Bighorn mountain update?

COLOelkman · Sep 19, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-16 AT 03:57PM (MST)[p]Any update on conditions in the Bighorns for elk hunting lately? I'm headed to the Western side this week with a buddy that has a tag. We've waited till after the full moon and the weather looks like it's turning colder so we're hoping the bugling picks up. Only thing I've heard via another guy hunting there lately is that he's not heard much bugling. When we scouted it a few weeks ago is seemed much drier than last year which seemed pretty dry to me. So any info on what anyone else has been experiencing would be appreciated! We're NR's so he won't be hunting the CP wilderness.

nfh · Sep 19, 2016

Its been overcast and rain lately. Even some snow. But warming up this week. My co-worker had bulls screaming. Nothing huge. Just spikes and rags. I don't hunt the area but that's the info i know

Robiland · Sep 21, 2016

Hey Doug, good luck. I hope you guys get into it! Keep me updated. I have shared some info with a guy from Utah on where to hunt 45. So Ill ask him how hes doing and pass on any info if I find out in time.

COLOelkman · Sep 21, 2016

Thanks Landon. Headed up the mountain as we speak. Heard there's not been much bugling yet!

tracker12 · Sep 22, 2016

I hunted Uit 38 last week and the bulls were sounding off everyday we hunted. The brightest days off the full moon they quieted it up some but we still got into bulls. I shot a decent 5x6 and the other guy in camp took a very nice 6x6 with his recurve. My first time in the Bighorns but hopefully not my last. We did get an occasion rain shower but nothing that hurt the hunt.

COLOelkman · Sep 29, 2016

Just returned from my buddies hunt and we were rather disappointed generally. It rained a TON then turned to snow and we got about 20 inches above treeline. So we unfortunately lost a few days due to the weather. Only day we had bugling was Thursday the 22nd and my buddy did get a chance and missed a decent bull. After the snow storm we thought they might fire up but they were more quiet than ever so this is the 2nd year in this area that the bugling was just not happening like we had hoped. We only saw 1 elk that was taken in the area and it was a small 5 pt. We hunted extremely hard, even in the snowstorm but unfortunately we have very few encounters. Got a lot of great pictures of an unbelievable amount of trees that didn't weather the storm and we were a little nervous the nite of the storm as we witnessed may huge limbs falling throughout the day.

Wyohunter1 · Sep 29, 2016

COLOelkman, what unit were you hunting? I was in 41 with similar outcome.

COLOelkman · Sep 29, 2016

Was in 45.

Wyohunter1 · Sep 29, 2016

I went in on the 10th and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground then at 9,500ft and above. Rained a lot and snowed some more. Everything had moved down the mountain. A guy I work with knows a rancher over that way that had elk on his fields already and he said usually that doesn't happen til later. My brother-in-law in Buffalo said there was elk down low where they go for walks just outside of town and that was before archery started.

Squaw · Sep 29, 2016

Coloelkman

Sent you a pm. Did you get it?

COLOelkman · Sep 29, 2016

Got it and just replied. Good luck!

ClearCreek · Sep 29, 2016

My brother-in-law in Buffalo
>said there was elk down
>low where they go for
>walks just outside of town
>and that was before archery
>started.

It is not unusual for elk to be down in the alfalfa fields west of Buffalo in late August after the grass cures on the Bighorn N.F.

ClearCreek