Need advice, new to elk

[FlyTheory]

Hey everyone,

I have a few questions on elk hunting in Alberta. I see that the rifle season opens half way through sept, which seems to be mid-rut. I know the rut varies from year-to-year, though. Do any of you rifle-elk hunters call in elk when rifle hunting? I know it’s more of a bow hunting practice, but I’ve been looking up info for a few weeks trying to clarify things.

Thanks

[finner-duramax]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

Hey everyone,

I have a few questions on elk hunting in Alberta. I see that the rifle season opens half way through sept, which seems to be mid-rut. I know the rut varies from year-to-year, though. Do any of you rifle-elk hunters call in elk when rifle hunting? I know it’s more of a bow hunting practice, but I’ve been looking up info for a few weeks trying to clarify things.

Thanks

From my experience Peak elk rut is right around when rifle opens, mid sept.

Rut doesn’t vary from year to year. It’s has to do with ( photo period ) which is length of day light. It maybe a difference of an hour or 2 each year.
So when people say it’s a late rut, it’s an early rut is not true. The rut is the same time each and every year.

If you’re planning to go elk hunting during opening day of rifle, be prepared for lots of other hunters, but they elk will be rutting.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by finner-duramax

From my experience Peak elk rut is right around when rifle opens, mid sept.

Rut doesn’t vary from year to year. It’s has to do with ( photo period ) witch is length of day light. It may a difference of an hour or 2 each year.
So when people say it’s a late rut, it’s an early rut is not true. The rut is the same time each and every year.

If you’re planning to go elk hunting during opening day of rifle, be prepared for lots of other hunters, but they elk will be rutting.

Thank you finner

[buckman]

The rut is in full swing in early rifle season. However they (in My experience) are somewhat more call responsive in the Bow season.

If you plan on hunting the high foothills,low mountain area of Alberta be aware that numbers of Elk are down due mostly from Wolf and Bear predation.

Not to say they are not huntable,but they are hard to locate.

Good luck,scout lots in August.

[KyleSS]

Originally Posted by finner-duramax

From my experience Peak elk rut is right around when rifle opens, mid sept.

Rut doesn’t vary from year to year. It’s has to do with ( photo period ) which is length of day light. It maybe a difference of an hour or 2 each year.
So when people say it’s a late rut, it’s an early rut is not true. The rut is the same time each and every year.

If you’re planning to go elk hunting during opening day of rifle, be prepared for lots of other hunters, but they elk will be rutting.

As hunters, we really don't care about the rut, we care about rut activity and that 100% can vary from year to year.

Moon phase, temperature, precipitation, wind and weather will all play into rut activity and that is what matters when you are hunting the rut

[finner-duramax]

Originally Posted by KyleSS

As hunters, we really don't care about the rut, we care about rut activity and that 100% can vary from year to year.

Moon phase, temperature, precipitation, wind and weather will all play into rut activity and that is what matters when you are hunting the rut

You bet Kyle, all those are great factor to account for.

But knowing the rut timeline will make your hunts more successful, and you’ll be able to Plan your hunt for those factors. Being moon phase, weather, Etc.

[35 whelen]

Absolutely. You can call them in on opening day and after that. But the more pressure the area from bowhunter are rifle Hunter the harder it is to call them in. Start practicing your calling early spring. Watch lots of videos elk101 is a good website. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Mountainaccent]

Depending if I’m in my elk area in 346 in the hills I’ve called bulls in from aug-26-October 15. In my fields where they don’t get hunted I’ve heard them calling into November

[obsessed1]

Bulls bugle all year round to some extent. But they only get aggressive when they have cows in estrus. If a hot cow doesn't get bred she will cycle again about 20 later. A cow can have as many as 4 cycles. Bulls bugle for lots of reasons. They bugle to advertise themselves, to round up their harem, to call a cow to them so they can sent check as well as challenge other bulls to back off. You can successfully bugle bulls well into October if you understand what they are saying when they bugle. Think of it in this way. They only "word" they say is hey, but hey can be used as a casual hi ( low volume and not agressive) or it can be HEY ( high volume scream as your yelling at a fellow who just ran off with your wife's purse. Super aggressive) hey can be either and many in between but it's tone, volume and aggressivemess that dictate what your actually saying. It's much the dance with a bugle. Learning to assess the temperature of a bull will lead you into the best method to call in and kill that bull. Hope this makes sense

[CrisPbacon]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

Hey everyone,

I have a few questions on elk hunting in Alberta. I see that the rifle season opens half way through sept, which seems to be mid-rut. I know the rut varies from year-to-year, though. Do any of you rifle-elk hunters call in elk when rifle hunting? I know it’s more of a bow hunting practice, but I’ve been looking up info for a few weeks trying to clarify things.

Thanks

The best rifle Elk hunting I've done is during the first week of October when they are coming out of the coulees or valleys at night to feed on fields, then cutting them off in the morning when they head back down to heavy cover for the day.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Only time the 'Moon' made any difference was when I was a rutting teenager parked down by the river with the right girl. Elk see just fine in the dark and can spot their willing girl friends with their nose 'Moon or no moon'

[KyleSS]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Only time the 'Moon' made any difference was when I was a rutting teenager parked down by the river with the right girl. Elk see just fine in the dark and can spot their willing girl friends with their nose 'Moon or no moon'

The moon makes a big difference. If you have a full moon the will chase and breed all night and head to bed early. They will even possibly be bedded before legal light shows up.

This will drastically reduce your opportunity in a morning hunt

[newdrenalin]

Originally Posted by finner-duramax

From my experience Peak elk rut is right around when rifle opens, mid sept.

Rut doesn’t vary from year to year. It’s has to do with ( photo period ) which is length of day light. It maybe a difference of an hour or 2 each year.
So when people say it’s a late rut, it’s an early rut is not true. The rut is the same time each and every year.

If you’re planning to go elk hunting during opening day of rifle, be prepared for lots of other hunters, but they elk will be rutting.

Exactly this ! Every time i hear that the rut is early or late I laugh. They may or may not be vocal depending on alot of things but the timing doesn't ever change

[FlyTheory]

Thanks to everyone’s advice. It’s opened me up to more questions, however.

When targeting elk, it really seems to vary from location to location with competition from out Hunter. Alder flats gets quite a lot of action, where I’m sure the 400s don’t get as much due to difficult terrain. Have any of you been out in very remote areas and come across people?

Originally Posted by buckman

The rut is in full swing in early rifle season. However they (in My experience) are somewhat more call responsive in the Bow season.

If you plan on hunting the high foothills,low mountain area of Alberta be aware that numbers of Elk are down due mostly from Wolf and Bear predation.

Not to say they are not huntable,but they are hard to locate.

Good luck,scout lots in August.

How many times do you scout in the shoulder season before bow opens? And do you prefer bow over rifle because of the ability to call and stock etc.?

[obsessed1]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...hlight=tactics

Check out this thread from last year.
I hunt saddle hills so my experience will be a bit different from foothills or prairie Elk hunting but when starting out the more you scout the better picture you will have in locating. Learn to locate Elk by calling then learn how to harvest the bull you located. It takes a while sometimes to get proficient at it. I prefer bow season as in our area I find less hunting pressure but I have found the odd hunter way back in the sticks even during bow season.
90% of my Elk have been taken within 2-3 miles from a road IIRC so its not always about getting in as far as possible. Try not to pass Elk to hunt Elk. Lol