Moose rut timing

[avadad]

Interested in hearing from some experienced moose hunters in regards to rut timing. I have a bull moose draw for the month of October in MU 3-33. My schedule may prevent me from starting my hunt until the 9th of the month. My question is will the bulls still respond to calling later in the month as well as they do earlier in in the rut? Thanks.

[HarryToolips]

I haven't shot a moose, but had bulls responding to calls after Oct 15th a couple years ago when the season was open for spikers at that time..

[wideopenthrottle]

late October last year we saw 6 bulls together at a creek that crossed the road it was almost dark and did not get close enough to get one....we thought that was strange to see so many together at that time of year...1 was huge 3 mediums and 2 smaller....next evening I circled around up stream and listened to a cow that moaned and splashed for about an hour straight near dusk...she was definitely in heat....following day after that we all went up in two groups both sides of the creek and got a medium sized one he was definitely "drunk" with lust. that is him in my avitar

[Ltbullken]

I think they will still respond. Cows generally peak around late Sept/early Oct but I called a bull in as late as Nov 5, which is in the second estrus cycle if cows are not impregnated during the first cycle.

[ducktoller]

Supposed to be a hot fall may delay it

[wideopenthrottle]

Supposed to be a hot fall may delay it

supposedly weather is irrelevant all based on photoperiod (hours of daylight) but maybe a month of cloudy weather might fool them into "thinking" it is later?

[wideopenthrottle]

http://www.all-about-moose.com/what-sparks-the-moose-rut.html
found this little blurb on it

[LYKTOHUNT]

T o answer the question, no they will not respond as well later in the month, however they still might a bit, I have called in small bulls in November

[DANOSON]

Here is my thought process take it anyway you want. The bulls have their cows all together and will not travel very far away from them until he has bred them all. If you are close enough they will make an apperance just to hold on to their girls. Once bred they are still all fired up and then they go walking trying to find their last bit of love and this with my experience is where you have a good chance to call them in from a long ways away. Be patient as they may take awhile to get there. Many guys have called left their postion only to come back to a gut pile right from where they were calling.(guilty) Hope this helps shoot straight.

[TPK]

supposedly weather is irrelevant all based on photoperiod (hours of daylight) but maybe a month of cloudy weather might fool them into "thinking" it is later?

Well .. all I can say is the damn things aint moving when it's warm but after the first good nights frost ... they start moving. From past experience, I would lean more on the weather having an impact than not.

[Ltbullken]

The amount and frequencies of light changes throughout the seasons. This is what triggers the rut so the timing will not change. Weather may influence behaviour, activity levels and choice of habitat of the animals but it won't influence the timing of the rut.

[Jelvis]

My edumicated guess is in Reg 3 -- Sept 23rd to October 2, is the peak - mostly all mature cows are bred by the four and a half year olds and up stud bull moose. Competition is gruelling on the giants.
Start calling around earliest you can in Sept pre rut and during peak then it fades fast after cuz the bulls are bred out, fought out and tired. Now they seek heavy cover to lay down and rest. Period --
Some young bulls will be frisky cuz they dint git none haha, they watched from a distance as the two bulls fought for the cow, and one died from it's injuries. It's tuff to be a stud bull moose in the rut especially, from September to October 2nd. You gotta rumble if you have any chance at the ladies.
Jel -- start listening for moose calling by a meadow with a wet stream and copy the sounds --

[wideopenthrottle]

Well .. all I can say is the damn things aint moving when it's warm but after the first good nights frost ... they start moving. From past experience, I would lean more on the weather having an impact than not.
yep definately colder gets em moving...very true...

[eagle eye]

Oct.9th is good.rut still on,but you have to be in an area with fresh sign.

[hunter1947]

Go the first of Oct the bulls are in full rut at this time of the year they will call back to you at this time..

[Paulyman]

You need to get out there a week earlier.

[billjc33]

Every year their is always tons of discussion on the moose rut. It's to warm, to dry, the moose are elevated therefore the rut is later. My conclusion is it is never later, it is the same every year no matter what the conditions. These animals have to breed to ensure the proper gestation period. I have had bulls calling and coming in from Sept 1st to Oct 22 but prime time is always Sept 22- Oct 8. There are so many variables to whether a moose will respond or not such as, is he already with a cow, is he big or small, is he the dominate bull in the area, is he shy to bull calls, has he experienced hunters. I've had a bull come in one evening full on grunting every 10 seconds for the whole world to hear, didn't get him into shooting range so put him to bed. I came back the next morning and he came out completely silent after 30 min. Every situation is different. Trying to figure out the situation to entice that bull out is part of the fun, especially into bow range.

[Rob Chipman]

Thanks for this info. I was always of the opinion that prime time was Oct. 15, and have had a lot of success then, so I'm looking forward to starting earlier. We've got a bull draw Oct. 1-31 in region 3.

I also like the insight about heat. We've heard for years that "cold weather gets them moving" but I've never connected the dots about what to do in warm weather (which we seem to get more and more consistently). Seems like higher elevations (in some settings) and deep timber to avoid the sun.

So, let's say your in a relatively high country (say 4500'+) creek basin that's spread between moose meadow, blow down, regular timber and peckerpole timber and it's warm.

What would you do? Where would you set up? How high upstream would you go to gain elevation?

[TPK]

The amount and frequencies of light changes throughout the seasons. This is what triggers the rut so the timing will not change. Weather may influence behaviour, activity levels and choice of habitat of the animals but it won't influence the timing of the rut.

Ah yes, good point. I was just thinking of our success with Moose and how nothing seems to be going on until the cold hits .. then things start to happen and they start moving, but as you pointed out, that isn't the "rut" causing the change in behavior.

[tomahawk]

Every year their is always tons of discussion on the moose rut. It's to warm, to dry, the moose are elevated therefore the rut is later. My conclusion is it is never later, it is the same every year no matter what the conditions. These animals have to breed to ensure the proper gestation period. I have had bulls calling and coming in from Sept 1st to Oct 22 but prime time is always Sept 22- Oct 8. There are so many variables to whether a moose will respond or not such as, is he already with a cow, is he big or small, is he the dominate bull in the area, is he shy to bull calls, has he experienced hunters. I've had a bull come in one evening full on grunting every 10 seconds for the whole world to hear, didn't get him into shooting range so put him to bed. I came back the next morning and he came out completely silent after 30 min. Every situation is different. Trying to figure out the situation to entice that bull out is part of the fun, especially into bow range.
Others touched on parts of this but this is the BEST ANSWER regarding the rutting behaviours of bulls timing, conditions, reactions etc. NOTHING changes the time the rut takes place!!! Large mature bulls rut harder but much shorter then younger bulls. I worked with Ken Child the Biologist in PG in the 80's on moose behaviour and we had bulls responding on Taber Mnt in Aug. The earlier you go in Oct the better, plain and simple. Its one thing to get a response, its totally another to get him out of where he is and into your shooting range. Its dependent on time of rut, if hes with a cow, how open you are, whether your using a cow or bull call etc etc etc.

[Ltbullken]

Ah yes, good point. I was just thinking of our success with Moose and how nothing seems to be going on until the cold hits .. then things start to happen and they start moving, but as you pointed out, that isn't the "rut" causing the change in behavior.

Agreed. Finding the bulls with the cows in high elevation thick timber when it is warm out cannot be consituted as rut behaviour in any way. It's just hangin' out. And as most hunters won't go where the bulls are sniffing the cows, when it is warm out, this is most definitely not the rut... only when the bull is standing on the road when it is cool out, can it be called the rut. Anything else is rubbish.

[billjc33]

I have had more success in the last few years on days of +24 to +27 in late Sept then I have had in previous years when its cold. The mornings and evenings are key when its warm out but cold whether DOES NOT MAKE THEM RUT. Some moose migrate into breeding areas every year and if its warm out the cows may be closer to water but they are not just going to pack up and head for the hills. The moose will be where they always are just maybe not standing in the middle of a clear cut at noon in the beating sun.

[Stresd]

In the Boo out Big Creek way where I used to hunt every year since back in the late 60's into the 2000's. Used to get horses from Dwayne and Marion out of Teepee Heart. Found best success/movement with the Bulls over the years, was at the very end Sept to my birthday Oct 7. Havn't been there in the last 5 years because of the native, wolf, grizz and logging issues. Sad because we had hunted that area for the last 50 years. Hunting way up north lately, where seeing all the Big Bulls in early Sept. Respond to Calls really well and tending the cows already. Seen lots of Big Bulls while sheep/goat hunting the last couple years when not setup to get one of the big suckers out. No sheep tag this year so going to head in 2'nd week of Sept geared up differently, to see if they are still there.;-)