School me on bull behavior differences between 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons in CO

[darcytribe]

I've hunted the second season in Colorado before but this year I was considering waiting till third season. My question is have any of you who have hunted both noticed much difference in bull behavior between the two. Have you made any adjustments in "how" you hunt between the two?

 

[Jd259]

I’ve hunted both and haven’t noticed any significant difference in the bulls the thing your looking for in third season is weather. I think there’s a much bigger difference between first and second than there is from second to third. So if where your hunting is a weather dependent hunt to get the elk out of the higher timber country then I’d go for third season for a little better chance of getting the snow.

 

[backcountryshaffer]

I’ve hunted both and haven’t noticed any significant difference in the bulls the thing your looking for in third season is weather. I think there’s a much bigger difference between first and second than there is from second to third. So if where your hunting is a weather dependent hunt to get the elk out of the higher timber country then I’d go for third season for a little better chance of getting the snow.

Hmm, I'm not sure that I completely agree with that assessment of first/second vs second/third. I suppose the perspective may come from hunting style, but I prefer as early as possible for all of my tags. If one is waiting for the weather to "push" the animals into more easily accessible areas then that tactic of waiting for a later season could hold true. Last year in particular I witnessed groups of cows with large bulls still bugling at the beginning of second season and they had pretty much wound down by the end of the following weekend. Starting into third season in Colorado I feel the elk really move into post rut recuperating mode.

 

[5MilesBack]

Every 2nd and 3rd rifle elk season I ever hunted, the herd bulls were already off by themselves and recuperating from the rut. 1st rifle there would still be some herd bulls with their cows in some years, but not in other years.

 

[huntstrong2850]

Every 2nd and 3rd rifle elk season I ever hunted, the herd bulls were already off by themselves and recuperating from the rut. 1st rifle there would still be some herd bulls with their cows in some years, but not in other years.

Vouch for this on 3rd season, the herd Bull was never with the herd anytime I’ve been 3rd season. Satellite Bulls and your spikes you can still make bugle and even catch the right one to call in to you as I did last year but finding a herd bull is pretty difficult 3rd season in my experience


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[justin davis]

3rd season bulls are alone or in bachelor groups.

 

[Jd259]

Hmm, I'm not sure that I completely agree with that assessment of first/second vs second/third. I suppose the perspective may come from hunting style, but I prefer as early as possible for all of my tags. If one is waiting for the weather to "push" the animals into more easily accessible areas then that tactic of waiting for a later season could hold true. Last year in particular I witnessed groups of cows with large bulls still bugling at the beginning of second season and they had pretty much wound down by the end of the following weekend. Starting into third season in Colorado I feel the elk really move into post rut recuperating mode.

What 5milesback said is exactly what I’m talking about

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I have located bachelor groups of bulls during second while hunting mule deer and then gone back and got one out of the same group in the same spot during third. If nothing bothers them i think they will be in their sanctuary areas during both 2nd and 3rd seasons, reinforcing what others have already stated.

 

[diyhntr]

In 1st season I’ve seen big bulls with cows but never in 2nd season. I have heard bulls bugle in the beginning of 2nd season but will taper off to nothing by the time that season ends. The bulls I have seen in 2nd season have all been by themselves and usually in thick out of the way pockets.

 

[darcytribe]

Thanks for the info y’all!

 

[Vandy321]

When these bulls leave the heard post rut, weather dependent obviously, will they separate from the heard back to some of the more secluded/sanctuary areas or continue to migrate down to their wintering ranges at a similar pace?

I realize weather is a big factor in pushing them out of the high timber, but if the snow holds off, is there a good chance to find the big bulls back up in these sanctuary type of areas that are less pressured/harder to access?

I guess to sum up the question, if the snow holds, is there a chance to find bigger bulls bac up in the higher terrain again after the rut, or is late season success almost strictly confined to the foothills/lower elevations?

 

[ckleeves]

When these bulls leave the heard post rut, weather dependent obviously, will they separate from the heard back to some of the more secluded/sanctuary areas or continue to migrate down to their wintering ranges at a similar pace?

I realize weather is a big factor in pushing them out of the high timber, but if the snow holds off, is there a good chance to find the big bulls back up in these sanctuary type of areas that are less pressured/harder to access?

I guess to sum up the question, if the snow holds, is there a chance to find bigger bulls bac up in the higher terrain again after the rut, or is late season success almost strictly confined to the foothills/lower elevations?

This is JMO from lots of days of elk observing and hunting them from archery all the way until the last rifle season (not with a tag in my pocket the entire time)

Bulls go where they are gonna go to find peace and quite. They like relatively close feed-bed-water. They don’t want to move much. I’m convinced that post rut if a bull has everything he needs and doesn’t get disturbed they can be happy in about a 2 acre area. Seen it numerous times where there aren’t any in-out tracks and you will find a small area where a bull (or 2-3 bulls) have been happily living for several weeks without ever leaving.

From what I have seen bulls will return to there favorite little haunts year after year IF they aren’t getting disturbed. If it’s a bachelor herd then generally the same bulls will be in it. Sometimes one is missing or there is a new bull but many times you can recognize bulls from previous years.

As far as high or low I have seen both. Little bachelor pads up high in nasty timber or down in the sage/pinion juniper/rimrock type country. I will say I have found more low then high. Probably 80/20. Sometimes really low with no snow to push them whatsoever. I don’t think snow has as much to do with it as simply finding an area with no disturbance.

Lots of guys think that many of the mature bulls won’t come down “until their belly’s are dragging snow” but from what I have seen this isn’t the case. A few tough it out up high for sure but IMO the majority head for low country even before the cows do. I’m sure lots of guys will disagree and that’s fine.

My theory is post rut they don’t want to work for food any more then they have to. And there is absolutely nothing easy about hunting them “low” In the thick PJ country (or flat oakbrush) you can’t glass, you can’t see 50 yards and on top of that it’s noisy. Usually it sounds like you jumped a freight train and you get to see a few flashes of elk.

I have accidentally jumped bulls while quail and waterfowl hunting. Not “elk country” by any means, but a out of the way place where they can recover and relax. And not one sane person would ever elk hunt there. Which is why they are there. And I guess I just called myself insane lol.


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[njdoxie]

Every 2nd and 3rd rifle elk season I ever hunted, the herd bulls were already off by themselves and recuperating from the rut. 1st rifle there would still be some herd bulls with their cows in some years, but not in other years.

Am I the only one that never sees herd bulls? I saw two 350” bulls 20 years ago while archery hunting, but that’s it, all the rest before and after that have been raghorns, I’m not complaining at all, I’m very happy to see a legal bull, just find it strange that others seem to see herd bulls. I most often see one or two legal bulls per year and that’s an accomplishment for me. Ok, I’m done, sorry for derailing the thread.


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[Dos Perros]

There’s a herd bull for ya.

 

[njdoxie]

There’s a herd bull for ya.

haha, yes, good example of bull I’ll never see


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[commandoNate]

3rd season bulls are alone or in bachelor groups.

And often in my experience they are in very secluded area and not covering much ground. They find a sanctuary to recover from the rut where they have feeding, bedding and water all in a relatively small area and they don’t leave that area unless pressured by hunters.

 

[chindits]

Well I’ll throw a monkey wrench out there.

It’s never over till it’s over.

I usually bow hunt. 3 years ago I was out the weekend after 4 th season checking on how clean an outfitter left his camp. I was on a high speed stock trail and I heard some bugling. I hunkered down in a dry stream bed and shortly there after I was surrounded by elk as cows and bulls filtered down through the timber into the bottom of that open grassy draw in the middle of the afternoon. It was non stop bugling like it was September. The following year I was out the last day of fourth season after another bow season. I glassed up a herd of 75 elk laying out in the middle of a grass covered side of a ridge at 1330. There were multiple bulls with a sparring pair all afternoon. There were bulls bugling out of sight in the draws adjacent to that meadow. This year was crazier. The drought actually had elk down low early. Big bulls were being taken down low every season right off the road. My buddies didn’t see an elk up high all of first season. My wife hunted first and we saw elk every day and bugling every night it wasn’t too windy. Damn cold for first. Now jump to fourth. I backpacked in early. The day before the season I set up most of the mid day on a herd. They were on an open ridge and down into the timber below the open ridge. I couldn’t find any sizable bulls, so I’m thinking the whole bachelor herd thing somewhere else. Then at 1530 I see an aspen tree swinging back and forth with no wind. There was a mature branch antlered bull raking. Then a couple more showed up and the bugling started up. The raking bull then commenced to mount this same cow 3 different times. I went back to camp a couple miles away. I glassed the draw on the other side of the ridge from camp right as the sun was setting. Right down below me in the sage was a winter size herd of 200 elk with nothing but rag horns. All those elk and just a spindly 5 point in their midst that I would consider taking. So an argument for and against bachelor herds in the same day. This is an OTC unit where many a hunter would be happy with any branch antlered bull with a little mass.

The next day for the opener I left the winter herd alone and went back to the breeding herd. I saw 3 hunters that day and not many elk. I just got lucky with the bull I took. Nothing special but I would of been proud if it was bow season.

You never know what a season is going to offer or how a year is going to differ. Last year was a drought and it was a big harvest year. This year is a big snow year. Think back to smowmageden winter 2017. Depending how the summer plays out it could be similar or entirely different. I’m expecting a great sage understory of grass and forbs, but if it doesn’t rain from May to August that won’t matter come hunting season. So discuss the differences of elk behavior between second and third. I’d pay more attention to the weather conditions of the last few months and human pressure.

 

[5MilesBack]

A lot of truth in ckleeves post........especially, the "2 acre" comment. It's eye-opening when there hasn't been snow for a few days and you find an area with lots of tracks in a small area, yet there are no tracks outside of that small area. That means that whatever bull made them, is still in that small area and hasn't ventured outside of it at least since before it snowed last.