Hunting elk in the rut
- Thread starter UtahMountainMan
- Start date
havgunwilltravel
Active member
Great advice from a wide knowledge base.
Many points I agree on, calling hanging back, over the crest of a hill or in thick timber where a bull cannot easily determine location and more importantly if it's actually an elk or not.
Hanging in all day and being in the field listening pre dawn, middle of the night and after sunset will help you build a picture of what is going on and where it is happening.
What happened when the bulls took their cows away and walked off? Did you go look for other elk or loop down wind and run ahead to try and set up an ambush? Too many people give up too easily, the more critters you kill the more you will realise that being passive and cautious is not something that is practised too often. Learn to flick the switch, know what you can get away with and how aggressive you can be in different situations. You will blow opportunities, but you will create twice as many as the guys who say, it's mid morning, that bugle just came from a bedding area, let's back out now and come back an hour before dark to try to set up an ambush. Heck the winds are more stable during the middle of the day , the animals won't move a lot, punch in there and kill what's making the noise. I jog/run into all vocal animals, get within 100 to 200 metres (terrain and habitat dependant) hit the brakes and go slow closing in from down wind.
Adjust your strategies, pace and tactics to what the bulls and cows are doing, pre rut or early rut is very different to peak rut. Vocalisation is relative to the estrus cycling of cows, bulls will bugle when there are no cows nearby or no cycling from cows, but increased vocalisation always relates to heightened rutting activity from the bulls due to the cycling of cows.
Rain, heat, snow or sunshine if cows are cycling bulls will be vocal.
And remember dates on a calendar are only that, The moon phases vary slightly from year to year and so will the peak rutting (cycling of cows) periods. The lunar cycle is much more reliable so it will pay to be open minded with your rut hunt dates as activity will vary each year. This year the Easter moon was quite late and rutting activity in a couple countries I hunted animals in was also delayed (this was expected) I am not a betting man but I am quite confident this will continue into your peak rutting periods as well on the elk.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself, it's great to have goals, but it isn't life changing if you tag a b&c bull or just a nice 6 point. It's the experience and memories created that are the real rewards. Hunt hard enough and wise enough with an open mind and things will fall into place sooner or later.
Good luck.
Many points I agree on, calling hanging back, over the crest of a hill or in thick timber where a bull cannot easily determine location and more importantly if it's actually an elk or not.
Hanging in all day and being in the field listening pre dawn, middle of the night and after sunset will help you build a picture of what is going on and where it is happening.
What happened when the bulls took their cows away and walked off? Did you go look for other elk or loop down wind and run ahead to try and set up an ambush? Too many people give up too easily, the more critters you kill the more you will realise that being passive and cautious is not something that is practised too often. Learn to flick the switch, know what you can get away with and how aggressive you can be in different situations. You will blow opportunities, but you will create twice as many as the guys who say, it's mid morning, that bugle just came from a bedding area, let's back out now and come back an hour before dark to try to set up an ambush. Heck the winds are more stable during the middle of the day , the animals won't move a lot, punch in there and kill what's making the noise. I jog/run into all vocal animals, get within 100 to 200 metres (terrain and habitat dependant) hit the brakes and go slow closing in from down wind.
Adjust your strategies, pace and tactics to what the bulls and cows are doing, pre rut or early rut is very different to peak rut. Vocalisation is relative to the estrus cycling of cows, bulls will bugle when there are no cows nearby or no cycling from cows, but increased vocalisation always relates to heightened rutting activity from the bulls due to the cycling of cows.
Rain, heat, snow or sunshine if cows are cycling bulls will be vocal.
And remember dates on a calendar are only that, The moon phases vary slightly from year to year and so will the peak rutting (cycling of cows) periods. The lunar cycle is much more reliable so it will pay to be open minded with your rut hunt dates as activity will vary each year. This year the Easter moon was quite late and rutting activity in a couple countries I hunted animals in was also delayed (this was expected) I am not a betting man but I am quite confident this will continue into your peak rutting periods as well on the elk.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself, it's great to have goals, but it isn't life changing if you tag a b&c bull or just a nice 6 point. It's the experience and memories created that are the real rewards. Hunt hard enough and wise enough with an open mind and things will fall into place sooner or later.
Good luck.
Excellent advice from everyone!.....you mention a plan and your plan.....I used to do the same, the elk never followed my plan, don't get me wrong it's imaprative to have an idea of what your going to do, but as others have said let the situation dictate. I see alot more animals now, keeping positive mentally is as important as any tactic! 
