How Many Days Were The Elk Quiet?

[ElkNut1]

Every year we have those days where the elk aren't talking on their own & you can't get a peep out of them! How many days did you folks experience days like this, this year? How many days were you able to hunt in all? Thanks!

ElkNut1

[Bowhunter]

All but one. I heard one bull give a few soft bugles one evening. The rest were silent. I am sure the pressure had something to do with it. They are learning to be quiet in heavy hunted areas and run from location bugles. I didn't call when I shot my bull. I kept my face in the wind and slipped in on him feeding in the timber. He didn't know I was there.

[BrentLaBere]

3.5 Bugling days vs 6.5 Non bugling days

[otcWill]

Hunted 21 days. Heard no bugles on 5 of em.

[Rizzy]

I spent 7 days spread out over the month of September and was able to at least get an answer to my bugles each day. It will be interesting to see how next year works out in these areas now that I have educated a few of them.

[easeup]

now this is a good thread for all to see what happens out there. thanks to everyone that posts.

for me in the SW San Juans, there were 3 good mornings out of 8. nothing in the evenings.

[Gypsumreaper]

My area 365 days of quiet elk, I'm disappointed I spent a total of 16 days archery hunting an never heard a single peep,

[elk-n-walleye]

1 morning for about 30 minutes out of 8 days.

[elkaholic]

4 of the eight mornings I heard bulls bugling. However I only heard 1 bugle on one evening though.

[ElkNut1]

Interesting but it's about how I had it figured! 50% is pretty common but those that separate themselves from hunting pressure & bugle regularly will generally net the best results for hearing & locating elk.

Rizzy, not to worry what you did this year with your elk encounters, elk will not carry what they heard this year over into next year to any serious degree. Catch those elk with cows nearing estrus & they will be vocal!

ElkNut1

[MLayden]

Hunted between 15-20 days in Sept-Oct. Heard bugles one morning. Silent the rest. Tough hunting...

[Rizzy]

Interesting but it's about how I had it figured! 50% is pretty common but those that separate themselves from hunting pressure & bugle regularly will generally net the best results for hearing & locating elk.

Rizzy, not to worry what you did this year with your elk encounters, elk will not carry what they heard this year over into next year to any serious degree. Catch those elk with cows nearing estrus & they will be vocal!

ElkNut1

That's reassuring to hear on the carry over to next season.

Yeah for sure Bugling and relatively un-pressured Elk is a winning combo.

Next seasons secret weapon

[Brendan]

Hunted 11 days in a row: 9/15-9/25. Heard at least one bugle on 6/11 days.

Mornings were most active, did hear some in the evenings, and I almost stepped on one elk midday that screamed at me from 30 yards away and scared the **** outta me

[ElkNut1]

Is that a home made bugle? Looks like kryptek camo.

ElkNut1

[kevin_t]

I heard 3 bugles in about 16 days out in 3 different areas. Last yr I heard probably 50 in the same areas and time

[Bow4me]

Hunted 5 days and heard bugles 5 days.

[Rizzy]

Is that a home made bugle? Looks like kryptek camo.

ElkNut1

Yes and Yes. The Kryptek NYCO is a nice thick and quiet fabric
I used your mini bugle tube as a design template and just made the components longer.

[ishy]

FIVE FOR FIVE IN SEPTEMBER. ONE DAY OF RIFLE END OF OCTOBER WAS QUIET BUT THAT ONE SHOULDN'T REALLY COUNT.

[brun]

Hunted at least 20 days. Heard bugles every day except two. A few days only heard a few distant bulls just before dark. Every day is different. Some days the activity lasted all morning and started up again mid afternoon. Other days they stopped quickly in the morning and barely started up again in the evening.

[itsnlkthing]

Hunted 8 days starting the second week of September in SW CO. No bugles and when I got into elk the one day, the bull was only quietly chuckling to his cows. Hunted 5 days the last week of September in a differnt area and the bulls were bugling 4 out of 5 in the morning and 5 out of 5 in the evening.

[wawhitey]

I don't know what the deal is with my (small) local elk population but I have never heard a peep out of them unless I started the conversation. I do spend a lot of time in the woods where they hang out in September / October, so I don't quite understand why I have never just heard them talking on their own.

[ElkNut1]

That's a fairly common occurrence, it takes a special day (hot cows) where bulls are singing everywhere on their own come Sept. Other than that the hunter generally needs to get the ball rolling. Sure there are days when a bull will bugle on his own here & there but we initiate most responses through bugling!

ElkNut1

[wawhitey]

That's a fairly common occurrence, it takes a special day (hot cows) where bulls are singing everywhere on their own come Sept. Other than that the hunter generally needs to get the ball rolling. Sure there are days when a bull will bugle on his own here & there but we initiate most responses through bugling!

ElkNut1

The way people on here and other forums talk makes me feel like I should hear random bugles sounding off all the time with no human encouragement. I've yet to hear it once. When I got a bull to start yelling at me from 30-40 yards this year it was AWESOME! And it wasn't even bugles, it was what I guess you would call a nervous grunt? but WOW it was loud, and sounded somehow prehistoric! One of the coolest things I've experienced in the woods! Very intense talking back and forth with him like that, both playing to get the advantage on the other. I've had bull moose bark (may not be the right word) at me a few times, sounds like a 900 lb german shepherd, but even that is nothing compared to the sounds the elk was making at me. made the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

[Solitude]

900 lb German Shepherd, I like that analogy!!

[flystrait]

None, we heard multiple bulls daily on their own and some with encouragement. Hunted or should I say called for a total of 14 or 15 days carried my bow only one day.

[Gselkhunter]

Saturday and Sunday[opening weekend] not only was it quiet but I saw only 1 cow. Monday things changed, I got the calling started. The bull that answered bugled 3 times and every time was further away. Then quit, just didn't want to play. He did the same thing every day I went into the valley. I had one other bull call on Monday and he came right in. A 4pt but he came in in the worst possible way he could, silent, above and behind. I had the feeling something was watching me and when I looked over my shoulder there he was at 20yd. Not a thing I could do, busted.
After that the bugling got better every day, my problem is my legs didn't. The places I need to get to the legs won't handle or am just too slow but the elk talk to me.

[Heartwood]

I am usually able to hunt 20 days in September. Certianly less bugling the first week. I would say 6 days without any bugles in 20. I try to spend a fair number of nights out where i can hear and find bugling bulls for daytime action. Now that we bugle more ourselves, i know we elicit more bugles just as Elknut says.

[poisonarrow]

I spent half of my time scouting new areas. If there was good sign, I heard elk just about every day. If the sign was light no bugling.
If there is not a lot of sign move on. No turds no elk.