I have been laid up for 19 days now recuperating from a Rattlesnake bite on my foot! So I have missed two great Archery Hunts for Elk that my good Huntin buddies went on and on which I had been invited. One was a Horseback Hunt and the other Hunt was a deep woods camp and walk in Hunting. I was even supposed to Rifle Hunt Bear today on the fall opener here in SW Montana (September 15th) but alas I am putting that Hunt off as my foot won't go in my Hunting boot!
But I have been doing an extra large amount of "intel" work regarding Elk Hunting. I have several friends that all Hunt independently of each other and the "magic" date when the Bulls start bugling and rutting in earnest came to this portion of the Rocky Mountains (SW Montana) on September 8th, 9th and 10th this year.
One of my Hunting buddies had Hunted every day since the opener here in Montana (Archery Sept. 3rd) and had scouted on more than 10 days prior to that. He noted that the Elk were "quiet" until the 10th also!
My other friends also noted the perking up of the rutting activity on these same dates.
Anyone in Colorado or Arizona, New Mexico have any observations on the "onset" of intense activity in their Elk areas down "south"?
Some folks feel the weather in a particular window of a week or so - when it turns cold during that window it will result in initiation of the intense rutting and bugling by the herd bulls. I, for the most part, in my Archery Elk Hunting preferred to Hunt the last week of September and the first week of October for my exciting "get-aways".
Any other favorite dates for "Elkin" out there?
Long live the Wapiti!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The weather here in Idaho dictates when they start Bugleing.Down low there pretty quiet but up in the 8-9000 ft levels there starting to talk where is very cold in the morning.

I have to wait till Saturday now to go see if there talking yet in my areas.Good post as Bugleing is my favorite time of the year with lots of action and no work!!!

Jayco

I was out on the 11th, here in Alberta, saw a nice (though young) six pointer. Was out from 4 pm till dark, but didn't hear a thing.


Frans

I haven't been hunting yet this year, but a guy I work with was out the evening before last and had a couple bulls going and brought them both in under 100 yards. The weather has been pretty wet here so far this Sept though, and apparently its been pretty quiet out there for the most part.

Around here (the Southern Rockies!...just north of the MT border in BC), the peak of the rut is generally accepted as the 15th to the 20th of Sept. In a normal year they usually start bugling in earnest by late August, and it just gradually picks up from there.

Cheers,
Canuck

VarminGuy,
I was bear hunting (or hunting bear as I had
clothes on). this was in unit 1 and 201 in
extreme Northwest Co. I observed 30 or 40 "big"
bulls and none of them showed heavy rut signs.
just normal elk talk with an occasional half
hearted bugle. I left on Sept 11. I felt they
were very close , just needing a weather change
I will return Sept 22 to finish hunting bear and
get ready to elk hunt (bull) I've waited 16 years for a license to chase them around.
Charlie

VG;Not much going on over here just starting to bugle some.A local friend has been hunting over in the Gallatins near the buffer zone before you get in the park bulls have been bugling,but they have not seen a cow or calf and they have been there on and off since the season started.w/regards

I was in Sheridan, Montana this past Saturday (September 17th) and I saw a truck pull up to the Meat/Butcher Shop there. The pickup had two Bull Elk in it. One was a small 6x6 and the other was a 5x5. They had been killed the day before from a blind over a remote spring water hole! Neither had the distinctive musk and mud covered pelts that the rut addled Bulls often get when deep in the rut! They were both in the back of this pickup in the whole and had not been skinned - just gutted.
These two Hunters said rutting activity had just started (September 15th-ish).
Some snow in the high country here in SW Montana just came yesterday!
Thanks all for your inputs - like I initially posted it is interesting to see when the Elk start getting "frantic" and according to others I have talked to this year that has not quite happened as yet.
Speaking of Game Animals in the "whole" I came across a lucky Montana resident who had harvested a 3 1/2 year old Bull Moose and he had it in his low-boy car carrier trailer and it also was only gutted! It was huge and still had everything attached including the hooves! He was travelling by himself and I wonder how he got that big Bull onto the trailer by himself (if in fact he did)?
It looked to me like he was going to mount that Bull Moose lifesize - as it had all the original parts still attached!
Long live Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Gophershooter: That is one part of Montana that has been hit very hard by the horrific Wolf predation!
That is a sad and shameful situation over that a way!
In my travels over there I have noticed the same thing - very low calf populations in the diminished Elk herds that one does see!
Dang shame!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy