Never Say "Never"

[Swede]

When it comes to wildlife I usually never say "never". Something will happen to prove me wrong. That said I have run into a couple of things that may cause me to change. As I noted on another thread here, a friend came in from his scouting hike and proclaimed he had found a fresh rub tree. It was July 14th. He had a picture on his cell phone. I told him it was last year's rub, but I don't think he believed me. Still Elk do not rub before their antlers are hard and the blood quits flowing to them. They are still growing in July.
On another forum a fellow says he was out recently and saw a fresh wallow. I am a little less dogmatic here, but he found a water hole that elk were playing in. Still, I can say I have never found a fresh wallow in July. Bulls start rubbing and wallowing at the same time around August 20 each year. I do not understand the biology of wallowing. Some theories I have heard never made sense to me. One is that they wallow to cool off. Well if that is the case, why do they wallow in September and not in July? Why will the wallow when there is snow on the ground and not wallow when it is 90* in June? I have thought about the possibility that they don't wallow earlier due to the tenderness of their antlers, but find that theory less than satisfying. I have heard that they wallow to get away from insects. That is even worse, as ticks and mosquitoes are terrible in the spring. The best theory I can come up with is that it is a sex (hormone) thing with the stupid critters. Therefore, if you see a big bull wallowing and messing up a good spring and you have a valid tag: just shoot him.
I am comfortable in saying, elk become conditioned to the area they live in. They learn how to avoid danger. What you observe in Montana about their behavior, may be different where I hunt in central Oregon. Those stupid critters are not totally stupid.
Does anyone else have any observations that can expand on this nonsense of mine? Maybe someone thinks I should have had my stand closer to the ground when I fell on my head.

[saddlesore]

Elk probably wallow in the summer for cooling, bugs and such, and I have seen them laying in water. However wallows pre and during rut are done to make the bull look bigger and meaner and get him all smelled up with his own urine. Notice if, watched closely bulls will usually urinate in the wallow before getting down to it. If another bull has also used that same wallow, the next bull be do so more vigoroulsy to et rid of the 1st bulls smell. It is all done for the benift of the cows that chose their mate, not the opposite. The biggest, meanest ,nastiest smelly bull is the one that gets the cows.

One thing is for sure. Anytime you try to put hard and fast rules to elk and elk hunting, you will soon be disappointed. Always and never shouldn't be in the conversation.

[Swede]

I have watched elk come into a pond and play around, get a drink and generally stink up the place. That is common. I feel confident in saying this playing in the water is for cooling off. I have looked at "wallows" someone wanted me to give an opinion on. Some were good water holes, but not wallows. I just have never seen a true active wallow in the earlier Summer. Still I say never say never. I just have not found one.