September 1st ? ? ?

[SWMontana1]

Anyone shot a bull opening day? If so, was it hot out? Seems like this year will be pretty tough with the heat especially the first couple weeks.... or what role does this much heat have on bulls that early in the season?

 

[steamfitter]

2009 was a hot year also i think it was around 90 and season opened sept. 5th and killed my elk at 7 in the evening it was kinda of bittersweet cause we packed into the Bob Marshall 16 miles looking forward to 10 days away from the world but the elk for some reason were goin nuts it was great.

 

[sluggo6850]

the main thing is to get your animal cut up and on ice asap

 

[Colorado_Hunter]

I shot my bull on opening day last year, Aug. 27th. It was 68 degrees when I left the truck at 5:30am. I shot it at 6:35am and figure it was in the mid 70's. Luckily I was able to drive right to the bull, when I pulled out at about 9am it was already 84 out. I took it straight to the processor because of the heat. The meat was fine, but I'm sure I would have lost meat had I not been able to get it out a quickly as I did.

 

[HUNTMAN]

I killed 3 bulls on MT openers. I like to glass and glass some more. Even in the timber. Sept 3,,4 5 for me. I like the firdt crack at them.

 

[Lawnboy]

My friend shot his last year on the opener at 7 am. Had 5 bulls bugling with a real nice herd bull with cows already. He ended up with one of the desperate satellite bulls.

 

[putm2sleep]

I have missed some on opener! hahahahah one in particular still haunts me, dam.
but yeh its hot, can be cool....mornings in particular. relative i guess - New Mexico is different in temps opener for sure from CO @10k feet in dark timber for example?
where r u? it can be hot on the opener of rifle too!
make a great shot, and get er done quick......and have fun swatin' 1k flies and stinging bees

 

[worm]

If you think Montana in September is hot you outta try northeast NV in August. Mid 30's in the morning and upper 90's during the day.

 

[idelkhntr]

I got my bull last year on opening day by 7:15. It wasn't bad then, but by the time I got back to him after getting my stuff to pack him out it was pretty warm. By the time I got him skinned out, etc. it was close to 80. I have a friend that has a meat cooler so I hung him in there as soon as I could and let him sit for a few days before I took him to the processor. The meat was good, just like the year before.

 

[MtnWest]

Sitting water in the early season heat if one has the patience can be great, might be a little tougher though with the full moon this year. Of course that means dark of the moon mid season rut fest! That's what I'm telling myself anyway. From my experience and trail cam info I know if they can see after legal shooting that's when they will visit, when I'm walking out. We'll still hunt the opener trying to get one to respond to my bugle early morning and sit water in the evening (in a different area). Good luck to all, it's approaching quick!

 

[MtnWest]

At this water last year it was busy at the dark of the moon. Pretty dull though during full moon which is what early season here will be. I'll post more from this years cam's when I get them last week of Aug.

 

[notellm]

2005,2006 i killed nice 6 point bulls on opening day, sitting on a wallow! I have already heard more bulls bugle this year than i did last year! I bow hunted 21 days last year before i got a shot!
05

06

public land raghorns

 

[POk3s]

"Public Land Raghorns" hahahahahaha you dog!

Never on opening day but did kill one on September 3rd and it was my first morning of hunting. Called in and shot at the first crack of dawn and didn't find it until 6 PM. Lost blood and tracks as it went through a meadow and resulted to doing circles. did circles 3 times before I found him. Worked my butt off (I was by myself) and ended up getting him back to camp where I took the hide off the quarters at about 2 AM. I had called my dad and he rolled in at about 6 AM. Hauled but to the processor the next morning. Didn't lose an ounce of meat but I wasn't exactly confident. I just knew I did the best I could and if I lost some meat I could live with myself as I didn't slack at all. All you can do early season is try your hardest to do everything right. Meat off the bone and hung in the shade or on ice as quick as possible.

 

[idnative1948]

Being an old guy these stories make me wish I was younger (or not). During the early hunts most times is a helluva hump to get the meat out before it spoils. More power to you who call pull it off without having to turn an animal into bear vitals. Even into mid October we have had to split hams on quarters during the night and head to the processor to be there in the morning because we know another warm day is coming.

 

[steamfitter]

We cool ours off in the river does anyone else do this. We put it in our game bags and then in a garbage sack in water not deep enough to run over the top with the garbage sack left open and the meat cools to the river temp usually 50 degrees over night. If creek is moving fast we stack rocks to make a pool and set the meat in that and we have never lost meat and we dont have to pack out right away. Then once meat is cooled off we hang it up at night and back to the creek if daytime temps climb.

 

[belly-deep]

If you think Montana in September is hot you outta try northeast NV in August. Mid 30's in the morning and upper 90's during the day.

90 high/30 low is not unusual for MT on the first weekend of archery....

 

[Duck-Slayer]

a quick ?, do you guys not bring coolers full of ice, me my self I freeze 12-1 gallon jugs and bring in 2 coolers for meat, so when I get the meat back too camp it goes straight on ice? I see all these questions about spoiling meat, and getting it out quick and too the processor, it seems too me unless you fly in, that is the only time you should not have a cooler or coolers full of ice at the truck, not chopped either, blocked ice stays way longer... along with ice you got water-I use the melted frozen jugs too refill my water bladder each day...
Matt

 

[Elkmagnet]

At night I lay a hang pole over a creek and hang the meat as close to the water as I can without it getting wet, if its getting really hot during the day I have a big tote that will fit a quartered elk I put it in then wrap it in our tarps then sleeping bags and leave it in the shade by the creek. I was able to keep a bull good at camp for three days in 90+ while we looked for another. I worry more about the 5hr truck ride home.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Vocalisation from males i believe is more related directly to the estrus cycling of the females, whether it is stinking hot or cold, if there isn't any cows/hinds cycling then either the bulls are elswhere or relatively quiet waiting for one start as he goes searching and checking them out.
And the estrus cycling is controlled by external factors, length of daylight and 2nd and 3rd cycles if they get that far without being conceived.

Temperature has an effect on restricting animal movements, but no influence on the cycling of females. You should get almost as much roaring/bugling on hot days as you would cold days provided all things being equal. Only thing is warm days can push animals into heavy timber earlier after sun up and make it harder for people to hear roaring/bugling and this gives people a false impression that sometimes the animals have shut down early, often they are still going well, just people aren't in the zone to hear them.

 

[steamfitter]

If you go in on horseback or foot several miles for us that is 16 miles on horse its not feasible to carry all that ice and coolers.

a quick ?, do you guys not bring coolers full of ice, me my self I freeze 12-1 gallon jugs and bring in 2 coolers for meat, so when I get the meat back too camp it goes straight on ice? I see all these questions about spoiling meat, and getting it out quick and too the processor, it seems too me unless you fly in, that is the only time you should not have a cooler or coolers full of ice at the truck, not chopped either, blocked ice stays way longer... along with ice you got water-I use the melted frozen jugs too refill my water bladder each day...
Matt