The elk rut is one of the most exciting times of the fall. Typically, peak rut is mid to late September into early October. Here are the key stages of the elk rut and some techniques to consider when hunting this fall:
Pre-Rut (End of August/Early September)
· Behavior: This period is when “herd bulls” will be searching for cows to round up. From personal experience, this is a great time to call in or close the gap on a larger bull that may be hard to separate from his herd once he has cows.
· Hunting Tactics: Cow calls or location bugles will be great during this period. Note, that bulls may come in quiet or faint bugles indicating they are coming to check out noise. Herd bulls tend to be quieter until they have rounded up their cows and need to be vocal toward other bulls. Also sitting water or wallows as bulls love to get dirtied up for the ladies.
Rutting Peak (Mid to Late September/Early October)
· Behavior: This is the most active phase of the rut. Bulls are full swing chasing cows, herd bulls are pushing out satellites and the establishment of dominance has begun. Smaller bulls will be in search of cows to breed on their own. BUT you may also catch a herd bull that just lost his harem and looking to reestablish himself with new cows.
· Hunting Tactics: Estrus cow calls, lost cow calls and challenge bugles are all great ways to close the gap on a herd bull. You will pull in other bulls with this form of calling as well. Ensure you are always playing the wind as any approaching elk will always try to come from downwind.
Post-Rut (Mid to Late October)
· Behavior: After the peak of the rut, bulls' testosterone levels decrease, leading to a reduction in aggressive behavior and bugling. Bulls may disperse from their rutting territories and join up with other groups or go into a period of recovery. During this recovery period bulls will tuck themselves into nasty canyons or dense cover with food and water so they can replenish themselves post rut. Movement is very limited to small areas.
· Hunting Tactics: Glass, glass, glass. Cover country in the nastiest terrain you could imagine that has cover, food and water. Bulls may still let out bugles in the early morning and evening as a location tactic. You may also catch bulls still pushing cows with a second swing of the rut in effect. Some bulls may respond to cow calls or bugles.
Late Season Elk Hunting
· Behavior: Bulls are now in survival mode. Bulls will gather back up with other bulls and continue to move to areas of strong feed for the winter months.
· Hunting Tactics: Glassing is king on late season elk hunt as well. Focus on areas with abundant food and water sources. In the winter, elk move to lower elevations where food is more available. Focus on finding areas with abundant food sources.
