Virtual Elk Hunt

September 19-20

Photo Safari

I took the boys out for a photo safari this weekend. Because our schedules have been so crazy this was our only weekend we could all share in the sounds of bugling bulls. We went to Estes Park of course. In fact we saw a lot more elk OUTSIDE of Rocky Mountain National Park than we did on the inside. Maybe the Park Service has fenced in too much prime habitat and culled too many elk this past winter! Or the elk are all up high because of the mild weather. There are always elk on the Estes Park Golf Course it seems. Thanks to Nikita for the photos. I have to say the quality of our Nikon camera is more than I had hoped for. I’m impressed.

The final weekend of ML season had the advantage of the new moon and a cold front moving through Sunday afternoon. I’m afraid it was another warm week with not enough change in the barometer to kickstart the peak of the rut. It was quiet for the most part. Of course mornings are almost always the best times to find and hear elk. What you really want is the forecast for the next week. Cold and snow is on the way. The weather, a new moon phase and the timing will create a perfect storm of sorts for finding elk. The elk are getting more aggressive and more competitive every day now. Throw in some cold and snow and that will send them into high gear. THIS IS the best possible week to archery hunt elk in 2009. The weather plays a huge factor during the rut. We have been predicting the peak of the rut with regularity since 2004. We can’t predict the weather (and neither can anyone else) but we can predict the best time to be in elk country. Full credit goes to Bernie Taylor. Read his book “Biological Time” and you will understand. The perfect storm of the elk rut happens when the weather is cold, the new moon is out and the elk are experiencing their biological time. And if the bull to cow ratio for your area is high then you’ll experience the elk frenzy we occasional talk about. High bull to cow ratios in the 30 to 50:100 range are perfect. High bull to cow ratios create such intense competition among bulls that they completely ignore their instincts for safety and will come running in to any cow sound you make. We believe the truly biggest bulls only expose themselves for nearly two weeks a year when the peak of the rut happens. Once they have bred as many cows as come in to estrus the biggest bulls will abandon their herd for a quiet place they can regain their strength until winter arrives. Then you “might” see them during winter if the winter is especially harsh or you are especially lucky.

We found elk IN the lake this morning on a sandbar. But they had to swim out to it from either side of the lake. That was amazing to see the entire herd IN the lake. There were a couple of heavy hitters in the group. One especially large 6x6 who was truly in command. There were a lot of satellite bulls in this bunch. A sure sign the peak is coming.

Not to worry – you haven’t missed the aspens changing colors yet. They should peak out next week or so thanks to the cold weather approaching. Grand Lake, Colorado will hit lows in the teens next week. Perfect.

We found a nice 6x6 in Horseshoe Park bedded not far from his cows. There were about four bulls in the area this morning. This situation was relaxed. I think the elk knew the weather is changing. They were quick to bed this day.

The biggest bulls was bedded inside some trees between the bike trail and the golf course. He’s a great looking bull. Wait a second. There is something very wrong with this. Bike trail and golf course have no business being in the same sentence with a big bull.

That cow looks exactly like a Montana Decoy standing next to that big bull.

This bull went largely unnoticed by people on the bike trail. He laid down in a wet ditch in high grass. He has a split 4^th tine on his right side which makes him look bigger.

Here is another very nice 6x6. He had a cow and young calf who was still nursing. He would reply with bugles when the larger herd bull sounded off. Bulls often ping each other with bugles just to let each other know they are still there.

Another angle.

This bull got more dramatic after getting fired up scraping a nearby tree.

This young 5x5 on the shores of Lake Estes got a little too close.

Actually he’s a 4x5.

The September sun can be brutal. It is relentless and bright this time of year. You can see the aspens have a little more to go before becoming that brilliant gold. It’s still not too late. If you can call in sick for a full week or otherwise find an excuse to get out into elk country you won’t be disappointed. The next two weeks will be the best bugling time of 2009. And if you’re lucky you’ll find the biggest bull on the mountain. If you are an archer and have plans to hunt Unit 18 at all drop me a note. I know of two honey holes that require a LOT of effort but they will be hot the next two weeks.