2 Weeks in September - When would you go?

Rocketeer · Apr 2, 2016

Congrats to all that have drawn their coveted elk archery tags for this year!

I too was one of the lucky ones and have a Wyoming Type 9 tag for September! Looking at the calendar and taking into consideration the moon phases and that the rut typically occurs 5-10 days around the fall equinox, which two weeks would you plan to hunt?

goofyelk · Apr 2, 2016

I'd put September 22nd right in the middle of how every
many days you can hunt.

dillon · Apr 2, 2016

+1 goofyelk

ElkManDan · Apr 2, 2016

There is something to be said about being the first in to hunt elk before they get pressure. I personally would hit the first week of the season and then hit around the 22nd like the others suggest for the 2nd week if you can split your time up.

junior · Apr 2, 2016

Good advice from all above. We were in the bighorns last year the 11th Thu 23rd. They bugled the best the 14th thru 22nd. A buddy hunted the last week and said they never really got hot. Idk if it was the weather or the pressure that shut them up. Locals said it's been that way a few years. That was area 40.

WoodsD9 · Apr 2, 2016

I also prefer to be the first one on the mountain and try and get on the big bulls before they start gathering cows. I think it makes killing a big mature bull much easier, especially with a bow.

If your looking for an exciting rut type hunt and are ok shooting a satellite bull I would hunt right around the fall equinox and hope for some weather.

mntman · Apr 2, 2016

Our lucky date seems to be the 19th so like Goofy said, any time around that period or later.

With that said it also depends on how you want to hunt. If you want bulls to answer you and talk a lot later is better.
If you want to have bulls come to you at a wallow earlier the better.
pros/cons to any time of the season, simply how do you want to hunt.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

c3 · Apr 3, 2016

I would go the 1st - 7th and then again the 18th - 25th if I only had two weeks

Cheers,
Pete

Robiland · Apr 4, 2016

For me and my luck, I would go the 10-24. When in Wyoming 2 years ago, the were on fire on the 12th to the 21st, then we left.

COLOelkman · Apr 5, 2016

There's a new moon on Sept 1 and a full moon on the 16th if that matters to you. I don't like to hunt the full moon time period but it lines up when the elk typically are in the rut. It will be interesting to see how the full moon will impact the rut this year! My buddy has a WY tag and his bow hunt will start on the 15th and he hasn't decided for sure when he wants to start.

CAelknuts · Apr 5, 2016

Personally, when bowhunting, I like to be the very first hunter a big bull encounters during the season. Therefore, I prefer to hunt early. However, hunting later in September when the bulls are really getting with it is great fun. Tougher to kill a big bull then, but damn it's a lot of fun.

Rocketeer · Apr 6, 2016

Thanks all for the input. Problem has basically been solved and I'll spend a little more time hunting than the original 2 weeks. I won the lottery this year. Also drew an Arizona tag that odds said I should not have. But the change to the Arizona draw has resulted in some unexpected results, at least for me. So, two weeks in Arizona, be there for the opening then head to Wyoming either when I get something in Arizona or at the end of the season.

Arizona and Wyoming - a good problem to have!