Staging And Displaying

[Elktracker]

Stageing and displaying is talked about in the 4th dvd worse than wolves, when you talk about it you mentioned that they usually start this end of aug. beginning of sept. depending on the area your in.... I believe?

When the Elk are in there bachelor groups (right now in my area) is this part of the stageing and displaying? or is it different all together?

What are other peoples thoughts on stageing and displaying and is any body else starting to see bulls starting to group up?



Josh

[slim9300]

Bulls are certainly in bachelor groups as we speak. The communication part leaves me wondering too. The earliest I have heard a bugle is late July. I actually recorded the sounds (he bugled 4 times) but somehow lost the file. My partner and I were about 19 at the time scouting a new stand of timber many miles behind gates in Western WA and we looked at each other very confused. It wasn't until I found Paul's material that I realized what it was all about.

[ElkNut1]

Staging & Displaying are exactly what these words represent! Right now in June & July elk are in or on their way to their Summer range. The same applies after rutting times are over, bulls will generally congregate with their own. Smaller bulls can still be found with the cow groups or with these bull groups, nothing written in stone here! These are not Staging & Displaying times, once their velvet starts to be removed/rubbed off in early August & on into Sept. this now starts to occur in preparation of the oncoming rut! Bulls will bugle, rake, spar as they start feeling their oats so to speak & this is when pecking orders can become established! These Displaying/Staging areas can have rubs old & new alike showing much use & consistent use over the years! These bulls in their bachelor areas know one another by sound, smell or sight, it can all help out as rutting action peaks!

ElkNut1

[POk3s]

Slim, I too have heard a bugle in July. Me and my dad were scouting and stumbled into a giant group of cows. Over 200. Talking, and carrying on. About 10 minutes of this goes by and a bugle rings out. I think he was just nicely telling the ladies to be quiet and not displaying at all hahaha. Here's a short video of the cows. Wish I would've been able to get the bugle on camera, but had no way of knowing that was going to happen. July 17th!

http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l210/ ... I_0086.mp4

[ElkNut1]

In addition to the info above & what I shared earlier I'd like to add that bulls & cows can & do bugle year around, it's general communication!

I used to feed elk all the way through the winters here in Idaho & I've heard & watched bulls bugle every month of the year! Why do they bugle then, same reasons they talk & bugle in Sept! (grin) To communicate!!! Cows are more commonly known to bugle/squeal like young immature bulls again for the same reasons a bull would manage his cows during the rut. Lead cows can take that position outside of rutting times to maintain organization or call strays closer back to their groups, especially when there are several nursery groups in the same area!

Trent, in your video clip which was difficult to see, it was a very good chance what you heard there was a cow bugle & not a bull? I did hear a distant bull sound but it really did sound like a cow bugling, cows don't generally chuckle though but heck, anything is possible as you've seen them give barks & nervous grunts so it's easy to see they could grunt or chuckle if they wanted too!

ElkNut1

[POk3s]

You could be right Paul. Yea there wasn't much to see in the video. I don't know why I always zoom in with that little tiny digital camera that just happens to have a video feature. I saw one lone bull far up on the ridge above these cows looking down at them. He then started walking left to right above them and we heard the bugle a half hour later from where it looked like he was heading....but heck, like I said there were 200 cows on that hillside and they were moving up, so who knows how many other cows were farther up the mountain. On July 17th it could've been anything. No real distinguishing characteristics in the bugle, no emotion or anger....bull or cow...coin flip!

[ElkNut1]

Trent, thanks! I agree "coin flip" -- you just never know! Thanks!

ElkNut1

[T/H]

Bulls are certainly in bachelor groups as we speak. The communication part leaves me wondering too. The earliest I have heard a bugle is late July. I actually recorded the sounds (he bugled 4 times) but somehow lost the file. My partner and I were about 19 at the time scouting a new stand of timber many miles behind gates in Western WA and we looked at each other very confused. It wasn't until I found Paul's material that I realized what it was all about.

on my first visit to CO to buy an OTC tag a few years ago it was late nite wee hours of the morning on my way back to NM when i decided to do a little off road driving on a forest road. i got out of the truck and let out a locate bugle with my chuckler and low and behold i had an elk answer me back. i got in my truck and moved slwly in the direction of the bugle. after going about 500 yards on the logging road and in to a clearing the herd bull and about 50 cows crossed the road in my headlights. one after another slowly meandered across the road in no apparent hurry. this was on the northern boundrie of the San Luis Valley in the Sangre De Cristos. this was the last week of July of 09.