Its been in the mid-80's and only getting down to the mid-40's at night in southern WY. Has anyone been out and heard any bugles or seen any rutting activity? I am heading out next week but a little worried about the heat.
Is it too HOT for the elk to start rutting...?
- Thread starter T.S. Allen
- Start date
ssliger
Very Active Member
Was out Saturday evening, did not hear any bugles. I did see a group of cows with a bull. Before this weekend I was just seeing bulls in their bachelor groups.
Ok thanks I am headed down your way taking my wife out on her first elk hunt. First as in she gets to do the shooting. I am gonna hunt 110. Have you ever hunted there? I have recently moved from southeast Idaho to Cheyenne.
ssliger
Very Active Member
Have spent more time in the North Platte wilderness area than in the Savage Run wilderness area. The best time to hunt that area is towards the end of the season with some snow on the ground. It gets very crowded, especially west of Pelton Creek. You would be amazed on how many people get elk out there by driving around. You drive by these camps and they have whole elk hanging in the tree. Where we got ours there was no way in he@# he was coming out whole. PM me if you want some more info.
It felt much cooler this morning I don't know about the elk but I am getting sooo excited. Driving the neighbors crazy with all the bugling. I get a few days off next week I hope it turns cold and they kick it up a notch.
Montana
Veteran member
I wouldn't say rut yet but I spent a weekend filled of close encounters and bugled a bull in 10 minutes after shooting light... They are setting dominance and bugling like crazy.... Could be different 10 miles away though.
hvfd21walker
Active Member
The heat really does not have anything to do with the rut IMO. The elk have to breed about the same time every year for calf survival. Thats just my opinion though. The heat may keep them just to rutting in the evenings.
Great I am even more excited now! Thanks for all the information and feedback. I wish all of you the best of luck this season. I am headed out on the 13th or 14th for a few days taking my wife out to hunt for her first elk. I will hope to have some pics.
Old Hunter
Banned
Should be cold the first day of ML season this Sat at 12,000ft. It looks like a cold front is moving through.
I may be moving faster than normal to stay warm.
I may be moving faster than normal to stay warm.
I will be hunting around 9,500 ft so I am hoping for cooler temps. I am also hunting non-motorized so I will be packing anything we get out on my pack frame.
The elk are rutting, but head to the timber early on the sunny hot days. We had some rain showers Saturday and Sunday and the elk bugled and rutted late into the day, and early in the evening. It was actually fantastic hunting. Saw a definite slow down as the skies cleared early in the week, but the elk are still bugling in the dark.
llp
llp
Vanish
Member
It is completely location dependent. I had the exact opposite experience as llp, with the same exact weather. Rain showers on Sat and Sun but never heard a bugle.
OH, I don't see this cold front in the forecast? Granted, we're about 100 miles north of you.
OH, I don't see this cold front in the forecast? Granted, we're about 100 miles north of you.
labman
Member
Old Hunter, I am heading SW CO next Friday and heading in Saturday for the week. We are camping at 10,200 and hunting above that what is your opinion on the weather at that time? I am been looking at averages at the closets towns but its not at altitude.
Old Hunter
Banned
This shows the weather for where I live. It's 8000ft. I expect at least 20degrees cooler where i'll be hunting. Maybe I should have said cool front. It's been so hot lately. This will seem cold. Anytime it gets below freezing it wakes me up. Of course the real cold come later in the rifle seasons when these lows will be the highs.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Buena+Vista+CO+81211:4:US
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Buena+Vista+CO+81211:4:US
Old Hunter
Banned
labman
Member
Is the cold supposed to stay around or is it just for a few days? I live in Oklahoma City we are supposed to see a 20 degree drop tomorrow down to low 80's but back up to early next week.
Old Hunter
Banned
I was hunting south of Old Hunter this weekend, temps were in the 80s during the days and cooling to only mid 40s at nite. I heard no bugles and saw 6 elk in 2 1/2 days of solid hiking. I saw no fresh rubs and found one small wallow that appeared to be inactive. On sunday evening I had a cow come across the opposite ridge and stopped @ 50 yards so I shot her. Ended my season before it ever started as I had not expected to see much action on this trip, just used it as an excuse to get out town and scout for later on in the season, but I had to take the opportunity when it came. My dad and brother have the same tag so we will be going up after muzzleloaders get done to hunt the last week of archery season. Hopefully the weather has cooled a lot and rutting picks up by then. I may be wrong but it seems the bulls get active up north (wyoming, montana, northern co) much sooner than they do in southern CO, new mexico, and ariz.?? any thoughts on that??