Rifle hunting in October advice

[NorthIDTLH]

With all that's going on right now, it's looking like I'll be elk hunting the rifle season October 10-24. It's been many years since I've done this. I've been primarily a bow hunter. Anyone have advice as far as calling, strategies, etc...

I know the rut will be over so I'm guessing calling won't be very effective. I'd love to hear any other tips from guys who have more experience with later season elk. I'll be up north in Idaho. I have a spot with decent elk numbers, but there are even better wolf numbers.

Thanks

[WapitiTalk1]

Just my take, but the rut won't necessarily be over when you're hunting this year. Remember, the cows that haven't taken will come into estrus two even three times. sometimes this occurs well into October. Hot cows keep the blood pumping in the bulls and will keep them doing their thing competing for the gal's attention. I've heard a good amount of elk bugle in early to mid October in several states. Bear in mind, they've probably been through the gauntlet of being called to but I still wouldn't leave my calls at home (I would however, use them sparingly as needed). Yep, with your boomstick season, it will primarily be spot/stalk and still hunting "but" you'll more than likely hear bulls sing as they compete for the attention of those few cows that haven't taken yet and that could play into your hands quite nicely. Best of luck!

[NorthIDTLH]

I like the sound of that!

[Swede]

Elk can be called in October. I would go out and do location bugles in the predawn hours to see if I could get a response. I would be extremely leery of going out in the daylight hours sounding like an elk unless I was very sure I had the area to myself, then I would still be super careful. Usually rifle season in OTC units is about locating legal critters to shoot. The hunters that can find them do well. I used to get more than my statistical share, but covering lots of ground. That was far from a fool proof way to hunt, but it beat sitting around or just going home.

[saddlesore]

Here in Colorado,we do hear a few bulls bugling in that time frame. However, you might hear some locating bugles,but the bulls won't come in to you.

By that time,they have been harassed for a month by archers and ten days by MLer's. They are extremely wary. I don't even look at meadows. Mostly escape routes or I go into the dark timber and still hunt. I have been doing it long enough that I can usually sneak up on them to 50 yardsor less.Many of my elk are killed at 25-30 yards with a rifle,or muzzle loader. The bulls can usually find enough water and forage in there,that they don't need to come out and if they do, it is when it is dark.

The best advice I can give is figure out what the elk are doing because of other hunters. If you can catch one bugling,figure it's icing on the cake

[JKaboom]

Here in Colorado,we do hear a few bulls bugling in that time frame. However, you might hear some locating bugles,but the bulls won't come in to you.

By that time,they have been harassed for a month by archers and ten days by MLer's. They are extremely wary. I don't even look at meadows. Mostly escape routes or I go into the dark timber and still hunt. I have been doing it long enough that I can usually sneak up on them to 50 yardsor less.Many of my elk are killed at 25-30 yards with a rifle,or muzzle loader. The bulls can usually find enough water and forage in there,that they don't need to come out and if they do, it is when it is dark.

The best advice I can give is figure out what the elk are doing because of other hunters. If you can catch one bugling,figure it's icing on the cake

^^ I like this advice a lot. Though I am new to elk hunting, I heard similar advice just yesterday and it made a lot of sense.

[Wyo67]

Be out early and stay late. Find a good vantage point and glass as much you can. Even in rifle season, they will be out moving in early mornings/late evenings. Make your strategy based on when/where you saw them. As the guys here have said, they will still be vocal, just not as much as the rut. I've heard round up bugles while doing late season cow hunts in November in central WY.

[Indian Summer]

Be out early and stay late. Find a good vantage point and glass as much you can. Even in rifle season, they will be out moving in early mornings/late evenings. Make your strategy based on when/where you saw them. As the guys here have said, they will still be vocal, just not as much as the rut. I've heard round up bugles while doing late season cow hunts in November in central WY.

Damn good advice. The first two sentences sound pretty easy. But try that for 7 to 10 days in a row.... early and late every day. That's work but it can make or break any day and any day can make or break your hunt. As far as glassing.... if you're doing it right that's work too. if work sounds like the name of the game it is. One good thing is that on those dates you can still find bulls with the cows. by the end of the month they may go solo or be bunched up in bachelor groups. Then they are quiet and like a needle in a haystack.

Of course... as with answers to every single question on here, this is all based on my experiences where I hunt. I hunt other places where bulls are bugling away all the way until the end of October. I quit hunting places where it was hard to get more than a bugle or two during the latter part of September!

[saddlesore]

As I got older, I hunt less and less late in the day. Looking back in the early days, I probably killed less than a half dozen elk in the evening. I won't say how many I killed in the AM,but it was a bunch and quite a few mid day.

I get up at 3:30, and am riding out of camp by 4.:30. I get set up where I will hunt a half hour before first light. Long before most hunters even leave camp. I am set up where the elk move to or thru from those just starting to hunt. Those elk are looking back over their trail and usually don't even know I am there.9-10 AM I move into the thicker stuff.

Where I hunt ,in the 2nd rifle season,the elk are nocturnal. You won't see vary many at dusk and if you do, all you see is a shape. Even in ML season they are not out and about in the early evening.

I'd rather get back to camp, have good meal and a good nights sleep to be prepared for that first 1/2 hour of shooting light. It works fro me,but YMMV

[Lefty]

,.... be prepared for that first 1/2 hour of shooting light. It works fro me,but YMMV

I was the same way rifle hunting. Be there

[BRazz]

+1 on being in a good spot before first light. We try to get in a good position with a solid 20-30 minutes leftover before you can even glass. That extra time is also partly to allow time for bathroom breaks along the hike in...