1 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Well, this week, I'm talking to myself. I've been fortunate 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: enough to all over the West this season, New Mexico, Oregon, 3 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: Idaho with a bunch of good friends. We had a 4 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: bunch of highs, we had a bunch of lows. But 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: what I'm gonna try to do is uh put a 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: button on on the elk ra So this week on 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: cutting the Distance, I'm going to do kind of that 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: postmortem of my archery elk season. I've been able to 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: talk to a lot of people that spent a lot 10 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: of time out in the woods, and I've kind of 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: put my conclusion together, um, you know, on how the 12 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: elk grew out went and um, we're also gonna highlight 13 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: some of the greatest lessons I learned this year. So 14 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,959 Speaker 1: as always, we're gonna start off with some listener questions. 15 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: If you have questions of your own, please submit them 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: to C. T. D at Phelps game Calls dot com. Uh, 17 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: myself or my guests will do the best job we 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: can answering him. So the first question today, and we're 19 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: starting to get a lot of these uh rifle questions. 20 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: You know, late season el cunning questions are rolling in 21 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: and a lot of people ask, what do you mean 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: by early season late season? So if I had to 23 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: draw a line between what's considered an early season elk hunt, UM, 24 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: I would say like post rut, um, you know the 25 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: ruts over, UM, we're now going into a different zone. 26 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: And so with that early season, you know a lot 27 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: of times you're gonna have your archery equipment UM. A 28 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: lot of times. You know, there's there's extremely early season 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: prior to the rut, which some some states allow you 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: to start hunting, you know, in August, and then that 31 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: archery season. Most of your archer season's kind of centralized 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: around the rut, so many states, UM, you'll start to 33 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: get that pre rut, which you know the end of August, 34 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: you know, first few days of September, peak rut being 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: kind of mid September, and then that post rut going 36 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: late September into sometimes middle of October even later UM, 37 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: a lot of hunting estates well then closer hunting seasons UM. 38 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: And then switch over to a different weapon, whether it's 39 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: muzzloader or rifle. UM. And then we we consider that 40 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 1: our late seasons. And then there's in my opinion, there's 41 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: two different um stages of the late season. There is 42 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: late season where feet is still available up high. Um, 43 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: you know one either weather hasn't pushed them down or 44 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: to their their food hasn't burnt up, or they haven't 45 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: had to move down. And then there's the extremely late 46 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: season where these elk will now have to start to 47 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: migrate because of weather, they have no food left up 48 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: high and they tend to push down, which starts at migration. So, um, 49 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: what we're talking about here today when we talk about 50 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: late season, in my opinion, is switching over these rifle 51 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: seasons and you're gonna be hunting, you know, late October 52 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: through November. You know, maybe not a lot of migration involved. 53 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: Quite yet, some people have always asked, you know, why 54 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: do they put the seasons where they do? And so 55 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: your rifle season typically are put where those herd bowls 56 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: and bowls aren't his acceptible um to being you know, 57 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: forced out into the open by the cows. You know, 58 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: a lot of time that bull wants to stay with 59 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: the cows. Those cows and calves are typically looking for 60 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: feed and so a lot of times those herd bulls 61 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: during the rut, well then you know, quote unquote get 62 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: drug around by the herd or be with the herd, 63 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: and they're a lot more susceptible um to being harvested, 64 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: especially if somebody had a rifle. Well, we set these 65 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:24,399 Speaker 1: rifle seasons are a lot of these states have set 66 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: their rifle seasons so that you know, the chance of 67 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: escatement is a lot higher. These bulls tend to go 68 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: off on their own. They tend to go off and 69 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: feed alone. You know, the larger the bowl typically the 70 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: more likely they are to be alone or with a 71 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: bowl of their caliber or their age or maturity UM. 72 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: A lot of times, once see smaller bulls start to 73 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: break off, you'll still be able to find them in 74 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: their you know, smaller bachelor herds UM. But they're typically 75 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: trying to recoup from the rut. So that's why we 76 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: put those rifle seasons where they are. These these bulls 77 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: are going to go to the deepest, darkest um you know, 78 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: more secluded places where they feel um safe, and and 79 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: that's what we're going to find him. So question number one, 80 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: what is the best strategy for elk in the late season. 81 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: And so once again we're gonna take these that we're 82 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: we're going into a typical rifle season, UM, very much 83 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: like my archery season, you know, my archery tactics. I 84 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: love to get up high into glass. UM. Now I 85 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,239 Speaker 1: want to break my glassing down into the two different 86 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: um you know types of glassing. You can get up 87 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: and you can look at a large portion of the unit. 88 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,679 Speaker 1: And what I'm doing there is trying to figure out 89 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: what elevation the alcraft. Maybe I I can you know, 90 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: spot some of these bowls that are off feeding alone, 91 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: but I'm really just trying to figure out where elk out, 92 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: where do they want to be? UM. I'm not necessarily 93 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: super concerned with finding cows. You know, a lot of 94 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: times lay October early November, there will still be UM 95 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: some immature bowls running, you know what the herd, But 96 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: the majority of time those larger bowls, more mature bulls 97 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: are going to be broken off. So I'm getting up 98 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: high early in the morning, trying to glass as much 99 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: as I can. UM. You know, if the weather is 100 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: still nice, you may only get you know, half hour 101 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: to an hour max. These bowls are gonna feed, they're 102 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: gonna go back and bed down somewhere. UM. So we're 103 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: trying to maximize the time let our glass do the walking. UM. 104 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: I'm up high. I'm glassing you know, for that first 105 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: hour hour and a half and then um, we're moving. 106 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: And the second stage of glassing is there's a difference 107 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: between once you've located some elk or you're starting to 108 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: really dial in or look for specific animals. You need 109 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: to get in, in my opinion, get into areas that 110 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: can't be seen, um very easily. And so with that said, 111 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get you know, two or three miles in. 112 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: Maybe I've got to walk down uh finger ridge. Maybe 113 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: i have to go, you know, get up on a 114 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: cliff or or climb a steep section. UM. I'm using 115 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: on X, I'm using a lot of our mapping software, 116 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: you know, aerial photography. UM, trying to put together you know, 117 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: where the terrain and where the vegetation and how it 118 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: lays out, and then where I'm gonna be able to 119 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: see and to select nooks and crannies. Um. You know 120 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,119 Speaker 1: a lot of times, like I said, these these bigger 121 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: bulls want to go into areas where uh, you know, 122 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: they they can they can feed out in the open, 123 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: but not necessarily be seen or they don't get bothered 124 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: near as much. I'm trying to to be able to 125 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: look into those areas and I'm not looking. I will 126 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: sacrifice a morning or a night or an entire day 127 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: in order to to to find the animal, or find 128 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: the target animal, or find the animal that I want 129 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: to go kill. Um, we may sacrifice some morning and 130 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: night and and just lay eyes into this country knowing 131 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: that we may be two three miles away, using our 132 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: spotting scopes, using our binoculars, doing as much glassing of 133 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: as much country as we can. And then once we 134 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: find that animal, we will then you know, draw up 135 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: a plan um to go to go try to kill 136 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: that animal. But a lot of people I feel they're 137 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: not willing to give up a morning hunt or a 138 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: night hunt. UM. You know, they're always they always want 139 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: to have their gun on their shoulder, you know, UM 140 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 1: with a chance to kill. And and I feel that 141 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: a lot of times investing in um, you know, a 142 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: glassing session or whatnot can be very very advantageous. So 143 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: if the country allows, UM, if it's set up to 144 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: do a lot of glassing, I'd like to do that. Now. 145 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: I grew up, uh, you know, in in western Washington 146 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: where we do get to glass some clear cuts, but 147 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: a lot of times. UM. In these riffle seasons, some 148 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: of these bowls have figured out that they can live 149 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: in the timber and never come out in the opening. 150 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: So or or there's a mix between you know, semi 151 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: open and timbered country. UM, you know, timber lion country, 152 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: whatever you may be in. UM. You know, if we're 153 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: in timbered country or an area where I believe there's 154 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: a lot if I can look into the timber, or 155 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: I'm in the timber and can see that there's a 156 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: lot of food, um, and that the elk won't have 157 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: to leave that UM, there is a chance you may 158 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: have to go still hunting it or UM you're gonna 159 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: be glassing the fringe is very very early, very very late, 160 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: and then you're gonna have to get into the timber. 161 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: You know, if if there's a target animal in there. 162 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: So you need to be able to adapt um to 163 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: the country you're hunting, to the vegetation uh um. And 164 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: then my ideal area is right at timber line. UM. 165 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: You know, I want to be able to look above 166 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: timber line if the elk are still up there. If not, UM, 167 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: I want to be able to find um. You know, 168 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: small feed areas, whether it's avalanche shoots, whether it's small meadows, 169 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: whether it's small little side patches where those elk can 170 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: feel a little bit more comfortable. Um, you know, bowls 171 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: specifically when they're feeding by themselves, when they want to 172 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: be secluded, but they want to get you know, access 173 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: to that higher quality food. UM. I'm looking for for 174 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: small little um areas in the timber um and stuff 175 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: like that to concentrate my glassing. And then once you 176 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: find those elk, you have to put together a plan 177 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 1: on killing them, you know, and and sometimes it's a 178 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: lot easier, uh said than done. Um. You know, some 179 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: some country we hunt is very very big. Some of 180 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: it's broken up, and you know a lot of times 181 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: the more broken up countries actually easier because we can 182 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 1: get on ridges, we can we can plan our approaches 183 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: to get a whole lot closer to these elk, which 184 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: actually sets up a lot better um as far as 185 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: having a plan to go kill them. If you're in 186 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: in big, big country where you know the canyons are 187 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: you know a half mile mile across. You know, you 188 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: can't shoot from side to side. Um, you can't get 189 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: any closer. Um. You know a lot of times moving 190 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: to their side. UM puts you at a big disadvantage 191 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: because your visibility is way way low. Um, you've got 192 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: wind that you're dealing with. You know, even though it's 193 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: rifle hunting, we're still paying a lot of attention to 194 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: the wind. UM. You know, as these late season will 195 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: bring a lot more UM weather and weather systems that 196 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: will then um do some crazy stuff with the wind. 197 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: So as you're as you're making your plan, you know, 198 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: ideally for me, my my my ideal plan is to 199 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: pattern um these late season ELK A lot of times 200 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: they will continue to do the same thing morning and evening. 201 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: They've got their you know, preferred food source. They've got 202 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: their food or a preferred betting area, and they're just 203 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: gonna keep doing. You know, they're gonna go in the morning, 204 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: they're gonna from feed to bed. At nighttime they're gonna 205 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: come from bed to feed. UM. And so I'm gonna 206 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,839 Speaker 1: ideally get myself within shooting range whatever my comfortable shooting 207 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: range is of where I expect those um, you know, 208 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: that bowl to present itself. And like I said, a 209 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: lot of times, it's it's easier you know, said than done. 210 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: But you need to look at everything you know wind um, 211 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 1: where you plan on them coming out, what's gonna give 212 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: you the best view of the area. Um. All of 213 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: that will come into you know, finding the elk, but 214 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: then the plan to killing them, you need to put 215 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: some thought into that. And uh, you know, if it's 216 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: in the timbered area, you're gonna have to figure out, 217 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: you know, how to get the wind right. Um. You know, 218 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: use elk trails, use um. You know, be as quiet 219 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: as possible, um, and try to make your your play 220 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: on on how to kill those. The next question late 221 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: season calling. Um. You know, a typical question I get is, hey, 222 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 1: I've got a rifle tag um for such and such unit. 223 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: It runs November one to the tenth. What calls do 224 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,079 Speaker 1: I need? And what calls am I gonna make while 225 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: I'm out there? And as much as I would like 226 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: to tell everybody like, oh yeah, I go buy a 227 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: bugle tube, go buy some diaphragms, you know, by by 228 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: one of everything. UM. In my opinion, from what I've seen, UM, 229 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: we don't use calls near as much as we do 230 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: during the rut. UM. And I'll give some of my 231 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: reasoning for that one. You're drawing extra attention to yourself. Um, 232 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: if if you're out there cow calling or getting let's 233 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: say you have spotted or heard it, you know, a 234 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: thousand yards away, you close the distance to a couple 235 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: hundred yards. Um, we need to remember we've got typically 236 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: you know, some sort of a long range weapon in 237 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: our hand, you know, something that's capable of two to 238 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: three yards shots very comfortably. If we're gonna go get 239 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: within two hundred yards and try to communicate with those 240 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: elk through calls. Whether it's a cow call, um, you know, 241 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: I would say bigling is completely off the table. But 242 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: if you were a bugle, all you're doing, in my opinion, 243 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: is is letting those elk now know of your location, 244 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: and then you're putting a whole bunch of extra eyeballs 245 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: on yourself. Um, you could have got to that same 246 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: pause edition silently, had zero eyes on you, and then 247 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: been able to have a lot more time to make 248 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: your decision and maybe find the bowl. You know, all 249 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: of these things that happen when we finally get in close, 250 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: like where am I going to set up to shoot? 251 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: But by making a call, you've now alerted them to 252 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: your location, and a lot of times that gets a 253 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: lot of eyeballs on you. Um, let's say it's a 254 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: late season you know timbered rifle or you know, late 255 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: season archery, whatever it may be, you get in tight 256 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,319 Speaker 1: a lot of times that not only does it put 257 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: eyeballs in your direction and now alerts them, you know elk, 258 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: And in my opinion, no of other elk that are around, 259 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,959 Speaker 1: they don't. You know, there is a chance a new 260 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: elk just showed up and it won't put them on alert. 261 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: But a lot of times in my experience, making a 262 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: call out of a blue, they kind of know like 263 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: something's up, or if it's not a great call, um, 264 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: you know, they all kind of perk up, They all 265 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: kind of look around, they all lift their heads up 266 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: from feeding. They're all looking in your direction. So number 267 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,959 Speaker 1: one eyes in your direction and it puts them a 268 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: little bit on edge and on alert. Where I will 269 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: use alls in late season, um number one, if I'm 270 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: still hunting, as I mentioned a lot of times growing 271 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: up in you know, the Pacific Coast rainforest, you know 272 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: we're hunting. Um, still hunting. We're we're literally walking through 273 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: timber as quiet as we can, trying to spot elk 274 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: before they spot us. Um, you know if we have 275 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 1: to wind right. A lot of times you could smell 276 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: them beforehands and whatnot. But if we were happen to 277 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: bump an elk, um, but they didn't necessarily smell us, 278 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: they may be seen or maybe heard us. We can 279 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: then use a cow call. A lot of times, I'll 280 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: still hunt with a diaphragm in my mouth. I'll make 281 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: a couple of cal calls just to settle them down. 282 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: Maybe that will be enough to get them to settle 283 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: down and I can, you know, get get to the 284 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: next ridge and maybe make a shot from ridge to 285 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,479 Speaker 1: ridge or or whatever. UM. We have used some aggressive 286 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: um tactics in late season when I've hunt them with 287 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: some buddies. We've actually broke up herds, like specifically went 288 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: in to bump them and then use some lost cow calling, UM, 289 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: some long drawn out cal calls to call them back 290 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: to the location. We've had a little bit of success 291 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: with that. But for typical late season elk calling, where 292 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: I love to use calls the most is in an 293 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: area where I need to stop an elk for a shot. UM, 294 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 1: if I'm shooting three, four or five yards across the canyon, 295 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: whatever it may be, say it's brushy, and I've only 296 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: got certain spots that are gonna work for a shot. 297 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: I don't typically want to yell across the canyon, you 298 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: know the man. I don't want to yell hey, I 299 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: don't want to get you know, do any of these things. 300 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: Allowed external cal caoll is a great way to stop 301 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: that elk. And the thing I like about using that 302 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: cal call is typically as long as he's not scared, 303 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: he's just you know, feeding or moving like they normally would, 304 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: you can typically get them to stop for longer than 305 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: just a second or two. Um if you yell, if 306 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: you make the you know, the fake man, a lot 307 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: of times they'll stop, but then they'll get nervous, like 308 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: they kind of figure out what that sound was, versus 309 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: using a natural sound like allowed cow call. I typically 310 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: like to you know, call on it as loud as 311 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: I can one time get them to stop, and then 312 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: they are going to have eyes on you. So I, 313 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: you know, usually don't like to be moving by that time. 314 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: Hopefully the shooters down ready UM tracking the elk. So 315 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: we will use um cow calls, uh you know in 316 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: that in that instance to get them to stop for 317 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: a shot. UM I guess do what the elk are doing. 318 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: If I showed up to an area on October, let's say, 319 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: for a rifle hunt, and there are bulls beagle in 320 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: their head off, and I feel that by bugling back 321 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: and locating bulls is gonna give me an advantage. I'll 322 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: always have my bugle tube around or in the track 323 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: or a diaphragm available. Um, you know, quick story my 324 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: wife's first bull back in two thousand seventeen October twenty nine, 325 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: we hiked into an area. Um, she had a tag 326 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: and we we started to hear bull bagle down blow 327 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: us in October twenty nine and I could kind of, 328 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: you know, listen by the type of bugle that it was. 329 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: That bowl was still running, he still had cows and heat, 330 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: whether they came in on a second or a third cycle. 331 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: And we got to listen to that bowl bugle probably 332 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: three times that evening as he pushed his herd of 333 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: cows up past us, and she was able to make 334 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: a show. So I didn't have my beagle tube in 335 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: that instance, and I probably still wouldn't have called because 336 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: I could hear um that they were ultimately going, you know, 337 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: moving from down below us to up above us. Um, 338 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: and we were just gonna let them go by anyways, 339 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: we had the wind good in their face. But now instance, 340 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: you know, if if we wouldn't have killed that bowl 341 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: at night, I wouldn't have hesitated to go back in 342 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: there the next day with the beagle tube, knowing I 343 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: could probably get that bowl to respond. So, you know, 344 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: do what they you know, do what the elk are 345 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: telling you to do. Um. You don't want to be 346 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: out there if the woods are completely silent, you around 347 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: elk and you're the only one out there hammering vehicles. Um, 348 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: you don't want to be the only cow in the 349 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: woods just you know, screaming on estrus wines. So do 350 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: what they're doing and you're gonna be safe. UM. Don't 351 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: try to force the issue. Don't overcall, because in my opinion, 352 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: sometimes you can do more harm than good by one 353 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: alerting them and getting a whole lot of eyes looking 354 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: in your direction. UM. The last user question, what time 355 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: of the day should I be hunting in the late season? 356 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: You know, so where we typically are tree hunt all day, 357 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: but we always know that you know, morning and nights 358 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: are going to be best with the most action because 359 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: you get that you know, it's it's hotter um in 360 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 1: the midday, the days are longer. So when it comes 361 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 1: to rifle hunting, UM Number one, it's it's a little 362 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: bit of a mindset change for me. Is I've got 363 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: a gun in my hand, I'm now more lethal. You know, 364 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: it just takes out one that one elk to show 365 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: itself in the wrong spot or the right spot for me, Um, 366 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: wrong spot for the elk, and and I can be 367 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: successful in these late season hunts. We've now got cooler 368 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: weather which will let those bulls and and cows, those 369 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: elk will be on their feet a lot more. Um. 370 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: Is they're using more calories to stay warm, um, and 371 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: to survive. They're gonna be on their feet more. They're 372 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: gonna need to put down more calories. On top of that. 373 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: Bowls specifically, it puts a toll on them getting through 374 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: the rut. You know, you kill a bowl late August, 375 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: early September, you go to you look at them and 376 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: they're just loaded up with layers of fat. You kill 377 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: a bowl post route and that thing is war down 378 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: to nothing, you know, nothing but meat and bones. Um. 379 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: Those bowls are trying to to recoup very very quickly 380 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: because they just went from the rut. They've got a 381 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: very short feed window and then they're gonna have to 382 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 1: survive the winter. Um, so those things will be on 383 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: their feet a lot more so with the cooler weather. 384 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: And then we also have shorter days, right. Um. You know, 385 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: it's crazy to start with an archery season where it 386 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: seems like you're getting up at four thirty and you're 387 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: going to bed at nine. By time a rifle season 388 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: comes around, you're getting up at you know, seven, six 389 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: thirty and you're you know, it's dark by six or 390 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: five thirty. It's it's pretty drastic. But that also you know, 391 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: in my opinion, Um, with shorter days, I'm out there 392 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: more so during late season if I were, if I 393 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: have a tag in my hand, I'm hunting all day 394 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: from morning until dark. And don't give up on those 395 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: mid days. Yes, you may not see as many elk 396 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: out in the wide open, but during that midday, concentrate 397 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: on brushier um more of those fringy fringe areas. And 398 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: when I say fringey, it's like you're not out in 399 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: the wide open meadows. You're not way out away from 400 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: the timber. You know above timber line. UM, but you're 401 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: looking at where let's say timber meets the meadow or 402 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: maybe a brushy avalanche draw or maybe just a brushy 403 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: area in the area. A lot of times those you 404 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: know bulls will feed in there um all day and 405 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: feel like they're secluded and they're hidden from any danger. 406 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: So UM, midday, switch your focus from wide open feed 407 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: areas to kind of that secondary feed um where where 408 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: they're a little more comfortable, and you can a lot 409 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: of times create plays midday that you can go capitalize 410 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: on that evening or before the day gets you know, 411 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: um too dark to to be able to hunt. So 412 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: my opinion, all day in the late season, especially if 413 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: you have a gun in your hand, UM, you never 414 00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: know when you can find success. So that kind of 415 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: wraps it up for for some of the Q and A. 416 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: Once again, if you have your own questions, email us 417 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: at ct D at phelps game calls dot Com or 418 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: hit us up on social and we will make sure 419 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: to do our best job put an answer to it. All. Right, now, 420 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna jump into the final field report for the 421 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: el crep um. The engineering me really wants to break 422 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: this down based on components um, and some of those things. 423 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: When I look at the rut, I look at kind 424 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: of where was the timing, um, how did the timing 425 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: lineup compared to what I typically think of the rut. 426 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: What was the intensity of the rut? Was it on fire? 427 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: Did it seemed to be lacks of daysical? What was 428 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 1: the weather that we experienced? And each of our stops 429 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: UM herd behavior which also kind of ties back into intensity, 430 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: like were there sub dominant bowls trying to challenge? Were 431 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: they pestering their herds? UM. I'm gonna pull out the 432 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: call ability uh component. You know, it's a it's a 433 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: piece of us being archery hunters, Like how callable were 434 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: the bulls and what did we see on that, you know, 435 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: as far as trying to call these elkin and house 436 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: accepted they were to calling UM. And one thing that's 437 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: hard because we're never in the same spot, on the 438 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: same herd, you know, at the same time. And so 439 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: I do my best here. I'm gonna kind of preface 440 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: this with I'm gonna do my best to kind of 441 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: um over arch and overreach my my opinion here on 442 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: years past and being in similar areas and um, you know, 443 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: similar Elk. And the other thing is I've got a 444 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: chance to talk with you know, thirty forty other guys. 445 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: You know, I get back, We all, me and my 446 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: buddies all get on the phone, get you know, some 447 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: of our pro staff, some of the guys that use 448 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: our calls, whatever it may be, and we just kind 449 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: of bs about hunting. You know, what worked, what didn't work, 450 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: What was your big takeaways? Um, you know, and so 451 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: on and so forth. And so I'll try to do 452 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: my best to kind of roll all of this um together. 453 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: So time me of the rut, UM, I would say, 454 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: I'll give my my overall opinion and I'll kind of 455 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: break it down. So timing of the rut, in my opinion, 456 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: seemed to be later than you know passed. And by past, 457 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: I don't mean a year or two ago. But the 458 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: typical rut timing seems to be late. And I don't 459 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: just mean late by a couple of days. I'm thinking, 460 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,400 Speaker 1: you know, seven to ten days off um a typical 461 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: RUT cycle. You know. I I got to hunt New 462 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: Mexico with Ryan Callahan this year. Um we were a 463 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: few days ahead of when UM Steve or Ella myself 464 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: got to hunt the same unit last year, and so 465 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: we've got a very very good location, same elk um 466 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: just a few days off and the end of me 467 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: and Cal's hunt kind of overlapped the beginning of me 468 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: and Steve's hunt, and what we saw was very very 469 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: different elk behaviors between the two different years. So one um, 470 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: Steve and I started hunting on September five. Cal and 471 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: I started hunting on the first, but we did get 472 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: four days of overlap. The larger herd bulls this year 473 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: were still by themselves on September four and September five, 474 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,400 Speaker 1: which seemed very strange to me. And when I say 475 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: larger herd bulls, um, we were covering ten to twelve 476 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: miles um a day, We were you know, locating a 477 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: lot of elk, We were getting to lay eyes on 478 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 1: on herds, and the bulls that were running the cows 479 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: weren't quite in the same category as some of these 480 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: bulls that were off still bachelored up. So number one 481 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,640 Speaker 1: leads me to believe a lot of times we see, 482 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 1: you know, those smaller bulls running herds in the late August, 483 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: but by time September rolls around, we can almost always 484 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: guarantee that those larger bulls will then take over the 485 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: herd and court the cows um, you know, for the 486 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: rest of September or until even an even larger bulls 487 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: shows up. So I was a little um concerned seeing 488 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: that the two largest bulls we've seen on the entire 489 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: trip were solo by themselves. We also made a move 490 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: on the largest of of all of these bulls, got 491 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: within a hundred twenty five yards, thinking he's by himself, 492 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: we got down next to him when was really good. 493 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: We cow called um hundred fifty yards away, and the 494 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: bull never made a peep um a lot of times. 495 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: You know, if he's ready, or even if he's not ready, 496 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: by September five, he's going to be accepted. You know, 497 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 1: he's going to be accepting cows make responses, make a movement. 498 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: So we didn't know that bowls there. We made some 499 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: caw calls and continued moving, and then ultimately, you know, 500 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: you're a little concerned, like well, as a last ditch effort, 501 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: we don't think anything's here, I'm gonna bugle before we 502 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: walk out of the canyon. We just crawled into training 503 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: to get this guy. I let a bugle out and 504 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: and that bowl takes off, ripping you know, right out 505 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: of the draw, right down below us. I could have 506 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: thrown a rock and landed on its head. That bowl 507 00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 1: takes off, and so you have that scenario September. You 508 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: fast forward to September five with me and Steve. We 509 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: call in three or four different bowls on the first 510 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: evening and you have what I would consider dominant bowls 511 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: bigger than this bowl that me and Cal tried to 512 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: call in. All of them bouncing around from group of 513 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: cow groups of cows, trying to figure out where they 514 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: fit in and the pecking order. And they were all 515 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: battling it out. You know when I say battling it out, 516 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: not literally battling it out, but they were all posturing. 517 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: They were all moving, um, four groups of cows already. Um, 518 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: So that was that was a pretty good sign in 519 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: New Mexico that that the timing was late. Move on 520 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: to Oregon, I would say timing was a little more typical. Um. 521 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: We had uh, you know, a little at a biggling 522 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:04,119 Speaker 1: um but but timing was still a little late, Like 523 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: it wasn't a ton of action. They would kind of 524 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,360 Speaker 1: shut off midday. We did have a couple of days 525 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: where we could get them going midday. Um, but really 526 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: just weren't cranking yet like that unit should have been. 527 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: Fast forward to Idaho. We don't show up until um 528 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 1: eighteenth or nineteen, and the Elk there just aren't going. 529 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: We're in Elk, We see elk, we know we're in Elk, 530 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,679 Speaker 1: and those things wouldn't make a whole lot of sound 531 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: until we got right on top of him. Now fast 532 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:33,240 Speaker 1: forward to the very end of that hunt. Um, things 533 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: are finally starting to get going. Um. We have hunted 534 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: this unit. Um, we've had people hunting this unit last 535 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: couple of years. Dirks hunted into a couple of times, 536 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: and you know, he always said it was very good early, 537 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: you know, tenth or fifteen, and then it kind of 538 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: actually seemed to have hit like an October loll um. 539 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: And so for us, it's another indicator that this thing 540 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: seemed to have been seven to ten days late, later 541 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: than normal. Um. I'm not a not a weatherman, I'm 542 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: not a climate you know specialist whatever whatever keeps track 543 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: of you know, climate change, whether you believe in any 544 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: of that or not. But one thing I do notice 545 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: is spring always seems to be later. We've been having 546 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: about the last five years. You know, winners later, springs later, 547 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: summer seems to go longer. UM. We saw some calves 548 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: with spots on him this year, which leads me to 549 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: believe that even last year, we were seeing some of 550 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: these cows get bread late late into November December. UM. 551 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: But but to back up, I feel like, if I 552 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: had to put an estimation on it, the rut was 553 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: seven to ten days later than when I typically saw 554 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: you know, back in in the early two thousand's when um, 555 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: everything the peak rut really seemed to hit, you know, 556 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: the thirteenth to the seventeenth of September. UM, I would 557 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: say that, you know, this year, peak of the rut 558 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: was maybe twenty three September, and we're gonna get pretty 559 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: good rud action well into October. UM. It is kind 560 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: of the timing of that. Now, the intensity of the 561 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: rut one of the other categories I kind of want 562 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: to break down the rut. The intensity was way way down. 563 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: UM this year. The the full moon hit, I believe, 564 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: Oh boy, I'm gonna guess I'm probably wrong. I want 565 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,239 Speaker 1: to say it hit towards the end of our New 566 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: Mexico hunt. So you know, somewhere around the seventh or 567 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: eighth we kind of got that full moon and then 568 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: we were on the tail end of it. So I 569 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: don't feel like, you know, the moon was necessarily a 570 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: huge factor. A lot of times when you have full moon, UM, 571 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:31,399 Speaker 1: those elk kind of rotate the rut more into the 572 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: to the night. They will they will get very intense 573 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: at night, and you want to see as much running 574 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: activity during the daylight. But I didn't see the moon 575 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: really have any effect on the intensity. And that may 576 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: have a have a strong correlation with the timing. Maybe 577 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: they just weren't there yet, but is is we started 578 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: to go from the full moon back to to no moon. Um, 579 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: we didn't see like a linear you know, pick up 580 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: on on the intensity of that rud. It didn't seem 581 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: to like spark or get it going when we were 582 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: in Oregon. UM, So in my opinion, the intensity was down. 583 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: I'll talk a little bit about her behavior, which in 584 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: my opinion, the intensity really has to do with the 585 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: herd behavior, what the other sub dominant bowls are doing. 586 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: And uh, a little bit of an observation I had 587 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: on her behavior that really, uh was was not typical UM, 588 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: especially for the areas that I got to hunt this year. 589 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: So um, intensity seemed to be down. Now with that said, 590 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: we we did get into some great action. UM we 591 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: were able to finally get get the intensity turned up. 592 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: But we talked about this a lot um when we're 593 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: setting up and some of our calling strategies. I felt 594 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: like a lot of that intensity was on my shoulders. 595 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: We would locate a bowl maybe with just a response, 596 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 1: I would locate vehicle or one of our collars, one 597 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: of my buddies would locate vehgle and we would get 598 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: an answer, but nothing too intense, nothing that was over 599 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: the top, and we would move in and a lot 600 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: of times we would want these you know, bulls to 601 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: keep bugling. There really wasn't any of that. We would 602 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: have to make a good decision. We would have to 603 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: make a good call on where he was at, get 604 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: in tight, and then have to work really really hard 605 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 1: on getting his temperature turned up. You know he was 606 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: he was very relaxed. UM, and this was morning and night. Typically, 607 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: these these turn up the intensity situations have to happen 608 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: when they're in bed or late morning early evening kind 609 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: of before they really kind of get going or the 610 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: herd starts moving. UM. This was morning and night UM, 611 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: and throughout the day we would have to go get in, 612 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: start to make calls, start to make excited caw calls, UM, 613 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: excited Bugle's challenge beagles, and then we could slowly get 614 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: the intensity turned up um and and high. In Idaho especially, 615 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: these elk were not interested in answering you from across 616 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: the canyon. They weren't really interested in answering you. You know, 617 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: from six seven dred yards away. We had to get 618 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: very very close. They would they would call on their own. 619 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: Occasionally we had to take that little bit of information, 620 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: develop our our plan, get the wind right. A lot 621 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: of it was just a guess we thought they were 622 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: in this area. Sometimes it would take us some time 623 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:10,800 Speaker 1: to get there, and we just had to kind of 624 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: guess that they were still there. We would get in 625 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 1: tight and then once we got within four, you know, 626 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: three yards, we could start to hear them a little better. 627 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: They were biggling very very quietly, without a ton of 628 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: meaning a ton of force. That was just very very 629 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: quiet baggling. But when we would get in set up, 630 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: you know, let's say we were hundred fifty two yards away, 631 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: we could start to get those bulls to to get 632 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: that intensity picked up. UM. But it was a lot 633 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: of work, and like I say, it was a little 634 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: frustrating knowing UM running this multiple times on on different 635 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: herd bowls and different satellite bowls that we were unable 636 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: to get them the answer across the canyon, which really 637 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: has you, UM, second guessing everything you do because you 638 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: feel like you put yourself in a good spot. You 639 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 1: feel like there should be elk there, there's elks in there, 640 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: but yet you cannot get an answer UM. And so 641 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: it's it's one of those real frustrating times UM. You 642 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: know to be an arch realk hunter that likes to 643 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: call because you really had no no idea if you 644 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: were in elk or if you were an elk. UM. 645 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: So you know that intensity. You want those things to 646 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: answer back quicker, You want them to be interested, and 647 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: you want them to continue to answer UM. Weather this year, 648 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: the weather for UM, in my opinion, has a big 649 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: effect on kind of snapping them into uh a better rut, UM, 650 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: you know, a better rut from a hunter's perspective. The 651 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: weather all across the West. I don't know too many places, 652 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 1: if any that I've seen a bunch of rain or 653 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: a bunch of weather issues. I would say my typical 654 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 1: weather forecast from the first day we were in New 655 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: Mexico on September one, all the way to the last 656 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: day hunted Idaho in September. Um. Aside from the day 657 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: before we drove into Idaho, which was a kind of 658 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: a quick little wet mass, they're um, extremely hot, extremely dry, 659 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,719 Speaker 1: not a lot of water where there's typically water. Um. 660 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: New Mexico. You know, it's more of a a man 661 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: made water game. So there is water where we expected 662 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: it to be, water through tanks and whatnot. Um. But 663 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: the weather was very, very warm. And what's very frustrating 664 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: for an archerial hunter is when you've got thirty to 665 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: forty minutes to hunt in the morning and then you 666 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: have to take a ten hour nap because those elk 667 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 1: are completely not unresponsive the rest of the day until 668 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: right before evening, and they're bedding themselves, all of them, 669 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: not just a few of them. They all seem to 670 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: bed in a flat top or a flat bottom where 671 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: the wind just would not allow us to make an 672 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 1: approach from from any direction. So UM, you know, weather 673 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: was was hot. It was dry. Now. I don't mind 674 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: clear and cool. I don't even mind some hot days. 675 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: But we need, in my opinion, you want a little 676 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: bit of rain, you want a little bit of cold, 677 00:33:58,280 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, and then and then a warm snap. You 678 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: want some days where it doesn't get above fifty or 679 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: sixty in the mountains instead of every day being you know, 680 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: in the seventies. So, um, I think weather played a 681 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: little bit. I don't think you just want the same 682 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 1: static weather pattern for an entire month. It doesn't give you, um, 683 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: you know, any of those you know, cold snaps or 684 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 1: or you know, warm snaps and and and changes is 685 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: really what you're looking for to kind of change the 686 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: animal behavior. So weather didn't help us out at all 687 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: this year. Herd behavior. This is more of an observation. 688 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: When we go and locate elk either by you know, 689 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 1: typically by um glassing them up, we noticed very very little, 690 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: uh challenging. We noticed very very little um bold of 691 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 1: bowl biggling or communication when they're out there. It seemed 692 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: like the pecking order was very well established this year. 693 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,879 Speaker 1: And the herd bowls that were in the area we're 694 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: running the show, and the satellite bowls really weren't that 695 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: interested in messing with the herd bull at all. And uh, 696 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: the most glaring instance of this was when I was 697 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 1: in Oregon. You know, a very very good unit, a 698 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: lot of bowls that are not only you know, upper end, 699 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 1: but a whole bunch of bulls that are in that 700 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,839 Speaker 1: next tier, you know, very mature bowls, and most units 701 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: will be running herds. We saw a very very little 702 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,879 Speaker 1: challenging from those bulls, and we saw a very very 703 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: very little opportunity to call those bulls in. They were 704 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: either by themselves non vocal or just not interested. You know. 705 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: There was one evening we got into a little bit 706 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: of a bugle fest. You know, it's a big brushy hole. Um, 707 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: we kind of just all disregard for how much noise 708 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 1: you're making. We kind of ran in there and we 709 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: had a a mid size six kind of messing with 710 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,479 Speaker 1: with a mature you know, three twenty type six point. 711 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: And that was really the only crazy bold bull action 712 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 1: we had experienced aside from us trying to insert us 713 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: into the into the calling games. So real, real weird, um, 714 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: you know, herd behavior in New Mexico, Like I said, 715 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: the only two bulls bigging at each other. Were the 716 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: two biggest bowls that really didn't have any cows around 717 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: or UM so real strange air aside from bulls just 718 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: calling back and forth to each other across the canyon 719 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:10,719 Speaker 1: or maybe answering the location Bugle Oregon seemed to be 720 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: herd behavior was one dominant bull with thirty cows kind 721 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 1: of just running the show. Some smaller satellites really just 722 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: feeding way off to the side. UM. In Idaho herd 723 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: bulls were making a little bit of sound. We did 724 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:30,319 Speaker 1: have UM satellites around the herd ball calling UM, but real, real, 725 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: non vocal. The herd bull was actually doing the majority 726 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: of the calling, which is sometimes you know, not what 727 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: happens a lot of times of satellite bowls will give 728 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 1: away the herd. But yeah, just real weird where we 729 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,720 Speaker 1: didn't have a lot of satellite bowls keeping that herd 730 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 1: bull talking so that we can make good decisions, plan 731 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: our approach, get the wind right, and do all this 732 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: stuff we normally do. UM. Herd behavior was was definitely 733 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 1: UM down this year as far as subordinate bulls challenging 734 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,719 Speaker 1: for the herd or pestering the herd bowl And then 735 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: the main thing I'm looking at as far as how 736 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: the rut goes is how callable were the bulls, um, 737 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: and this is where you had great success in the past, 738 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,880 Speaker 1: and some of these same units are very similar units. 739 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: In the Mexico. Being as early as we were, we 740 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: had very very uh lackluster results, I would say, as 741 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,879 Speaker 1: far as being able to call a bull into our lap. 742 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: You know, the very first day September one, we were 743 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: able to call in what I would call even a 744 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: more immatura bowl um two very close range. He was 745 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,359 Speaker 1: full of piston vinegar um. He was one of those 746 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:32,360 Speaker 1: bulls where once he respawned a couple of times, you're like, 747 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: all right, I can throw anything at him, you know, 748 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,360 Speaker 1: a couple of challenge beagles breaking a tree, and we 749 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 1: had that bull come in and then from there on 750 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: out we watched a very large, five point very mature 751 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 1: bowl go from having cows to losing his cows. And 752 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: then when we when he lost his cows, um, You're like, 753 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:49,920 Speaker 1: all right, I'm just gonna go in and cow call 754 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,840 Speaker 1: this bowl. And it seems like a perfect opportunity for 755 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: him to get cows back. Just really not interested. So 756 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,799 Speaker 1: we we ramped it up to beagles and he just 757 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: he just wasn't in there, said he was gonna stay 758 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 1: a hundred yards hundred twenty yards off and and not 759 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 1: make any um you know change. Now, we did get 760 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:07,360 Speaker 1: into a lot of calling battles, but it seemed like 761 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: the ability to move these elk you know, the last 762 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: uh forty fift yards sometimes it's very very difficult. Um. Also, 763 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: bowls that just weren't interested in in committing. They would 764 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: they would call back and forth. You could play the 765 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: you know, I'm over here, you're over there. Game. We 766 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,400 Speaker 1: can let each other know where we're at. But um, 767 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: the ability to move that elk um you know, midday 768 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: or late morning just wasn't gonna happen. If they weren't 769 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:34,240 Speaker 1: on their way to feed or to bed, they weren't 770 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 1: really going to change the location. I think that comes 771 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,840 Speaker 1: back to the weather and the heat. They just weren't 772 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 1: going to pull themselves, um you know, off of their um. 773 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:44,799 Speaker 1: We did have a couple other chances, they're just for 774 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,719 Speaker 1: one reason or another, couldn't get them to commit move 775 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: to Oregon. About as frustrating of elk hunting with a 776 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: call in my mouth that I've ever experienced. During the 777 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: Red um these bulls did not want you to get close. 778 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: You know, our our normal game plan is get very 779 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,359 Speaker 1: very close, Um extrus wine, challenge Bogle in his face. 780 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 1: You're basically saying, there's a bull there to take your cows. 781 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 1: That was maybe the worst thing we could do is 782 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: get close in Bogle, because they would find enough time 783 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: they didn't really care. We had multiple bowls walk away 784 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: from their cows when they are the herd bulls. Um. 785 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: They would just leave if they couldn't round up their 786 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 1: cows and leaves. So we realized very quickly we couldn't 787 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: call to the herd bowl, so we switched to cal calling. 788 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: Let's getting close in cal call. We did have a 789 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: couple of callings that were very successful with cal calls, 790 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,359 Speaker 1: but then a bunch of scenarios where it didn't work. UM. 791 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: So we would get in close, we would try to 792 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: cal call, and once again they would either leave or 793 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: it would put eyes on us and by time we 794 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: would get something set up, UM, it didn't work out. 795 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,719 Speaker 1: But a lot of times that bowl was not interested 796 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: in listening to cal call. Um. He would once again 797 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,920 Speaker 1: kind of round his cows up and leave UM and 798 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,719 Speaker 1: it turned into Oregon. We were hunting elk a lot 799 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: like meal deer with the boat. Be very very quiet, 800 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,359 Speaker 1: try to be you know, sneak into shooting position. Um, 801 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,400 Speaker 1: try to get into an ambush position ahead of them. 802 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: And time after time, you know, we'd find ourselves kind 803 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: of coming back to hey, calling should work here, and 804 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,879 Speaker 1: we would. You would try to resist that the whole 805 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 1: way you'd go to make a call, and sure enough 806 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:16,160 Speaker 1: you would screw the whole thing up again. So very uncollable, Idaho. 807 00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:18,920 Speaker 1: The elk we're collable. Once we would find them, Like 808 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,080 Speaker 1: I said, they were very very quiet, but once we 809 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:25,799 Speaker 1: were getting close, get them to start talking. On multiple occasions, um, 810 00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:28,760 Speaker 1: we were able to call elk in into shooting range 811 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 1: um or they would come in silent. But they did 812 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 1: what elk did. Like I don't necessarily think that, you know, 813 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 1: elk are always gonna come in biggling. We had the 814 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: outcome in silent. We had opportunities um and and things 815 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 1: did line up. So Idaho, they were definitely more collable. 816 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: So my my button, my recap on you know the 817 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: rut here the elk Upo seems to be a little 818 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: bit later in cities, seemed to be down at least 819 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: during bow season. I wouldn't be surprised right now. Um, 820 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 1: you know, if those bulls weren't still talking very well 821 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 1: into the end of October. Um weather was hot. We 822 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: need a little bit of different weather to to kind 823 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: of break that up. Herd behavior seemed to be down. 824 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 1: We didn't have you know, satellite bulls challenging and then 825 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: call ability. UM, I don't know if it was the 826 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: area of the units I was in compared to normal, 827 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 1: but um, you know, the first two hunts were frustrating, 828 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 1: especially having back to back in New Mexico hunts where 829 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,520 Speaker 1: they were extremely collable in one, not very collable in 830 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: twenty two, and then one of the best units in 831 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 1: Oregon just having it very, very tough to be able 832 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,520 Speaker 1: to call to these bulls. Um, what was real frustrating. 833 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,760 Speaker 1: So that's kind of my recap on this year's rut, 834 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 1: and that's kind of breaking it down on timing, intensity, 835 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 1: the weather we experienced, what the herd behavior like, and 836 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 1: what the call ability was. So. Um, Like I said, 837 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 1: I think if we continue to get these slight changes 838 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:55,840 Speaker 1: in later winners, later springs, we're going to continue to 839 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: maybe get this rut. Timing moved back, which I don't 840 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 1: know if I'm ready to to start to plan around 841 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,400 Speaker 1: that or not, but we may start looking into, UM 842 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 1: pushing our archery hunts later into September, maybe moved from 843 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 1: you know, if we can get rifle tags earlier in October, 844 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,120 Speaker 1: we may start using that to our advantage and seeing 845 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:15,359 Speaker 1: if what I believe is happening UM can translate into 846 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,279 Speaker 1: into some hunter success. So UM, once again, thank you 847 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 1: very much for tuning into cutting the distance. UM. This 848 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:24,960 Speaker 1: is kind of my uh my synopsis on the field 849 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 1: reports for Elkret