Bugling in July

[cantgetdrawn]

I got to take my boys up for a scouting trip to an OTC Unit in Colorado.

We had just started hiking up a closed road, with my boys being their usually quiet selves. All of a sudden we heard a bugle, I believe a small bull heard my boys and bugled at them. They knew I had a elk call in my pack so they made me take it out, as I was taking off my pack we spotted the elk on an open ridge about 150 yards away through some aspens. My boys bugled and got 2 responses in about 5 minutes.

I was able to glass one small bull, basically a spike with a 6 inch brow tine. Not sure if he was the one bugling, but that is my guess.

My youngest boy found that he could imitate a cow call by inhaling with his mouth in a certain position, later during the trip he got some cows to respond to his call. But that does not surprise me as much as the bugling.

I have never heard elk bugle in July, is this common?

Also that first group of elk we saw was the biggest group (we could see around 6), but most groups of elk we saw numbered between 1-3. Here in NM it had been my experience that during the summer groups tend to be bigger.

[cnelk]

I heard some small bugles last week in GMU 61 while scouting... and I have heard many bugles in July over the years

[Swede]

I too have heard bulls bugle in July, but to answer your question it is not common like September and even October.

[ElkNut1]

Bulls as most know will bugle year around! This time of year the Cows do an awful lot themselves, it's a good chance you heard a cow bugling over the spike you saw??

ElkNut1

[Lefty]

Tuesday I watched a cow bugle

Wednesday I heard a single bugle also,.. no idea if a cow or bull

[Liv2Hunt]

I heard some small bugles last week in GMU 61 while scouting... and I have heard many bugles in July over the years

I believe it. Congrats on the 61 tag. Its a great hunt and you will have a blast. Are you finding much in the way of elk? I hunted that unit 1st rifle 5 years ago with my dad and am now chasing a hunt there with 8 points.

Good luck and let me know if you have questions regarding that unit. My uncle typically guides 1-2 landowner tags down there each year.