Quiet in CO 54

[Ranger185]

Running hard in 54. No sign, no sound...nothing. Working every draw and ridge I can. Frustrated

 

[Catahoula]

I’ve heard off and on chatter in some nw areas. It was quiet for me first two weeks. Came home blew off a week for ML season. May go back up Tuesday and finish out the season.

 

[mountainman]

I feel your pain, not much going on here in 55 either but I’m staying optimistic.

 

[5MilesBack]

It was raging the 2nd week in the draw unit I was in helping a buddy, but this past week all I found and heard was raghorns. I know of two guys that shot decent bulls last week and both shot them just sitting and waiting without making a peep. I can't play that game. But hopefully the herd bulls get going here shortly. Heading up to close out the season.

 

[mahons24]

Running hard in 54. No sign, no sound...nothing. Working every draw and ridge I can. Frustrated

Was up scouting in 14 and it was a dead zone. Talked to a number of bow hunters and all of them said they hadn't heard anything for at least a week. It was also still very warm up there ranging around 80deg at 10,500ft.

 

[Philc]

Same in unit 66. Nothing since last Wednesday. I’ve had a few raghorns come in to cow calls.

 

[bat-cave]

I spent 9 days out in 55, checking every nook and cranny .. barely anything. I went up high, down in the bowels of nasty North facing blowdowns .. all over and very little sign, but more predators than I have ever encountered before.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Was in Unit 26 last two weekends and didn’t hear a bugle. Decent amount of sign and saw a bull with cows.

 

[orracle]

I spent a few days in 521 and there are tons of hunters but no elk to be found (except a few on ranch land) I only met one person who killed a bull. We didn’t even see an elk or bear in 4-5 days.

 

[mahons24]

This could be my total ignorance but could the hot temperatures be pushing the rut into October time frame?

 

[bat-cave]

It was warm for the first week of the season. The daily highs were similar to most of my past seasons, but the low temps were much warmer. I've not gone back to scientifically prove this mind you, but all of us were recalling that you typically are completely bundled up shivering for that first hour or so after sunrise ... this year this wasn't the case as it just didn't get that cold. Last weekend was the exception as it was into the 20's ... but still no Elk for me. We did see an unusual number of Bears and Cats and this seemed to be consistent as everyone was seeing them and usually nobody see's any. This was across a pretty large area (we talking 15+ miles apart in some cases.

 

[GoChiefs]

I spent a few days in 521 and there are tons of hunters but no elk to be found (except a few on ranch land) I only met one person who killed a bull. We didn’t even see an elk or bear in 4-5 days.

I drove through 521 opening week for some windshield scouting and it looked completely overrun. What part of the unit were you in? (Feel free to DM)

 

[Ottercreek]

I hunted 53 near 54 about a week ago. Felt like I did a week of scouting more than hunting haha. Heard a few in the middle of the night but pretty slow all around. Someone thought the snow pack late into the summer might have affected their normal patterns. Not sure but who knows

 

[GoChiefs]

I buy that. There was water in places I haven’t seen it for a long time.


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[xcrunner805]

Buddy killed a bull during muzzleloader in 54 , was a tough hunt didn’t see too many animals. It wasn’t a monster but filled freezer.

 

[chindits]

I have found 54 and 55 to be hit or miss with a fair amount of pressure every season. That being said, last year I watched a herd the day before 4th season and saw a cow get mounted 3 times by a bull. Some talking in that herd but more raking and posturing by the bulls.

I haven’t been in 54 yet this year but I’ll second 5 miles back, the first week was crazy with pre rut. Talking and sparring and raghorns thinking they were herd bulls. Biggest herd was 126 in one basin. Over the week and into the second week the big bulls cut out there breeder herds and went down into the timber. Even week 2 had bulls talking in every draw. By mid ML though, the talk started moving to hell pockets with mid day getting real quiet.

I didn’t have an elk tag. It’s a lot easier to watch and form big picture opinions when you aren’t actually chasing elk. I wish I could tell you what I saw when a bow hunter made his bugling approach on a herd of 15 with 2 bulls, but it wouldn’t support the big elk calling industry these days.

I don’t buy into the too hot theory. Elk down in the sage are socially functioning all summer. I do think they sense when people are off their roads and trails and elk talking like they’ve lost their minds.

 

[bohntr]

Been a slow bugle report all across the west!

 

[ChrisAU]

Hopefully it picks up in a week or two

 

[orracle]

I drove through 521 opening week for some windshield scouting and it looked completely overrun. What part of the unit were you in? (Feel free to DM)

We were in and around electric mountain / Somerset. It was pretty packed with hunters.

 

[spike camp]

Every year I read these types of threads, and since gmu 54 is 587 square miles, I always wonder if the bulls are actually tight lipped, or the hunter just hasn’t found the Elk.

A bull can bugle just around a corner, and you wouldn’t hear it.

I hunted two different gmu’s this year and heard or saw Elk every single day with lots of opportunities.
When I talked to others, they said the area was void of Elk...
I was tight lipped too.