Hard horned bulls early this year

BIGJOHNT

Long Time Member

Messages

5,172

• Aug 22, 2017

• #1

Hunting spike elk and buck deer this weekend with my two daughters. I was surprised to see a lot of bulls hard horned already. Much different then last year hunting big bulls on the same unit with my son. But it is much cooler and more rain then last year. It was 39 degrees Sunday morning. Even heard a few wimpy bugles. We spent most of or time above 9000 feet. Have you been seeing the same thing ?

 

WannaB

Member

Messages

99

• Aug 22, 2017

• #2

In my experience, they are always rubbed off by now...except spikers. I've never seen a big bull with velvet this late into the year.

-WB

 

BIGJOHNT

Long Time Member

Messages

5,172

• Aug 22, 2017

• #3

This is in Utah the Fish lake unit. Usually the bulls start rubbing off their velvet the second and third week of the archery hunt. You might see one or two early. But this weekend I saw a lot of bulls rubbed off already.

 

Deerlove

Long Time Member

Messages

6,018

• Aug 22, 2017

• #4

Bulls I've seen on trail cams started striping on 8/17 in no Ut.

 

G

GoHigher

Active Member

Messages

368

• Aug 22, 2017

• #5

I have seen nice bulls, stripped of velvet the past two years on the Utah archery opener. Not a lot of color on the antlers, but fully rubbed off.

 

desertpointbrian

Very Active Member

Messages

1,347

• Aug 22, 2017

• #6

Bulls on the Wasatch were hard horned

 

deerkiller

Very Active Member

Messages

1,127

• Aug 22, 2017

• #7

I'm still seeing branch bulls with velvet in central Utah, but they are not big by any means. Little 4 and 5 points. Big bulls are almost always rubbed by opening day of the bowhunt

 

E

elktaker

Active Member

Messages

281

• Aug 23, 2017

• #8

Big bulls that I had on camera rubbed last week. I have seen a small 5x5 in full velvet but other than spikes that's it.