Best days to archery elk hunt!

[mytbowhunter]

Just wondering what everyone?s opinion is on the best time to archery hunt for elk. We have spent the last few years in the Beaverhead unit and have had some success and sometimes all we have come home with is tag soup. But last year things seemed extra strange. Not sure if it was wolves, weather, location or combination of all three. We usually take one solid week and hunt as hard as we can during that week and that week has changed from year to year depending on work and what not. This year we should be able to go just about any time so I was wondering what everyone?s opinion is on what week would be the best based on the rut, hunting pressure and so forth. Just curious and thanks for your opinions!

 

[MichaelJ]

It really depends on your own hunting style and how good of a caller the hunter is. I personally like pre-rut as the bulls are mobile and are still relatively social at that time. They seem to be easier to call in for myself. During the rut its hard to pull them big bulls off the cows unless you get in close and its not always easy to do.

We've had great luck around the 10th of September but have had action all throughout the month. It almost seems like the rut has begun later and later over the last 5 years or so...

Mike

 

[baerman]

I've heard somewhere that more elk are killed on the 20th than any other day. Seems legit to me as we see the most aggressive bugling activity between the 18th and 24th depending year to year. One year though I hunted hard the middle two weeks of the month and still had tag in pocket. decided to head back up on the 28th for one last go and I got into four or five bulls bugling around me, it was unreal. I ended up tagging an average bull that day.

 

[ihuntelk]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-17-12 AT 07:57PM (MST)[p]Killed 8 public land bulls with a bow the last decade+. 7 were on the 18th or 19th. 1 was on the 22nd. I hunt the 2nd weekend of September trying to catch the big guys before they're herded up, and then hunt a 4 or 5 day weekend to try and hit a couple days between 16 & 23. Depends on when the days fall as I normally can't take off the whole week to hunt. My bulls have all been Idaho and Wyo in the lodgepole where elk aren't as visible. If I was in the Missouri River Breaks of Montana or Juniper country of Nevada where elk are a little more visible, I'd just hunt when I could. Any day in elk country is a good day!
Good luck,
- Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com