First week of September too early?

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Chaser96

Chaser96

FNG
Joined
Jun 20, 2022
Messages
52
Just got to watch some of elknut’s videos. Great stuff and very informative. I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I’m getting really fired up for this trip


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Huntnnw

WKR
Joined
May 25, 2015
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442
Location
Rockford,WA
Ive had some awesome action in early Sept and had a streak going where I killed 5 elk in a row before Sept 6
 

BryGuy

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Joined
Jun 25, 2021
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33
I’m doing my first solo archery elk hunt first week of sept. Luckily I have 8 days before season starts to put some sort of pattern together on the animals and all I’m after is meat so first legal brown behind my pin is getting an arrow!
 

BryGuy

FNG
Joined
Jun 25, 2021
Messages
33
Ive had some awesome action in early Sept and had a streak going where I killed 5 elk in a row before Sept 6
That’s very encouraging. I’ve heard them bugle as early as July on occasion but I’ve never really had the opportunity to hunt archery. I have to get my hunt in before 9/12 so hopefully I can get some meat in the coolers!
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
2,591
Location
Tijeras NM
It's never too early. I've had elk screaming the first couple days of September and even in August a time or 3. A few years ago in CO OTC my buddy killed a bull on Sept 2nd after bugling at him with a lip bawl type bugle first thing in the morning. 2 days later on Sept 4th i bugled a bull in for a frontal right before dark. My 392 gr arrow disappeared length wise and the bull stumbled 10 yards and tipped over. There were probably 4 other bulls screamin at the time as well.....
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Messages
486
Location
Colorado
I hunt the opening week of archery every year and we hear bugling every day. Some days we hear more than other days. Some years we hear more than other years. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the bugling. Some mornings we wake up and it is unusually cold and clear with no wind and we think they are going to blow the woods down and we hear very little. Other days they just seem to be fired up more than others.

It seems to me that hunting the first week is similar to hunting pre-rut whitetails. The bulls mostly have broken up the bachelor groups and are in the process of establishing their territory and some are beginning to gather a few cows. IMO, it is a great week to hunt and we have had good success. Mature bulls seem to be up and moving around quite a bit in the mornings and evenings. We have had a few days that you would swear it was Sept 20th with every bull on the mountain screaming but that is not the norm.
Those are hunters 😝
 

Hnthrdr

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
2,494
Location
Co
First week is awesome, just be ready for bulls to come in silently. IMO big bulls are easier to kill the first week than another other time. Often they are solo and are looking for cows or curious about other bulls
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
1,451
Location
Great Falls MT
Yep it's way too early. Especially if you're coming to Montana!
Let me kill my elk first

I love the first week. Better weather usually.
I don't really worry about bugles when I hunt so I don't worry about trying to figure out the peak rut or anything. I love a rut fest as much as anyone who grew up watching Primos. But it's pretty unrealistic.
 
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