bugling

[bnsafe]

ok, I hear guys talking about bulls bugling already. I was out the first two days an never heard a thing. do bulls bugle in different areas of a given state at different times. im kinda worried I need to be looking elsewhere for some that will bugle. with that said I hunted sep 8th thru 14th last year and only heard 2 bugles during the day period, an we saw bulls an lots of fresh sign.

[JGH]

Was lucky enough to hear 10-15 this weekend.

Most were simple location bugles. One in particular sounded very immature and, well, "odd".

Only a few were in response to my location bugles. A few sets of chuckles out there, too.

I'm not sure why some start "early" and some "late". Perhaps the late ones are just not around (yet). Perhaps it has to do with how pressured they are by humans, hunters, etc. One thing is for sure, though -- without bugles, it makes finding them pretty tough.

[elkoholic]

Opening day didnt hear one bugle. I know there is a bull in there as I had pics of him a couple days prior, but did not make a sound nor did I see him... Today on the other hand was different, granted it was a different location but heard 4 different bugle. Two of those bugles answers to cow calls, could not close the deal....
I know or i should say i think and what i have read say, that the rut revolves around the moon phases. According to the moon this Wednesday will be prime. They or literature also says that weather has nothing to do with activity. But I my experience I hear a lot more bugles when it's a bit cooler...

Goody Luck to you...

[bnsafe]

you guys to, thanks, I just don't understand. john just posted he had one bugling. maybe I should call more an see what happens.

[>>>---WW---->]

I don't think I'd do that Scott. Instead, do what the elk are doing. Sounds like they are still quiet in your area. You might try a couple of location bugles from different spots. But don't over do it if the elk aren't talking. There is nothing unusual about what you are seeing. Personally, I like the silent calling routine during the early season. But even then , don't over do it. It might also be a good idea to slip out there in the middle of the night and see if they might be more vocal then.

[BRazz]

Elk were very quiet in my area this past weekend. I saw many elk, so I know that the lack of bugling was due to lack of rutting, not absent elk...

[AmericanBwana]

I only herd a single bugle the entire weekend. Really just a squeal. The funny thing was it came out of a BIG bull. I could see his freshly polished tines from a 1/2 mile away without binoculars.

AB

[bnsafe]

thanks for the input guys. cant wait to get back out there tomorrow.

[Pmixmaster]

was out in 15 in new mexico and they were talking already pretty solid actually

[eriks.]

I was in CO 751 from Thursday (29th) until yesterday. Looked over a lot of ground and listened day and night. I heard one cow mew about 10pm outside of my tent. That's as close as I got to hearing or seeing anything solid elk.

[Vanish]

It is very localized. I got into more bugling this past weekend than I ever have in a season. I wasn't all that far from you either.

[elkaholic]

I heard one bull bugle 4 times on Sunday. Other than that it was crickets.

[ishy]

Early season can have could calling, but is very hit or miss. Wouldn't think twice about it till the tenth even after that you'll have a day here and there that are silent.

[mcnje032]

Eastern Oregon had bulls bugling opening day. I also heard and continue to have bulls bugling in Oregon coast range since four days after the opener.

[mtnmutt]

For opening weekend in Central Mountians, we had 3x the number of hunters than previous opening weekends. The hunters drove the elk down below 11K.

Hunters that I knew from last year said the elk stopped bugling on Monday. The hunter had a bugling match with one bull on Sunday. Within 2 days, they were call shy and stopped bugling. Single light mews were the ticket after that.

On Thursday morning at 8:30 am, I had a spike bugle back to me. I knew it was him because he was at 20 yards from me for a few minutes, went uphill 75 yards and did 2 nervous grunts. 5-10 minutes later I did a light cow mew, he bulged. It was a cute little bugle. Unfortunately, my hearing loss prevents me from hearing them bugle most of the time.

[bnsafe]

just got back from 4 more days and not a single bugle. hopefully soon

[Bullnuts]

We had bulls going on opening day but lots of pressure shut them down for most of the week. Sporadic bugling since then, with the most action on Thursday, just before the weekenders started showing up again. Most elk seem to be coming in super quiet right now and they're definitely taking their time to get there. I called in a small bull on Thursday that we ended up back tracking to a spring almost a mile away from where we were calling. It took him over an hour to get to us. Just be patient and don't give up on your calling spot too soon. They're out there and they want to breed, so if they hear you they'll be coming in. It just may take a while for them to get there and they probably won't advertise that they're coming.

[bnsafe]

thx bullnuts, I will try to be more patient. I had a lone 4 pt about 90 yds and cow called to him, he looked up then went right back to what he was doing an walked off. so far between my cousin an me we, mainly him, has seen several elk an all the bulls were alone an quiet and cows were either by themselves or with cows. not a single herd. i have not seen a herd in the two years i have been hunting out here. only single elk. weird i guess.

[KMT]

I hunted central Colorado this last weekend. Had 2 or 3 bugling every morning and evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Only one bull each day was getting his serious bugle on, though. The others were location bugles. Had one nice bull ready to give me a beat down. But at 80 yards the wind shifted and he took off.

[Bullnuts]

thx bullnuts, I will try to be more patient. I had a lone 4 pt about 90 yds and cow called to him, he looked up then went right back to what he was doing an walked off. so far between my cousin an me we, mainly him, has seen several elk an all the bulls were alone an quiet and cows were either by themselves or with cows. not a single herd. i have not seen a herd in the two years i have been hunting out here. only single elk. weird i guess.

Called in a bachelor group of 3 bulls on Tuesday morning. They came running in to an estrus whine, but hung up at 135 yards. The biggest bull, a 5X6 thought about coming in closer, and finally made it in to 40 yards, but he hung up behind a tree. 2 steps and he would have stepped clear, but he turned around for no apparent reason and headed back down the hill. The other two bulls weren't at all interested in the cow talk. No bugling at all this week.

[BRazz]

This last weekend was pretty much smack in the middle of September. In two days of hunting my area where I've had some intense bugling in the past, I heard two bugles... UGH. Both of them were single bugles on Sunday morning, from two separate and far-away bulls, and both sounded very passive and unaggressive.

I saw a lone bull, lots of sign, and photos on my game cam of lone bulls - so I know they were around (and not cowed up). I don't know if the crazy rain has adversely impacted the bugling, or if my timing is just bad. But boy were they eerily silent up there!!!

[minzwa]

i hunted eastern Oregon aug 28-sept 8, heard only 2 bugles during that time. Then as we packed our gear out by headlamp to go home, 2 more bugles bidding us adieu, and sounding to me like "thanks for playing suckers!"
The last 3 years, I've heard 3-5 bulls a day on average, with only a few silent days. Very rainy this year, but also an earlier hunt for me. I'm thinking in the future week 3.

[Broken arrow]

Hunted around the gunnison area and it was off and on couple days/nights it was intense bulls bugling their heads off one day had a bull bugling at 11:00am but couldn't get the wind to go after him so I just left him. That hurt!

[Bullnuts]

Weird season this year. Reports from my area are that the bulls have shut down altogether now. I have a buddy out there right now and they can't buy a bugle. Very strange behavior for the end of September.

[BRazz]

That's not good news, but it's good for me to hear that it's not just me. I just got back from three days up top, and all but this morning were pretty much silent. This morning I heard a few distant bugles, but they were one(or two)-and-done... Those bulls have got four days to get their act together, or I'm going to be upset.

[Buglemaster]

From the 14th -15th we had wet weather & some pretty sporadic bugling. When the sun finally snuck out, they went ballistic in the basin we were in. I counted the bugles we heard on Tuesday evening from between 4pm - dark thirty & had 54. The last morning we were in there, things were dead & only heard a couple real distant calls. But did get a bull wound up that evening & brought him in out of the black timber only to have him hang up right where we had butchered a bull on Tuesday. Probably enough human scent around the carcass to make him nervous. He was coming in real good to that point which was only 100 yds from our set up. Conservatively , I would bet we heard 200 bugles this last week. So much fun!

[Sucobowhunter]

Was out with a herd today and the bulls were going nuts!! Bugling, running each other off. Besides a landowner running out and spooking them on purpose so we couldnt get one we would have one in the bag. And we were on forest service land.

[Vanish]

Well, I was all smug with hearing so many early season bugles and it really bit my in the butt for the end of the season.

This is my third year where I have asked "so when is the damn rut" because I still haven't seen it. I thought with CO's late season this year and previous years seeming to indicate the rut was just starting when it ended that the last week was going to be bonkers this year and instead I heard less bugles in the whole week than I did on the second weekend.

[bnsafe]

I was very disappointed in the bugling all season. I heard 8 total bugles (6 of them were in the dark) prior to my last day. then I heard prob 8-10 my last day, but most of them I believe was because my bull stumbled into a herd when he fell over an died and the herd bull wasn't happy bout him being there. so I heard 10 bugles or less all season during the daylight

[Bullnuts]

I spent the last day of the season calling for a buddy who has some land on the I-25 corridor in Colorado near Pueblo. We didn't hear a sound until just after shooting hours ended, and then it was like someone flipped a switch and the bulls went ballistic! Go figure, they must have had copies of the big game regs with them because they obviously knew that the season had ended. I had a good time talking with three different bulls in the dark, though. It was too dark to see them, but it sounded like we had one within 50 yards or so when we decided to call it a night.

[Swede]

I think the problem is all Elknut's fault. I believe he is selling his Playbook to the elk now. I know the elk in my area are well educated, and quieter than they used to be. Those elk that have the Playbook are very tricky. I will go out on a limb here a little and say, I doubt ANYONE on the forum got one of them this year.

[Bullnuts]

I'm pretty sure you're right Swede. I think I may have found a few pages on a trail this year and they smelled like elk urine. I think that bull was sending subliminal messages. I also heard that there is a monster bull living up in Idaho that goes by the handle "ElkButt" because that's the only part of him that any hunter will ever see. He's selling the Anti-Playbook to other elk that counters everything Elknut has written. It's just a rumor at this point, but I'll bet there are a few hunters who've actually seen this beast.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I think the problem is all Elknut's fault. I believe he is selling his Playbook to the elk now. I know the elk in my area are well educated, and quieter than they used to be. Those elk that have the Playbook are very tricky. I will go out on a limb here a little and say, I doubt ANYONE on the forum got one of them this year.

Elk were very loud and vocal in my area. Swede, did you forget your hearing aids again?

[Swede]

You are not following the thread John. If you read carefully, you will notice it starts on the premise that elk bugle a lot in some area, while in others they are quiet. Some hunters are hearing lots of bugles, while others are not. I repeat: The answer is the Playbook. Keep focusing John. You will get it.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I will kindly trying to disagree with your comment while teasing you at the same time. Fewer elk from one area to the next....yes. Does area determine vocal elk.....no. Do most cows go into estrus....yes. Do bulls stay quiet when an estrus cow is near.....no.

Nothing to do with the area but has everything to do with the cow's going into estrus. Less elk, less cows in estrus, and thus less bugling.

Just my dos centos!

jf

[Swede]

Ah rats. You are trying to be serious, while I had absolutely no intention of going anywhere near there.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Gotcha! LOL!

I sure was hoping for better response out of you. Hunting season is almost over. It's time for thanks and good friends. We have 12 months for a difference of opinions.

You sure are fun to pick on.....Swede!

[Swede]

John: I hate it when you start to make sense to me. Have a good night.

[JohnFitzgerald]

You 2 bud.