king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated Magazine Dec/Jan 2008 - Coyote Crazy! - Index

H ello
fellow elk fanatics! At
the time of this writing, the
Arizona archery and early
bull hunts have just ended and oh
what fun they were. Despite some
unpredictable weather and high
winds, we still managed to have a
fantastic season here in Arizona.
As is the case each year, I am
always reminded how challenging
hunting elk can be - especially when
you are hunting the herd bull. Since
tagging the monarch controlling the
herd is rarely easy, let’s explore his
habits and tendencies during the rut
and also during the late-season to
try and put the odds in our favor.
As August comes to a close
each year, mature bulls have already
shed their velvet two to three weeks
prior. With a new set of polished,
hard antlers and testosterone
levels rising each day, bulls
become obsessed with establishing
dominance and joining up with
cow/calf groups. During the fi rst
couple of weeks of September, a
bull will spend lots of time rubbing
trees to darken his antlers and also
to mark his area with scent. Due to
heightened hormones and traveling
activity in search of cows, a herd
bull will also frequent water daily to
drink and wallow. Most often this
will occur during the late evening
and night hours, although bulls
will also sometimes hit water in the
morning before bedding. In areas
of dense timber, a bull may also hit
a wallow during mid-day if he does
not have to travel far and he’s got
good cover so that he feels secure to
do so.
22 HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
ELK
The Herd Bull
Knowing his habits during your hunt.
RUT HUNTS
If you are hunting during
the fi rst two weeks of September, the
bugling activity can be very hit and miss.
There is no doubt that a big bull is much
more vulnerable when he is aggressive
enough to be looking for cows but is not
yet with them. Good calling can result
in a great bull during this time if done
properly. During this period cow calling
can work well. Also, bugling and cow
calling to simulate a herd that has moved
into a bull’s area can peak his interest.
5ELK5
Steve Chappell
The more authentic you sound on the
calls, the better your success will be.
Once the middle of
September arrives, the big bulls are
usually getting pretty “cowed up.”
As most of you know, this presents
a huge challenge because now the
bull has full-time guards on the
lookout for him. Other than rare
days of absolute rutting insanity, I
haven’t seen many cows that will
overlook much. The bull seems to
realize this and relies heavily on his
cows to keep him out of harm’s way.
Author and Ray Madsen with a great late season bull
that was the result of still hunting and good glassing.