ID: Any Signs if the Rut Starting?

[LandDiver]

Came home a little bit ago. Spent another 2 days up in elk country. Seems the weather has helped, but I don't think they are fully in rut just yet. I hope by the weeks end they'll be bugling like I see on YouTube lol. An into a couple situations that I'm very curious to know the reasoning behind the elks actions. I will start another thread for those though.

If your in Idaho and had luck let's see em!

 

[tjones]

Interesting info on out of FWP's Bitterroot elk study. For going on 6 years now (if IIRC) they have been radio collaring cows in the winter then tracking the cows in the spring when they calf. A bunch of guys follow the signal from the cows and during calving season go back in to put radio ear tags in the new born calves. The bulk of the calves are born the same period year after year. It shows regardless of weather and moon the cows get bred the same time every year. Mid Sept. a guy shouldn't be at work.

 

[mtmiller]

Could someone define "full rut" for me?

 

[jeremy.b]

I'm headed back out on Wednesday to a (hopefully) more remote area and I'll update if anything is talking.

 

[jeremy.b]

Could someone define "full rut" for me?

My 2 cents: Lots of bulls talking without being prompted to. Typically usually happens when one or more cows come into estrus and there are enough bulls around to try to get in on the action. The bigger the local herds of cows, the more likely it seems to be that cows will be coming in and driving the bull bugling up for multiple days (not necessarily back to back days).

 

[Elkmagnet]

Could someone define "full rut" for me?

Ball buster!

 

[TheJason]

The bulk of the calves are born the same period year after year. It shows regardless of weather and moon the cows get bred the same time every year.

Money.

There are a myriad of factors that influence the apparent intensity of the rut. These include the nutritional state of cows during the summer/early fall, the availability (or lack thereof) of good quality feed during mid September, the density of bulls, weather patterns, etc. Regardless of all of these, the peak of the rut will occur within 5 days of the fall equinox.

 

[TheJason]

Could someone define "full rut" for me?

Think first frat party of the school year.

 

[mtmiller]

Saw some scrapping, bulgling and mounting last night in central-MT.