To enjoy a successful elk hunt, learn the ins and outs of seasonal elk behavior. If you know where your quarry will be, what they want, and what they’ll be doing, you’ve won half the battle.
Hunting season is the most important season for us to research, but knowing how elk behave the rest of the year can only help our efforts. When do elk shed their antlers, for example? That’s helpful to know if you go shed hunting.
The better we understand the animals we hunt, the better we can plan around their seasonal and out-of-season habits, and the more game we take down.
Key Seasonal Changes in Elk Behavior
In every state, elk hunting season takes place during or right after the rut.
We’re only permitted to hunt elk for three to four months a year, but those months are the most optimal: during rut, the bulls are easiest to target. They’re also at their heaviest and most muscular.
Rut is peak breeding season, which means bull elk are full of adrenaline and testosterone. This is the best time to catch them off guard, as those raging hormones make them more reckless than usual. The bulls are especially vocal during this time, too, making them easier to track down.
Elk cows calve in spring, typically six months before the rut. Some hunters use calf births to predict the next rut’s timing — usually six months later.
Rut typically runs from early to mid-September. After breeding, the bulls and cows separate. Through October and November, the bulls “detox” from their rut hormones, moving toward a more solitary lifestyle.
In winter, the bulls retreat deep into the backcountry to rest and isolate. They also form bachelor groups late in winter. The cows tend to congregate but may split into smaller groups.
When Do Elk Shed Their Antlers?
Elk shed their antlers from late March to early April. They often travel alone during this time.
Springtime is a protected season for elk. Low energy and scant food sources make them especially vulnerable to predators. They may descend to lower elevations to pursue food.
Many states close public wilderness areas to reduce human pressure on wildlife. Less human pressure means less stress on the animals, which can help them pull through this tough time of year.
In May and June, elk antlers start to regrow, as do plants. This is also when the snow melts in cold states. Elk become more active as food and water get easier to access. In mountainous areas, they ascend to higher elevations where they feel safe from people and predators.
However, they need extra energy to facilitate antler regrowth. They seek out as much high-quality food as possible during the early summer and regroup with cows in late summer as breeding season approaches.
Elk are in velvet during late summer, meaning their antlers appear fuzzy and soft. Over time, the velvet dies and falls off, exposing bare bones.
Their antlers’ brown color comes from rubbing the velvet against trees, mixing it with dirt, tree sap, and natural plant pigments. Without this rubbing behavior, antlers would remain bone-white.
Why Traditional Tactics Are Losing Their Edge
Elk are growing wise to traditional hunting tactics. Tricks that have worked well for the past two decades aren’t nearly as successful today. It’s getting harder to call a mature bull during peak rut because of hunter pressure.
This “call fatigue” means hunters who try different strategies — like glassing, spot-and-stalking, and following the sound of bulls raking trees — are more successful than their peers who stick to traditional methods.
Hunting during non-peak times can lead to success, too. The beginning of November is an under appreciated time to hunt, but the best weeks depend on your region.
Adapting Your Hunting Strategy
Having a hunting strategy is great, but don’t let it limit you. If one strategy isn’t working, try other methods and improvise. For instance, if you aren’t successful in one location, move elsewhere.
Seasons change, and so do our quarry. But as long as you’re willing to experiment with different techniques, you’ll find one that works.
After all, the more arrows you have in your quiver, the more chances you have to hit.
by Tristan Richter, valued MKC Team Member
