Elk scouting question

cpalm9

FNG
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
98
Location
Montana
Went scouting in the district I’d like to focus on in SW Montana. Just a general tag for archery and rifle. In the area I’d like to focus on, I saw loads of fresh sign, picked up the scent, and felt like it would be a good area to cover. I plan to take where I was and expand into about a 3 mile radius to cover myself considering elk don’t generally stick around.

However, I did end up seeing a very large bull on a ridge about 1000 yards from my truck. The question is would a lone bull hang around in the same area until the rut? Or is he trying to find the herd now? Archery opener is Labor Day weekend, which is early for rutting so I’m curious what more experienced guys think?
 

Tyeguy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 15, 2020
Messages
201
Location
Nevada
My experience, during the rut has been to find the cows and the herd bull and I’ll be near by.
 

IdahoElk

WKR
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
2,500
Location
Hailey,ID
Typically the big guys tend to lay low until they start picking up cows around the 10th here in Idaho BUT I've seen Them with cows right off the bat, nothing is written in stone with Elk but generally they tend to be loners or in bachelor groups until cows start coming into heat.
 
OP
C

cpalm9

FNG
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
98
Location
Montana
Did you get him? Animals do what they want. 0 rules, only generalizations. Hope you got him.
I saw a big bull like him but couldn’t close the distance for archery. A smaller bull came in but I blew it with an arrow to the shoulder blade. Didn’t get deep enough so he didn’t die. No vitals
 
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