Elk hunting and moon phases??

[Sniper]

Anybody know what touches off the Elk rut in Northern B.C. and how it progresses through September? I suspect a lot of the timing of the rut is related to the phases of the moon and also the weather but I would like to hear observations from some of the Elk hunters. 8O

[Mauser98]

It's my understanding that, while factors such as weather, moon phase, etc. will influence the rut to a degree the amount of daylight is the key as too when the rut starts.

Each year, we hunt elk and moose in northern BC(Chetwynd area) during the last two weeks of Sept. Last year the bulls were bugling the whole time we were there. In fact, in the small area I was hunting, hardly a day passed when I didn't hear at least one and often multiple bulls bugling. In talking with other hunters, we were told that they were bugling at the beginning of Sept. One of our party shot a bugling bull in early October. The weather was everything from clear freezing to hot to pouring rain.

Each year is different. In 2002, both elk and moose were hardly making a sound.

[lovestohunt]

In the interior I had a 7-8 pt a 6pt and 4 pt bugling 100 yards away on a deactivated road the day before opening season, the next 2 days we had elk talking everywhere. On the third day we had a griz come into our camp in the middle of the night, needless to say we were out that night and never went back.

But to answer your question, they are very active early in the season. I have friends who buggle them in on the 1st of sept every year with great success ( bow hunters). However I heard from some old verterns it is usaly best to catch the late rut because they gett a little more aggresive and not as causios.

[wounded]

The amount of 'daylight' in the day triggers the cow's glands in her eyes somehow!! and puts her into estrus and so the bulls go in rut there after..Seen it somewhere .

[River Rat]

Mauser has the basic answer. The cows, not the bulls, control the rut by coming into estrus. The weather can have an effect but it is the weather in the spring not the fall which figures in the health of the cows.If feed has been poor and cows are not robust the estrus cycle can be affected. The moon phase and the fall weather have little to do with it.
The length of day seems to trigger the estrus cycle and bring on the rut. In Northern BC this is late September/early October almost always. If cows are young or don't catch the first time there can be a second cycle a month later. Gestation is 8 to 81/2 mos.(240-260 days) Calves drop in May and June. Any later and calf survival is low. Up north we see very little rutting in early Sept. Read T.R Michels on the elk rut. Also. Ray Boyd in Big Game of North America.

[GoatGuy]

Mauser has the basic answer. The cows, not the bulls, control the rut by coming into estrus. The weather can have an effect but it is the weather in the spring not the fall which figures in the health of the cows.If feed has been poor and cows are not robust the estrus cycle can be affected. The moon phase and the fall weather have little to do with it.
The length of day seems to trigger the estrus cycle and bring on the rut. In Northern BC this is late September/early October almost always. If cows are young or don't catch the first time there can be a second cycle a month later. Gestation is 8 to 81/2 mos.(240-260 days) Calves drop in May and June. Any later and calf survival is low. Up north we see very little rutting in early Sept. Read T.R Michels on the elk rut. Also. Ray Boyd in Big Game of North America.

You're a pretty sharp guy.

Everything is timed for when the calves drop during spring green up. If you want to know when most of the breeding occurs just go backwards, but beware the best hunting usually isn't during the peak of the breeding, it's usually on the shoulders where there's a bit less supply.