Post Rut Herd Behavior

[pd]

This is a question for Paul and the other experts. I am the newbie here, so anybody with even 10 minutes of elk hunting experience out classes me---you are all experts in my eyes, so please give me your thoughts.

I helped a friend harvest a cow last year in SW Washington (he had a muzzleloader draw tag). We quickly found a grazing herd (20 cows and calves, with 4 or 5 very nice bulls) on opening morning--the first week of October. My partner put a stalk on, and had a fat cow down by 10:00 a.m. on the first day of the hunt. Beautiful weather, 65ºF. Super easy hunt. (Note that there were several good sized bulls in the group, but everybody was very mellow. No bugling, so panic.)

Fast forward to this year. Last weekend I joined the same friend on a general season muzzleloader hunt (3-point or better bulls only). Very similar terrain to the previous year's hunt; as the crow flies, less than 5 miles apart. The weather was very warm (75ºF), which is unusual for this area and this time of year. The skies were clear all night long, and the moon was very bright. I am sure the elk fed all night long. My partner saw a single herd, cows/calves only, maybe 6 animals. Somebody else saw a single, solitary spike. Other than that, nothing. No calls to be heard. No movement.

Based upon what Paul wrote in the "Passive, Aggressive Bulls" topic, I assume that the lack of visible bulls and the smaller herd size means the local cows have all been serviced for the year, and that the bulls skunked off to some quiet bowl to get some post-action R&R. Is this your read, too?

In retrospect, I think we made a mistake in strategy. We found a nice vantage point, and glassed (and glassed, and occasionally called), but never saw any animals in 2 days other than the 6-animal herd. Perhaps we should have gone into the thick bowls looking for bulls? If so, how do we do this without them slinking out the other side?

I am perplexed. What is the post-rut strategy for larger (3+) bulls?

[ElkNut1]

For sure do not put all your eggs in one basket! Have backup areas unless your area is well chosen by scouting previous to hunt like a day or two before opener & knowing elk are in a certain area. The area you hunted may have been hunted by bowhunters or other hunters as well so were pressured & moved around some. Elk hunting is tough business & takes lots of leg work & strategy. Right place right time is key. You can bet that elk were bugling somewhere even if in a modest manner, find those elk that are less pressured or a cow coming into estrus & you will hear bulls talking! There's nothing automatic about elk hunting! (grin)

If you feel there are bulls in a certain bowl then feel free to get in there after them if it's too thick to glass them in there, keep the wind in your favor & slip in, no need to do any calling other than occasional low cow mew to disguise unwanted sound. Preferably I'd get elevation in hopes of catching movement or sound so I could get a solid direction as to where they were in the bowl before going after them. Still hunting elk takes experience & skill!

ElkNut1

[PHELPS GAME CALLS]

Daniel,
I've hunted here for 20+ muzzloader seasons and can count how many bugles I've heard on my two hands. The bulls are pretty much done. All the big bulls have broken off from the herds (for the most part) and small immature bulls have taken over. I've had good success calling these bulls in using nothing but pleading mews.

We've had way better success spotting and stalking. If nothing is spotted within the first few hours of light, we hit the timber in known bedding areas and transition routes.

[pd]

Thanks, Paul. "Experience and skill required....." Well, I am short on both. I will keep at it, of course.

Thanks, Jason. The western Washington Roosevelt elk really are quiet, aren't they? Your response gives me a lot of ideas. Thanks so much.

PD