Successful scouting trip, now what?

[JGH]

Wife and I rode into hunt camp last weekend and it looks like this year is shaping up just fine.

We saw a herd of 30-40 cows/calves within a half-mile of camp, and another herd about 1 mile away that was just huge ... quit counting at 110. Another herd of 4 cows + 4 calves an the way in rounded out the trip. Not bad for a 28-hour door-to-door scouting weekend!

I put up a couple cameras at what were wallows last year.

Here's the question for the experts: Those herds were huge. Will they break up at all?

This is a spot far from roads and ranches, high country with good amounts of feed and water for them. I've hunted it one time is all, but managed to see elk daily. I'm hoping to take a week later in September to hunt, but will probably be able to be there for the opener, too.

Thoughts?

[Bowhunter]

Sounds like a good spot. Good luck. I am currious to see if the experts say they will split up.

[JGH]

By the way, we were able to sneak in to about 100 yards on the largest herd, and spent 10 minutes or so just listening to the herd talk. What a great chance to hear all the typical, relaxed herd-talk as they grazed, slept, and generally loafed about.

[elkmtngear]

John, it sounds like a truly amazing place!

I think that big herd will look like a beehive at peak rut...no doubt there will be some smaller herds sectioned out of it, but I'd love to see the bull with the most cows when it's all said and done.

The most I've ever seen is around 50 cows/calves with a single herd bull...and he was working overtime to try to keep rival bulls away.

[Coveyleader]

Far from an expert, but this isn't too uncommon to see this time of year. Especially above timberline. Hard to say what will happen, but my guess is they will split a bit once the calves are less dependent on the cows. I think it's a classic sign of "Summer range" I'd almost consider it a nursery if you will. Hunting pressure has a way of changing all of that.

Good Luck

[Swede]

I have seen these large herds up into the archery season. In early season I have seen them on public land. They normally break up before the rut kicks in. Personally I don't like the large herds. There are too many eyes, ears and noses. I have only one tag, so I prefer smaller bunches spread out more. As a tree stand hunter I would rather have one good bull that I can pattern, than a lot more where I have no idea where they are, or will be.

[JGH]

Swede ... so I see you understand my concern.

It's great to see so many elk, and it was very interesting to watch them and listen to them. But ... like you said ... I'd rather an elk behind every tree rather than 100 elk behind one tree, so to speak. They'll be harder to find, and harder to hunt if I do find them.

I'm hoping that they were together for the purpose of security while raising babies, and that as fall comes, the herd will be split -- either by hunters or hormones.

But I'm not so sure what's going to happen.

[Coveyleader]

Big groups of elk are fine if you want to kill any bull. Think about a huge herd like that, and what's going to be around all those cows and calves this fall and what's going to be standing just outside the perimeter of the herd; callable bulls.

[JGH]

Any bull! That's me!

"Take the first, good shot" is my new motto, and includes any adult elk.

[Jaquomo]

Sometimes they break up, sometimes they dont. We had a herd wander into our area several years ago on the third week of September. At least 80 cows, four true mature bulls, and a number of satellites of all shapes and sizes. Seemed like they had it all worked out and everybody was getting a piece of the action, so to speak. I took lots of photos as they filed by me within bow range one afternoon when moving from one basin to another.

When they crossed a past a long draw where a big five point was hanging out with his cows, I watched him walk down through the sagebrush, snatch several cows and calves from the edge of the herd, and push them back up into his harem. Noe of the other herd bulls with the bunch even noticed, and he was quiet the whole time. Caught it all on film.

One thing about those big herds - they do seem to move around a lot when the rut gets started.

I'd suggest you give me the GPS coordinates of where you found these elk, and I"ll check it out first hand.

[JGH]

Jacuomo ... How ' bout if I just show you first-hand? I could be about 50-75 yards in front of you. You could show me some things about calling, as I'm sure you'd like to repay me for showing you the way, right?

Actually, I was pretty sure this would be the answer: Sometimes they split up, sometimes they don't.

I bet if we ask a biologist, it'd have something to do with the bull:cow ratio.

[WapitiTalk1]

"Those herds were huge. Will they break up at all?"

Yes sir, they will certainly break up. A mature herd bull will almost kill himself tending over 20 cows (by tending, I mean keeping them in a group, fighting off satellite bulls looking to steal cows for their own harem, and periodically checking them for estrus). The elk you encountered are in their mid summer range, not too far removed from calving, and will soon move up higher to their late summer, early fall range.. This is where the playing field changes when the bulls start to feel the "twinge" of the rut and their testosterone levels start to escalate. Sounds for certain like it's a good area for many reasons. But again to answer your question, yep, the big herd(s) you saw will break up as the boys descend upon the masses and the rut ensues. As always, the bulls will be where the cows are when the rut begins and ends. Best of luck to you in your wapiti adventures this fall friend.