Why did they move out last week of August

[82ndreddevil]

Ok so I started running trail cameras through my hunt area in early July. I found tons of bachelor heards as well as some cows daily. Deer made occassional appearences too. Between 3 cameras spread out over 2 miles I had one cinemon bear during a 6 week period. Than on about the 24th of August the bachelor groups seem to split up and the majority of the elk appeared to be gone from the area, including the cows. Once I got up there for the hunt I found very little fresh sign. Every now and then I would find something two or three days old. The Game warden said their was a cat in the area that had killed a few elk too. A hunting party in that area also found a pic of a cat on their trail camera. Their was a good amount of bear sign as well as sightings. Initally we figured that the bears and the cat may have pushed the elk out but the weird thing is that the deer were still around. I also drove to some spots a few miles away and still no elk. This area was pretty low pressure and tends to hold elk throughout the year, at least during the summer and fall. The elevations ran from about 8500 feet to about 9800 on a few peaks. It is a mixture of ponderosa pines, scrub oak, aspens, with some juniper in some areas. This year we had record breaking rainfall in May, and June, but it was a dry August. However there was not a shortage of water holes up high and down low for the animals. I understand that its hard to say what would cause such an instant migration of such a large area, but what are some possibilities? It just seemed like a very unusual lack of elk for that area.

[wawhitey]

Everywhere elk go there are bears and cats. Doubt ghat would be the culprit. The elk around here move around a lot for no apparent reason. I got one bull on 3 cams last month, each about 3 miles apart.

[Packn]

I have watched that same scenario play over and over again on my trail cams for years. My personal opinion is,,,,,,,,, the rut. They haven't gone far but the Bulls have split and the cows are getting ousted around. I could be very wrong but my cameras show the same thing every year like clock work. A cat can sure move them out but like it was said. Cat's and bear are everywhere.

[six]

I'll throw out a different opinion. The area I hunt sounds very similar. Usually by the archery opener the elk are almost none existent. They have moved deeper into the woods away from the scouting, hiking, orv pressure. There is sign but its old. Its easy to see the elk have been there not too long ago. I was told by a native its because the unit is a trophy mule deer unit. The 4 wheeler activity in the area is heavy. The guides are up there scouting along with recreational hikers. He said this usually happens mid August. Made sense to me.

[Ironman]

Same thing happened to me this year, I had elk on my cameras everyday then, nothing but deer haven't had a elk pic sence sept 2nd. And maybe it's the rut but nothing is talking at all. I have found fresh sign but can't find the elk even way back in the thick black nasty. And there is little pressure were I hunt. Where did they go?

[Lefty]

Moo cows moved in where I was going to hunt. The elk just moved to thinner grass and more dense cover.

A buddy of mine operates a CWMU unit in Utah.Every year there is a bachelor herd they hunt. No cows ever. Every year those bulls are gone by Sept tenth and have moved a long ways into Mountain ranges in Idaho. Those bulls leave their summer refuge and go looking for the ladies in a completely different range

[Swede]

the majority of the elk appeared to be gone from the area, including the cows.

This area was pretty low pressure and tends to hold elk throughout the year

Because of what you said, as quoted above, I am going to speculate they left for better forage. I would look higher, where the grass would be greener, or on a nearby ranch where the grass is kept green. I agree that the bears and cats were not the issue. Cats could follow the elk, and continue to prey on them.
Going in farther from a road is often not productive in these situations. I was in 2 1/2 miles and the elk were gone. I believe the bulls left to gather cows. They left just before the season started. Figuring out what is causing the elk to leave, will help you determine where to find them.
Good luck.

[8upbowhunter]

Same thing happened to us this year. Last 2 years there were lots of elk where we hunt with very little pressure in the area (only saw 3 other hunters on 2 different days last year in 2 weeks and none the year before or this year). The elk trails had not been used in weeks and no fresh droppings anywhere. Drove around and spoke with several hunters above and below us and it was the same there, no elk. We heard a total of 7 bugles in the 2 weeks we were there and 4 of them were at 9PM above camp. Went up there the next day but never found much sign and never heard them again. My local friend was baffled as well, he said in the 12 years he has lived there he had never seen that happen before in this area.

[Lefty]

during the rut some elk have rutting and staging areas different than late summer habitat
the first two weeks were I was hunting up high was where the bulls were; cows and calves scattered everywhere.

Now the bulls are with the cows,.. the bulls moved lower, and so did all of the cows in the high and steep country

[Huntrgathr]

Pretty much like Lefty said, in certain country bulls will be way up high in August and then come down to find the cows. That's why you're better off to find cows when scouting than bulls. BUT I have found that the bulls will come down, raise hell, grab a harem, and then take them back up to the security cover at the edge of tree line if there's any pressure...

[Swede]

It seems to me that there is something wrong with Lefty's assessment. The cows and bulls were together in the hunt area until August 24th. Then they all left. I see a few bulls together with cows on the ranches at that time, but none have a reason to leave, and they don't. I have areas where the bulls pull out and head for the ranches about September 1, to start to form herds. They will return to the high country mid September, when they have their cows together. The situation described just doesn't fit that scenario.

[82ndreddevil]

Thanks for all the replies. I've definitely ruled out the bears and cats as being the reason. I did at least leave a few trail cams up there to see if they would return for the rut. ill head back up there this weekend, I'll let you guys know what the cameras have to say.

[82ndreddevil]

So if you remember from my original post that the elk (bulls and cows) moved out on or around the 20th of August. I left my cameras in place to see when they would return. Right about 15 sep I started seeing a few cows with bulls following them around. No big herds of cows with herd Bulls, just maybe 2-3 cows with a young 6x6. The intervals of pictures would range from 1-3 days on each camera. im really interested to see if it all plays out the same way in that area next year! Oh and I got a pic of a bobcat too!