Elk behavior in November

[MuleyFever]

I have said it many times, I am not much of an elk hunter. My wifes elk hunt starts next Saturday, Nov 13. This time of year I have read that the bulls will be in a post rut mode. They will stick close to food and water and not move much.

In southern UT could there be a secondary rut movement? Could calling work?

This time of year will hunting mid day be effective? Will bulls be feeding and locateable more than just sunrise and sunset?

 

[Jimss]

From my experience here in Colorado and Wyoming most of the older age bulls tend to leave cows in November and live solitary lives either in small bull groups or alone. I was in a premier NW Colo elk unit the past couple weeks and there still were a few bulls still with cows. They really didn't seem that interested in rutting. Most of the biggest bulls I saw were alone and not with cows. Things may be a little different further south? You may get some interest cow calling but I'm pretty sure if you bugle they will likely head the other direction. I've never really heard of anyone having success calling in bulls with cow calls this late in the season but you never know.

The more hours you hunt the better chance for success. Activity during the day can change dramatically depending upon hunting pressure, weather, snow, etc. If the weather is cold the bulls will likely move around and feed more than if it is 80 degrees. If you are hunting open country you can often get up high and glass to located bedded or feeding bulls....even during mid day. Bulls will often get up and move around during the day but may not move around a whole lot. They often find secluded areas where they feel safe and that's where they tend to hang out. If there is a lot of timber or think pj's and it's flat it may be very tough to glass expansive areas. The name of the game in most elk areas is to cover lots and lots of country with both legs and eyes.

 

[One-shot]

I had this season 2 years ago, thus the elk in the pick. I‘m in neighboring northeastern Nevada, where terrain is a bit similar to southern Utah. Get on the trail before first light; we hike in with headlamps. Then glass, glass, glass and watch for movement. We’ve have seen elk during mid day and movement is possible if hunting pressure is low and weather is decent enough. Morning and later afternoon offer best odds, but I took at cow at 3 pm one year and husband took a bull calf late morning. I agree with Jimss above, the more time you spend on the trail, in habitat, the better your odds.