Hunters with Children age 12-15: there is a special youth deer hunt for 12-15 year old hunters on the two days before the general season opens. This is a great opportunity to get young hunters out in the field without the huge crowds of opening day, before the animals are spooked. Please visit the Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site for details: http://fwp.mt.gov/.
For anyone out in the woods: Please use caution! Bears are attracted to hunting activities. Want to know about staying safe in bear country? Check out our recorded Lunch n’ Learn, “Bear Aware” at http://www.benefits.mt.gov/pages/wellness.resources.html.
Hunter Challenge Recipes
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On behalf of member: Dave R. "My hunt was over by Labor Day. I took advantage of the pre-rut when bulls were running around looking for interested girlfriends when the pickings were still pretty slim. This bull came in to an estrus call, after a light challenge bugle “discussion”. Now that I’m guiding and calling for my 16 year old, the bigger bulls are hung up with harems. You kind of have to sneak right into their “living room” and challenge them to get them close enough for a shot. The cows’ watchful eyes usually do a good job of keeping that from happening. The younger bulls are still wandering from herd to herd and seeking out the single cows making sweet noises. I’ve actually called up a bull of some kind or another four out of the five days that I’ve hunted since the season began. Where I hunt they really aren’t call shy. Yesterday it was just a cute little knobby spike.
The peak of the rut should be in full effect soon. It’s funny how that seems to play out at different times in different areas. I guess it has a lot to do with local hunting pressure, moonlight/phases, wolves and weather. Regardless, the elk will mate and mating activity will increase at some point, but they just might be less vocal under certain conditions. Wolves can be a big influence on all that! If a bugle makes them feel like a target, then they don’t bugle! You can still hear grunts and light whistles, though. I’m hoping to write a web page on ElkHuntingTips.net about trying to predict the peak of the rut, but it might be too late for this season. I have a call in to a wildlife biologist to discuss the common technique of counting 25 weeks from Easter Sunday. That is September 26th this year, give or take five days on either side. If that has any merit, it will be the 21st through Oct. 1st. Unfortunately, the full and harvest moon occurs from the 22nd to the 25th. There will be lots of light at night, so daytime activity might be less at that time. I guess a moonlit night is more romantic! Being out there at daybreak and before twilight will be important. That said, the elk don’t read the “rules”, so hopefully the bright moon during the rut won’t hamper daytime hunting too much.
Have a good hunting season! My boys still have four elk tags they can fill and Dad is guide and outfitter. No rest for the weary!"
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