I was one of the lucky ones and I drew a 2015 general tag for elk in Wyoming this fall. The unit I'm planning on hunting is in the southern portion of the state. In years past the unit opened on October 1. The proposed date for this fall has the opener on October 15. My question is where the rut will be during this timeframe? I also understand that moving the season back means a much higher possibility for snow. Will the heavy snows also shut the rut down? Thanks for the help!
Wyoming elk rut
- Thread starter 81hntn
- Start date
Those units receive so much hunting pressure that the rut will not be much of a factor in your hunt. Work on finding travel routes where any elk, cow or bull, will use when pressured or pushed. And yes, snow will be a good possibility. But its Wyoming !!!! The weather is usually crazy in Wyoming ! 
by the 15th most if not all rut activity will be done likely, that doesn't mean every bull but your probably not gonna call one in bugling! i would think the bulls would be separate and resting/feeding for the winter push. your likely strategy is probably more adjusting to pressure from other hunters or finding their core area with that general tag. that snow could end up being the most important thing!
BuzzH
Well-known member
Funny stuff...
BuzzH
Well-known member
More funny stuff...
TimeOnTarget
Well-known member
BuzzH
Well-known member
No, I don't think it will...I know it will.
I cant recall an October 15 opener in a Wyoming general unit that didn't have a lot of bugling going on. I've called in a lot of bulls during rifle season, shot some, passed some.
This guy was a real mouth-piece on opening day, wouldn't stop bugling. Had the wind wrong to do much about it that day, but the next morning I got things in my favor.
Worked out right fair at 30 yards:
Didn't have but a couple days to hunt elk and got there on the 18th of October...the rest of camp had their elk already. Chased bugles until noon and found this guy and another just like him, bugling, raking trees, clacking antlers, and carrying on.
I cant recall an October 15 opener in a Wyoming general unit that didn't have a lot of bugling going on. I've called in a lot of bulls during rifle season, shot some, passed some.
This guy was a real mouth-piece on opening day, wouldn't stop bugling. Had the wind wrong to do much about it that day, but the next morning I got things in my favor.
Worked out right fair at 30 yards:
Didn't have but a couple days to hunt elk and got there on the 18th of October...the rest of camp had their elk already. Chased bugles until noon and found this guy and another just like him, bugling, raking trees, clacking antlers, and carrying on.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I'm not too worried...there's only 2 camps where I hunt on a general tag and we stay out of each others way. Usually the elk bugle better as the week goes on, once the guys in our camp and the other fill out. The two camps last year took 16 elk in 3 days. Only heard of one "outsider" killing a spike.
TimeOnTarget
Well-known member
Gorgeous bull Buzz!
I had a late season cow elk tag here in NV this year in early January. There was a herd of about 80-100 cows and bulls aross the mountainside and we were amazed at how much the bulls were bugling. Of course they were'nt rutting but the bugling never stopped.
huntabsarokee
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Killed 16 elk in 3 days. Don't think I ever seen 16 elk in 3 days in the units I hunted in CO. Glad I have a Wyoming General tag this year. Can't wait for September.
DreaminofMT6X6s
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Buzz,
Have you seen more guys from Casper coming down due to the griz closer to areas where they'd typically hunt?
Have you seen more guys from Casper coming down due to the griz closer to areas where they'd typically hunt?
DrH
Member
I agree with Buzz, although some years they bugle more on the first few days of the season than in others. And, they aren't bugling everywhere. Some like to blame that on archers riding the roads calling, but I think it's more weather related than anything, and my experience is the more bulls around, the more they run their mouths at each other. I too have called and killed elk the first few days after the Oct 15 opener, and have heard elk bugling as late as mid-November in the Shirley Mountains when some cows come back into heat. There may also be some bugling from spikes and forks late in October when they finally figure out they are bulls, too, and the bigger bulls aren't pushing them around as much, partly because a bunch have been shot and are no longer around to intimidate the younger bulls.
