large heards allready?

[ivorytip]

ok guys i seen something out of the norm yesterday eve while scouting for elk, 200+ elk including at least 3 nice mature bulls and several smaller bulls rag horns and spikes, cows and calves everywhere. this is a place i hunt alot and i know it holds lots of elk but these bulls with the cows? so many herded up? its only aug3rd! no lack of water and no lack of food. just wondering if this is odd, ive never seen it like that in summer.

 

[ivorytip]

not to mention i was only in the foothills bout 6,000 feet

 

[Old Hunter]

I'm not seeing any big herds, but i'm hearing a lot of bugling at the altitude I live at. (8000ft) I'm rethinking about hunting high this year.

 

[wapiti66]

sounds like a good problem to have. but, rather odd also. may be an interesting fall.

 

[xtreme]

North mountian, south of Del Norte was like that last week. I usually find the samething every year on nearby Grayback mountian. Sometimes in the Sheep Creek calving area they do that, but I haven't found them like that in a long time.

 

[ivorytip]

huh, wondering if i should change my hunt to the first 2 weeks of sep and not last 2. seems like the last few years around here its been getting started way late. was no screaming going on by any means, just alot of calf and cow talk, with 200+ plus elk you can imagine how cool that sounded. old hunter, bugeling bugleing or just locater calls? lets keep this thread updated just as you said, may get interisting this fall.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Maybe their internal clock is telling them something......get out your longjohns...early winter!!!

 

[ivorytip]

imalso wondering if it may have something to do with the wolves that have moved in .

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Probably right also!!

 

[IdahoHombre]

If you're seeing a major change of habit, my first guess would be predators. And probably just like you said - wolves. I hope you're not telling me that the wolves are becoming regulars in the area I'm guessing you're in!

 

[HuntWYODon]

imalso wondering if it may have something to do with the wolves that have moved in .

I was thinking maybe wolves also. Any fires in that area ? Very strange...

 

[ivorytip]

no fires, (yet). idahohombre i havent seen wolves at this location but i know they have been in there, ive seen them in the mountains above the last few years

 

[bugle13]

Its been weird here in northern utah as well. Ive been hearing bugles since the middle of july, and no wolves to speak of in these areas yet.

 

[ivorytip]

huh?,my bro just text me and said theres a herd of 50 elk hanging out on the fields couple miles outside of idahofalls. with a big bull???? wierd,

 

[justinthedoc]

You know it could be that there is two full moons this month.. Ha, in Central Wy theres rags around the cow and calves. Big Bulls stil off by themselves. To dang hot around here, I think you guys in idaho have been around normal or maybe less? Found a group of about 200 cows last weekend, not much much for mature bulls.

 

[Old Hunter]

I went up to timberline again this morning. I have to take back what I said now. I found a herd of cows, and heard a few bulls bugling. I just didn't find them before, but they're there.

 

[ivorytip]

ive heard bulls singing in aug before but usualy only at night with locator calls. this is kinda twilightish

 

[IdahoHombre]

I'm with Justin - could be the blue moon!

Ivory, maybe you're all fevered up with that super-tag, and your eyes are growing horns on the critters!

Just messin' with you, man!

 

[ivorytip]

haha im goingn crazy! you have no idea!!!!!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Just got back from the high country near Lizardhead Wilderness and is it pretty and green. Got a late start (thats another story!) and really didn't see but a few deer and elk. Got rained on all afternoon. Lots of sign too.