Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

wallow 2`

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

wallow 2`

Postby bnsafe » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 1]

ok, i re read the wallow thread and wow what a bunch of great info. but, i am really confused. i always thought a wallow was used like a whitetail scrape. during the rut whitetails will check them frequently to see if there are any got does around. i guess i just assumed a wallow was the same for a bull. but sounds like yall are saying the closer to rut it is the less they use them. so what is a wallow and what are they used for.
bnsafe
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1283
Joined: 06 16, 2012
Location: Windsor CO
First Name: Scott

Re: wallow 2`

Postby CrazyElkHunter » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 2]

Pre rut it can get pretty warm, Aug and Sept. Bulls like to get muddy and cool off. Keeps flys and bugs off for awhile. If they have homsteaded the wallow, they can get very aggressive towards other bulls that try to use it .That can work into your favor if your there at the right time. Ive called from a few wallows but usually just sit and wait in the afternoon and evening.The few times I called was because my trail camera told me to. :shock: My pictures showed 4 different bulls were hitting the wallow and the timer told me the bigger bull was running the smaller bulls off. I took that bigger bull from making him think I was in "his" living room. :o There are no rules to what tactics to use ,as long as they are legal. The more tricks up your sleeve, the more meat in the freezer. ;) Image
User avatar
CrazyElkHunter
Rank: Herd Bull
 
Posts: 404
Joined: 06 21, 2012
Location: Clovis,Calif
First Name: Bill
Last Name: Custer

Re: wallow 2`

Postby cnelk » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 3]

After a bull wallows and gets full of mud, he likes to piss all over his belly and the stench of that piss dries with that mud.
Lasts a long time.
Thats his 'Old Spice' to the ladies.... :)
User avatar
cnelk
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 2164
Joined: 06 30, 2012
Location: N. Colorado
First Name: Brad
Last Name: K

Re: wallow 2`

Postby bnsafe » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 4]

i completely mis understood wallows. very interesting.
bnsafe
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1283
Joined: 06 16, 2012
Location: Windsor CO
First Name: Scott

Re: wallow 2`

Postby cnelk » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 5]

Below is a pic of a wallow I found 3 years ago. Every time I have been near it I have been into a nice bull.
It will have a tree stand and game camera on it this summer.
It was a bit dry last year and the wallow, tho somewhat dry, was still being used.


Image
User avatar
cnelk
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 2164
Joined: 06 30, 2012
Location: N. Colorado
First Name: Brad
Last Name: K

Re: wallow 2`

Postby Swede » 04 07, 2013 •  [Post 6]

I am not sure just what causes a bull to wallow. I think it has something to do with their biological urge to mate, but don't press me too hard on how it works. It can't be just bugs and heat as that should effect the cows and bulls alike, and July can be buggier and hotter than early September. They are not wallowing early Summer, but I have seen where a bull wallowed after the snow came down. There were no bugs and no heat problems then. Definitely wallows are not scrapes, but they could be related.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: wallow 2`

Postby Swede » 04 08, 2013 •  [Post 7]

bnsafe, I have been mulling your question over in my mind since last evening. The answers you received pretty much follow conventional wisdom. Conventional wisdom is normally good, but sometimes it leaves me with questions. Another conventional wisdom answer is that wallowing is part of displaying. cnelk touched on that and he is correct in what bulls do. I am still not sure it is only about displaying. My observations are limited to be sure. To explain where I am coming from, let me describe one incident. I observed a lone bull come from a bedding area in the cool of the evening, quietly wallow and head away in a totally different direction. The bull went up and over a ridge into a new drainage. The wind was not in his favor. Unless he had a date, he should not have expected to come to any cows. The bull was an average 5x5 and would have been shot, but he was just out of my range. I observed the bull wallow, but I can't really explain it.
Maybe it is not important to analyze why, but just to know that it is a trait of bull elk and take advantage of the knowledge we have.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: wallow 2`

Postby bnsafe » 04 08, 2013 •  [Post 8]

seems the more you learn about any animal the less you know.
bnsafe
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1283
Joined: 06 16, 2012
Location: Windsor CO
First Name: Scott