Region 7: Elk Rut?

[Waynewjw]

Anyone know when the elk start to rut in Region 7. I'm being told mid August to early Oct. Can anyone confirm?

Any suggestions for MU 7-33 and 7-46 like spots in these area's to focus on?

Any suggestions or recommendations would be welcomed? This is the 1st elk hunt in about 20+ years and I would like it to be a success.

Thanks

[moosinaround]

Drive up after the 10 of sept. and shoot a cow! Antlerless elk in MU
7-20a*, plus six point or better. second week to the end of sept. is the best , then into the first week of oct. Good luck, see yah up there. Moosin

[warren0427]

its the 15 of september and 3 point or better.

[BCRiverBoater]

The elk are rutting already in some areas. They will bugle for most of the season. I find some areas are rutting earlier than others. Of course they all rut the same time as their calves are born same time every year but the weather really plays a roll in how vocal they are in the daylight hours. Hence the northern mountainous areas will have bulls begin heard in the morning/night already. The spots close to FSJ will be more towards middle to end of Sept before you hear them regularly.

[BCRiverBoater]

I would recommend hunter orange this year in 7-20*

Sounds like every person in the province will be up here for the cow season. I think I will be heading north until the late season. I do not want to be around 7-20* this year. Mind you would be fun to bugle and call in hunter after hunter and see how far you can get them to walk.

[elkdom]

Drive up after the 10 of sept. and shoot a cow! Antlerless elk in MU
7-20a*, plus six point or better. second week to the end of sept. is the best , then into the first week of oct. Good luck, see yah up there. Moosin

That should read 7-20a*, plus 3 point or better Sept 01 until Oct 31, antlerless 7-20a* sept 15 until Oct 31, elk seem to get active around first week of sept, but many conditions effect the rut and how much they may bugle,weather,logging,minning and gas and oil activity can change the rules ,right conditions they bugle early,shot several (6x6) bulls on fisrt and second day of Sept, other years you dont hear them till late September,and some years they bugle right untill last day of hunting season,Oct 31 st, pretty safe all through Sept, best month for sure! good luck!

[moosinaround]

Yup sorry 15 sept, :redface: till oct 31. Moosin

[BCRiverBoater]

I have hunted mostly in Sept. for main hunts but I have come to like a few spots in October. I like to spend 2 weeks in middle of Sept. chasing them around but I have had success on Oct. 28 one year.

[Waynewjw]

What Kind of Terrain? East and North of FSJ, are we talking farm land with some bush or mostly bush? And because this area seems open season on just about anything that moves, is the general feeling that anyone with a gun will be in this area looking to shoot anything that moves?

[BCRiverBoater]

Close to FSJ is mostly farmland and some bush and yes everyone and their dog will be killing any elk moving. I have talked to lot of people coming up here from another areas who never normally come here. Also lots of guys are taking their kids out for their first elk. Also some guys are going to hunt the bulls for a bit then if they have no luck they are going to fill their freezer somehow. I think it would be safe to say it is going to be a zoo this year in 7-20*.

I am heading north or some other part of the woods that does not have the open season. I hope this is for only one year to thin the herd to help the farmers as they are going to take a beating.

[elkdom]

Close to FSJ is mostly farmland and some bush and yes everyone and their dog will be killing any elk moving. I have talked to lot of people coming up here from another areas who never normally come here. Also lots of guys are taking their kids out for their first elk. Also some guys are going to hunt the bulls for a bit then if they have no luck they are going to fill their freezer somehow. I think it would be safe to say it is going to be a zoo this year in 7-20*.

I am heading north or some other part of the woods that does not have the open season. I hope this is for only one year to thin the herd to help the farmers as they are going to take a beating.

X 2 on your hunting (ZOO) opinion,7-20a* consisting of some Crown land encroaching on mostly PRIVATE land will result in huge amounts of calls to local CO's about tresspass issues!, the regular antlered deer season leaves the CO's exhausted in 7B,and that is only one month long and late in the fall, not many out of town hunters by comparison to what seems to be of interest now that a GOs has been opened for 3 point or better elk and antlerless for 6 weeks, I think there will be lots of tresspass tickets and hunting on private land fines, if its a gong show!,then probably next year the season will revert to what it was before! I think this will be the first year in 25 years of hunting elk that I will be in HUNTER ORANGE!

[wetcoasthunter]

Seems the "gong show" theme is what will take place up there this year, I guess I will be part of that gong show as I am heading up in a couple of weeks. As for the rut thing, we were up there last year, last week in Aug, first week in Sept. and the bulls were bugling, and fighting, and herding up the cows while we were there. I think its hard to put an exact date on such things.

I've said this before, they need to open up other areas in the province for these less restrictive hunts so they spread out the hunters. You can argue this many ways, less pressure on one particular area, safety for hunters, etc etc. But the NIMBY attitude seems to prevail and squash such things. There i go, ranting away, another topic for another thread.

Good luck to all those heading up there.

[open-sights]

Sept 15, I think is when cow's open

Drive up after the 10 of sept. and shoot a cow! Antlerless elk in MU
7-20a*, plus six point or better. second week to the end of sept. is the best , then into the first week of oct. Good luck, see yah up there. Moosin

[BCrams]

X 2 on your hunting (ZOO) opinion,7-20a* consisting of some Crown land encroaching on mostly PRIVATE land will result in huge amounts of calls to local CO's about tresspass issues!, the regular antlered deer season leaves the CO's exhausted in 7B,and that is only one month long and late in the fall, not many out of town hunters by comparison to what seems to be of interest now that a GOs has been opened for 3 point or better elk and antlerless for 6 weeks, I think there will be lots of tresspass tickets and hunting on private land fines, if its a gong show!,then probably next year the season will revert to what it was before! I think this will be the first year in 25 years of hunting elk that I will be in HUNTER ORANGE!

Nothing wrong with hunter orange. Americans have mandatory hunter orange laws for their elk seasons in many states and it apparently does not hurt the success rate as does orange in Saskatchewan!

I think it is about time more liberal seasons have been implemented in the Peace region for elk and deer.

[elkdom]

Nothing wrong with hunter orange. Americans have mandatory hunter orange laws for their elk seasons in many states and it apparently does not hurt the success rate as does orange in Saskatchewan!

I think it is about time more liberal seasons have been implemented in the Peace region for elk and deer.

No problem with more "liberal" seasons, and as far as colour,and I have no issue with orange,camo ,plaid, lmao. I have called deer,moose and 6x elk into less than 20 yards wearing all colours,but when you take several hundred gun packin, high with hopes of shooting something hunters, mainly hunting near or on private land in an open season where the shooter is not required to count the points, it can get a bit scary!, as for Sask or any juristiction that requires blaze orange vests or full blaze orange clothing, those Statutes were only implemented because some hunters are not as careful or as diligent in identifying before they pull the trigger!, SAD but TRUE!

[Waynewjw]

I'll look at the reg's tonight when I get home, but would any of you suggest other area's between Hope and FSJ that is "as open as FSJ" or close for elk. I'm thinking it may be alot safer going into another area with less hunter pressure.

I got out of hunting 30 years ago because there were no reg's, no training, no nuthin', and guys were getting shot up all over the place. Sounds like FSJ could be a repeat, and speaking solely for myself, any day above ground is better than a week below.

Some of you guys are talking about "further" north. How much further, are we talking the next MU or Ft. St. James??

[elkdom]

I'll look at the reg's tonight when I get home, but would any of you suggest other area's between Hope and FSJ that is "as open as FSJ" or close for elk. I'm thinking it may be alot safer going into another area with less hunter pressure.

I got out of hunting 30 years ago because there were no reg's, no training, no nuthin', and guys were getting shot up all over the place. Sounds like FSJ could be a repeat, and speaking solely for myself, any day above ground is better than a week below.

Some of you guys are talking about "further" north. How much further, are we talking the next MU or Ft. St. James??

I ,am not trying to discourage or alarm anyone, just I prefer to err on the side of safety, as for locations for zone 7-20a* it extends up Alaska hwy to 'Wonowon' north to Aitken creek road and Beaton airport road,then north to mile 30 '169 road,then northeast to Triad road all the way to Beaton river valley,need more info I will try and help, zones 7-34 and 7-33 north from FtSt John have good numbers of elk, both sides of Alaska Hwy,lots of roads,cut blocks and siesmic lines seeded with stuff the elk LOVE to chow down on!

[hunter1947]

First week sept on throug till mid Oct.

You will find that mid sept is the best for rutting elk in that region.

[Waynewjw]

I'm being told to contact MOE or the CO's and they will give me the names of guys who want elk harvested off their property.

Any thoughts?

[BCRiverBoater]

Having permission on private land where they want the elk gone may be a good start. You will run into a few less hunters and only poachers will be there hanging around the edges.

Might be safer then on crown land where everyone will be crowded.