rivals across the county. After the game I will drop my two girls off at their grandparents and head up north to the hills with the wife. Hopefully its a great weekend and my wife can at least get her cow. Good luck to everyone else who is hunting the opening weekend!!!!
Slugz
Veteran member
Horsenhike
Very Active Member
Good luck!
We are excited to get cow tags next year. Planning on taking the horses into some of those areas next summer to learn the lay of the land.
We are excited to get cow tags next year. Planning on taking the horses into some of those areas next summer to learn the lay of the land.
mnhoundman
Veteran member
It may have been the worst luck I've ever had hunting ever. Only a few bugles all weekend. I'm guessing the warmer weather and the number of hunters shut them up. It wasn't all a bust. I was successful in terms of my wife bringing my two girls up to spend the last night of the hunt with me. Being 3 and 4 years old, I wasn't sure how they would like staying in the wall tent. We rented out our camper for the summer and it is still being used. They loved the tent and can't wait to go back. They are hooked on hunting and sleeping in a wall tent. It rained like crazy and it didn't even affect them. I left for the morning hunt the next day and when I came back they had breakfast ready for me and wanted to hear all about my hunt. It's going to be so hard to go hunting without them now.
Slugz
Veteran member
Sounds like success to me my friend. Great problem to have
I'm smiling while typing this!!Just got back from a 4 day elk hunt in the black hills. Thursday was my first full day of hunting and it was really quiet. I did manage to get really close to a small 6 pt bull. I have a cow tag in my pocket but it was cool to see. I hiked back to camp and my wife showed up for the afternoon hunt. She couldn't wait so we went to a small area by camp to see if we could catch some cows napping. We were walking the trail and a huge bull was chasing 3 cows down the trail. A spike tried to get in on the action and the herd bull smacked him pretty good and the spike ran off and the cows were forced to switch trails. We didn't get a shot off but it was nice seeing a big bull herding cows. Even if he did have one antler broken off. That night we tried a different area about 200 yards from camp. We crested a small hill and we saw a lone cow. We tried to close the distance and I got to within 60 yards and we didn't see the 15 other elk to the left of us. They blew out of the area but they weren't too spooked. we circled around to the direction they were going and caught up with them. By the time we got close enough it was too dark to get a shot.
Friday was a very slow day. Hear only a couple bugles and didn't see anything. My dad joined my for the afternoon hunt and wanted to stay the night. This is where I realized my future hunting would never be the same. My dad is always there right beside me when hunting. He taught me everything. He would never say no when I wanted to go out. His job always got in the way but he would go when he could. We hiked about 3 miles on slightly rough terrain. He couldn't make himself hike with me the this morning because of his pain. This morning he decided to sit in a tree stand that we put up a while ago. I really wanted him to hike with me but I knew I was going to hike a lot further and rougher terrain this time. It was also 36 degrees and pouring rain still from the night before. I sent my dad to the tree stand and made my way the opposite direction.
As I walked up and over the first ridge I spotted a bull and cow on the way down. The cow was coming to my calls and was about 60 yards on the other side of the fence on private property. As we were calling back and forth, the next ridge it up with cows and bugles. She obviously decided that those calls and bugles sounded way better than just me. I tried to get ahead of them and was stopped by a single cow on the other side of me. I tried to sneak up on her and got behind some trees. I needed about 30 more yards and she vanished into thin air. Yep, she put the sneak on me and disappeared never to be seen again. I walked about 3 miles before I spotted a cow and calf about 10 yards from me, I drew my bow back and had her broad side. Then a bull she was with started to come out. I let my bow down and watched her walk out of sight. I couldn't shoot her because she had just jumped the fence onto private property. I wanted so ad to shoot her but it wasn't the right thing to do. I decided to walk back to camp in the still pouring rain. My boots are suppose to be waterproof but my feet are getting soaked to the bone. It was also 36 degrees out so I was getting fairly cold. I was almost to camp and got pretty lax and jumped a big bull about 20 yards from me. I checked how my dad did and he saw a couple mulie bucks and a called in a spike bull in. He loved it and was happy. I told him I was soaked and didn't have any extra boots. He said he was pretty soar and that he wouldn't mind going home. When I got home I called my wife who was near a couple sporting goods stores 2 hours away and she is getting me boots so I can go back up north tomorrow morning. It was a great time and I can't wait to get out in the rain and cold tomorrow. Hopefully it will snow tonight. I will be back with more updates after tomorrow.
Friday was a very slow day. Hear only a couple bugles and didn't see anything. My dad joined my for the afternoon hunt and wanted to stay the night. This is where I realized my future hunting would never be the same. My dad is always there right beside me when hunting. He taught me everything. He would never say no when I wanted to go out. His job always got in the way but he would go when he could. We hiked about 3 miles on slightly rough terrain. He couldn't make himself hike with me the this morning because of his pain. This morning he decided to sit in a tree stand that we put up a while ago. I really wanted him to hike with me but I knew I was going to hike a lot further and rougher terrain this time. It was also 36 degrees and pouring rain still from the night before. I sent my dad to the tree stand and made my way the opposite direction.
As I walked up and over the first ridge I spotted a bull and cow on the way down. The cow was coming to my calls and was about 60 yards on the other side of the fence on private property. As we were calling back and forth, the next ridge it up with cows and bugles. She obviously decided that those calls and bugles sounded way better than just me. I tried to get ahead of them and was stopped by a single cow on the other side of me. I tried to sneak up on her and got behind some trees. I needed about 30 more yards and she vanished into thin air. Yep, she put the sneak on me and disappeared never to be seen again. I walked about 3 miles before I spotted a cow and calf about 10 yards from me, I drew my bow back and had her broad side. Then a bull she was with started to come out. I let my bow down and watched her walk out of sight. I couldn't shoot her because she had just jumped the fence onto private property. I wanted so ad to shoot her but it wasn't the right thing to do. I decided to walk back to camp in the still pouring rain. My boots are suppose to be waterproof but my feet are getting soaked to the bone. It was also 36 degrees out so I was getting fairly cold. I was almost to camp and got pretty lax and jumped a big bull about 20 yards from me. I checked how my dad did and he saw a couple mulie bucks and a called in a spike bull in. He loved it and was happy. I told him I was soaked and didn't have any extra boots. He said he was pretty soar and that he wouldn't mind going home. When I got home I called my wife who was near a couple sporting goods stores 2 hours away and she is getting me boots so I can go back up north tomorrow morning. It was a great time and I can't wait to get out in the rain and cold tomorrow. Hopefully it will snow tonight. I will be back with more updates after tomorrow.
