370 class Bull Elk Bugling/Herding Cows Yesterday

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I carried my son up into the mountains Saturday to photo some animals. We were amazed to find a huge 370 class bull bugling and herding cows and beating the crap out of bushes. He was in a rutting rage peeing on himself, pawing the ground and throwing sod 20 feet in the air with his horns. He had about 20 cows in his harem and ran a 5x6, 5x5 and two spikes clear out of site out of the herd. This is August 23 folks not September. I speak good elk and tried to tell the boy he is a bit early but he was convinced it was September 23. I have hunted elk 35 years and this is the earliest documented behavior I have ever seen of a trophy bull displaying rutting behavior in the wild. Anyone else ever seen this behavior so early. I don't mean bugling, I mean in a full fledged rutting rage. Get fired up guys, the elk are bugling.

 

[Broz]

No I have never seen this before. So please post the pics!!

 

[royinidaho]

Must be that ****'d global warming

I sure hope you're in east WY. It's still in the 90s over here a few miles west of your state.

Maybe he otta see a physician. His hormones may be a bit out of balance. If the cows play along, I guess its ok.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

My son did get some pictures of him and when he gets those ready I will try and get a couple up on here. Roy, the girls were not that happy getting pushed around and herded this early with some of the calves still in spots. They were like, chill out dude and come back in about a month. But when a 370 set of horns get run up your butt I guess you go where he says. One girl seemed to not mind the attention and he seemed to have his nose close behind so maybe she was smelling good early and her hormones were out of whack and caused this comotion. It was fun to watch anyway. It is 90's down at the house but cool 40's in the mountains saturday night.

 

[davewilson]

global warming is just one of many things the USA has done to cause this!

 

[kcebcj]

Well I don't know about the global warming thing but here on and around my ranch the bulls are usually pretty active by mid August the rut peaking in mid to late September and a few stragglers running into mid October. Every year it's different by a few weeks. This hunting unit is 80% private land and there is no elk hunting during the rut so the elk are more vocal here then on public land where they are pressured and probably have a more normal routine. On the other hand you can set your watch when the mule deer start off. Last week in October if you see a doe there is a buck nearby.

 

[Tracer]

Long Time Ranger, I have only seen a total of 1 370 class bull on public ground, in all my years of hunting elk. I still dream about that bull elk I saw around the Hoback Junction area in Wyoming a few years ago. Some 80 head of elk and several satilite bulls to boot, this big bull standing right in the middle of all the cows.

Yep, I was a mear 557 yards from that big bull, the young guide told me to take em now if you want him. I just turned and said "son that is a long way for this .338 mag to travel and not to mention shooting through the tops of those aspen trees below in order to hit him".
Let's just go back to the horses and travel up the mountain bench while in the wooded area. We will come out directily across from him and the shot should be under 250 yards.

Well, that was the plan until man who called himself and elk hunter pull a shell out of his pocket, dropped it into the chamber of his Browning Bar 300 win mag and then slammed the action closed. It sounded like a crack of thunder below after that stunt! Yep, all 80 elk took to the trees on the other side of the canyon. I'll never forget that day, you can bet on that for sure.