# Are they Bugling Yet?



## Savage (Aug 24, 2017)

Hey Y'all,
We'll be heading out for the tail end of the archery elk hunt later next week. A buddy of mine has already been out and reported that the elk have been bugling a decent amount. 

Who else has encountered a decent amount of bugling? Or have you found them to be more like ghosts (It is still August)?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Yep,
Heard one sounding off just this morning.
Filmed him too.
Running around pushin cows like it was getting serious!


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I heard at least 1 legit bugle opening weekend. Can’t wait to get back out this weekend.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I had one bugle this weekend, responded to my cow call too.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

I heard alot of hootchie mama calls and some laughable bugles this weekend. no real elk calls in the area I am in


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

Last Tuesday 8/22, I heard 3 or 4 different bulls bugling throughout the morning back and forth. Cows chirping as well


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

Saturday morning there was one moving his cows and bugling every 2 or 3 minutes. He was a younger bull and my guess is he'll get his but kicked once the rut really kicks in.


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## carcass (Aug 14, 2017)

Savage said:


> Hey Y'all,
> We'll be heading out for the tail end of the archery elk hunt later next week. A buddy of mine has already been out and reported that the elk have been bugling a decent amount.
> 
> Who else has encountered a decent amount of bugling? Or have you found them to be more like ghosts (It is still August)?


Heard a couple this morning in the Panguitch unit.


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## Savage (Aug 24, 2017)

Elk fever is a real thing.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

They get pretty vocal in the LE units Labor Day weekend.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Some cows and/or calves were a little chatty during the opener. Didn't hear any bugles nor did I see any bulls with the cows I observed.

I'm hoping they are a little more vocal this coming weekend...I love hearing elk bugle, mew or chirp while in the forest.


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## Koke (Jul 22, 2018)

Didn’t hear anything in the Bookcliffs over the weekend.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

Is it safe to assume cows will be in the same areas as a couple weeks ago? Does their behavior change much when the bulls become interested and they move around?


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

TPrawitt91 said:


> Is it safe to assume cows will be in the same areas as a couple weeks ago? Does their behavior change much when the bulls become interested and they move around?


Yeah, that's a pretty safe assumption. Cows will be where the best food is - bulls will be wherever the cows are.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

TPrawitt91 said:


> Is it safe to assume cows will be in the same areas as a couple weeks ago? Does their behavior change much when the bulls become interested and they move around?





CPAjeff said:


> Yeah, that's a pretty safe assumption. Cows will be where the best food is - bulls will be wherever the cows are.


I've experienced differently. Elk usually have rutting grounds that can be several miles from their summer range. It's usually on a flat area with timber nearby for bedding. Usually in that middle zone between summer and winter range.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

ridgetop said:


> I've experienced differently. Elk usually have rutting grounds that can be several miles from their summer range. It's usually on a flat area with timber nearby for bedding. Usually in that middle zone between summer and winter range.


I call those areas "mid-mountain" at 7,500 - 8,500' and sometimes up to 9,500.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

High Desert Elk said:


> I call those areas "mid-mountain" at 7,500 - 8,500' and sometimes up to 9,500.


I'm referring to between 7,000 - 8,500'. I would consider above 9,000' summer range in most areas.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Had one bull bugle 6 times Saturday morning. So they are definitely getting started.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

We saw mature elk with cows and calves and we saw mature elk in bachelor herds. The bulls with cows were bugling and higher on the mountain. The elk in bachelor herds were lower on the mountain. The summer range for bull elk on the Boulder can vary greatly with some living up top above 10000 feet and some living way down low to around 6000 feet.


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

This past weekend saw cow and calves all by themselves, bulls in groups of 1, and no bugling


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> Had one bull bugle 6 times Saturday morning. So they are definitely getting started. This was an open bull unit.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

I heard bugling from a *large *herd before the coal hallow fire even started near fish creek. Given the time that has gone by, and the fire, i'm sure they are long gone by now.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

With the cooler temps and the full moon the older cows may start to go into estrous soon, we can hope!


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll give a report on what I see and hear this weekend.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

goosefreak said:


> &#129323;&#129323;&#129323;........&#129303;&#129322;


What kinda shiz you trying to say to me here Nate!? You learn HTML or something?


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

the cows were real chatty with us, we took home a spike as he was just following them around listing to the ladies bicker :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Packing that guy off the mountain was NOT fun, we knew it was going to suck so we split it and went with one trip. Even took the head as it was his first animal harvest and he was pretty excited and the velvet looks cool. It was fun to be with my cuzin on his first kill/hunt, you dont get to be there for the their first too often unless it is your kid so that made pretty exciting and i needed the extra adrenaline rush to get that heavy pack back to the truck. 

Chased some the biggest bucks i have ever seen in my life around this weekend as well, too much dead fall branches on the ground to be quiet while stocking, just as well have egg shells all over the mountain. 

BEST PART = 4 hour old elk back straps cooking on the campfire, it was the best steak i have ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

cdbright said:


> the cows were real chatty with us, we took home a spike as he was just following them around listing to the ladies bicker :mrgreen::mrgreen:
> 
> Packing that guy off the mountain was NOT fun, we knew it was going to suck so we split it and went with one trip. Even took the head as it was his first animal harvest and he was pretty excited and the velvet looks cool. It was fun to be with my cuzin on his first kill/hunt, you dont get to be there for the their first too often unless it is your kid so that made pretty exciting and i needed the extra adrenaline rush to get that heavy pack back to the truck.
> 
> ...


Nice, I had a friend do a European mount for my first spike, it was in velvet and came out great. And the pack out only hurts for a few days after and you are ready to go again! My spike last year I just broke off one antler at the skull to have a knife made in the future and use it as the handle.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

pure silence in the area I was in this weekend9/2/18 not a single Bugle. I seen quite a few Elk but minimal rut activity


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Started to hear some bugles yesterday. I heard about 4-5 bugles in the morning that seemed lazy and way down in the deep dark timber. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

-DallanC


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

The bulls are starting to bugle and herd up. I saw one group of 30 cows with a larger bull chasing off the raghorns. I sure wished I would have had an archery tag in hand this past weekend.


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## Rdog (May 17, 2018)

I was up on Manti this weekend and heard a few bugles, most were later in the evening and one was mid day when we were down in a drainage a few miles, turns out we had gotten between him and a group of cows.


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## brisket (Mar 3, 2015)

No bugling the past couple of days. The bulls we saw were alone and the cows/spikes were together. Late rut this year, it’s still really hot.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

All hell has broke lose on the Manti!
Earlyest hard rut Ive seen in years.


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

There are places on the Manti that they are not really going. This is the quietest I've heard on the Manti for a few years. We are seeing a few elk just not big groups and the bulls are just starting to separate from bachelor groups.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> All hell has broke lose on the Manti!
> Earlyest hard rut Ive seen in years.


I had the same thought when I dropped into a canyon full of bugling bulls when I was looking for bear on the Cache unit Sunday. That much activity seems about 2 to 3 weeks earlier than I would have expected.


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## prumpf (Apr 8, 2016)

Have been around burgling bulls he last few days... it’s hot but in the right ridges the party has started for sure!


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