Well, we got bested once again by the elusive elk in Idaho. Hunted sat & sun(muzzleloader season). Saw plenty of elk both days. Many of them in easy bow range and most were cows. Only problem was, the season is open to antlered elk only. Saw a couple small raghorn bulls but could not close the deal. The real story is that one of my partners was just out of range of a small bull(with 12-14 cows/calves) saturday night. It got dark so he backed out. The next morning, there was a sappling in the old, grown over logging road the herd had been feeding in the night before that had been worked over. We know it was that little bull because of the telltale tracks in the snow. The really weird part is that he was actually squealing the next mornig! Keep in mind, this was yesterday. Nov-16th. All the other bulls have seperated from the herds and gone off on their own and are starting to get into small bachelor groups. I don't know what to make of it. Either he doesn't quite know what is going on or....maybe a late cow in heat in that herd that put him back into rut. Anyone got a scientific explanation?
I'll be back up there this coming weekend to try again. Sure could use a good dumping of the white stuff this week. That would really help put the odds more in my favor.

I also heard bulls bugling this past week and yes we are in the middle of november! I thought I was hearing things but what I was hearing was bulls giving loud location bugles, I have never heard that much bugling this late. Still I could seal the deal myself.

A friend of mine said he heard them buglin' this weekend, too. Last year when my husband shot his bull on Nov. 19th, it bugled right before he shot it, and it was with a herd of cows. Hey, send some of that snow over here to Montana! It would sure help the hunting get better!

you got that right. We got a foot of snow on Friday morning and Saturday afternoon its all gone because its like 50 something degrees outside. Right now in Great Falls, MT it is 57 degrees in mid november. What is up with this weather, give us the snow for the last two weeks! This feels much more like archery season than rifle season with the bulls still bugling and weather like we are having, just missing all the talk of the rut. Just really weird this year and I for one dont like it much. Give me my snow and cold weather and get these elk moving!

Good luck to all the rest of the way.

Weather report for Spokane/Coeur d' Alene is calling for mountain snow thurs/fri. Should be better for us sat morn. There was only about 1/2" -1" up there last weekend and it was really crunchy/squeaky. I am hoping to get up there friday night and see fresh powder. That would make me more than super excited.
Hope I can let the SMOKE POLE bark. I'll keep you posted.

Weather report here is calling for snow/rain mix turning to snow. Maybe that will get the elk and deer moving for me, too. It has been in the mid-50's this last week. Made for some tough hunting!! Good luck to ya!