The Peak of the Rut

 

You can time the peak of the rut consistently year after year if you follow the Biological Time Hypothesis.  Read the book “Biological Time” by Bernie Taylor for all the details. If you want to be in elk country when the biggest bulls are competing for the right to breed then you’ll want to bookmark this page and plan your vacation time accordingly. The peak of the rut can last from 5-10 days.  The peak generally falls 24 weeks after Easter. We plan our film trips the 25th week after Easter to ensure we hit the peak just right.  The entire rutting period for elk generally lasts a full month (September 15^th – October 15^th). Weather is a factor which can throttle the tempo of the rut. Heavy snows will slow it down and cool weather can make the elk more active.  We have tested this theory since 2003 and it has proven to work very well.  We bet our yearly filming opportunity on this hypothesis.  We believe in it so much that we have no regrets recommending it to you.  

 

2007           September 26-October 5th

2008          September 10-25  (Archers and ML hunters be ready!)

2009           September 28 – October 9^th

2010           September 20 – October 1st

 

You will also want to follow the lunar cycle DURING the rut to maximize your opportunities with elk.  That is to say during a full moon period the elk will be more active at night often traveling further and crossing roads into new areas in search of available cows.  The theory behind the full moon is elk can see better at night and can enjoy more freedom to move around while at the same time avoiding predators (including hunters). During new moon (darkest phase of the cycle) elk will stay put at night and travel more during daylight hours.  The idea is that during dark nights elk are more likely to stay in groups and not travel to avoid predators like mountain lions, bears and wolves.  Your best chances to find active elk are during the new moon phase closest to the peak of the rut.  If the new moon falls during the peak of the rut you can bet the elk will be more active during the day which will increase your opportunities significantly.  

 

 

How did we do in previous years?

 

2003              October 6-17              (Our first year filming and we went way too early.  We had to wait until 2004 until we had enough footage to make a film.)

2004              September 27 – October 8    (We nailed the peak of the rut in Wyoming this year. See “Elk Heaven” for proof.  We saw more huge bulls than ever before)

2005              September 12-23       (Check out the stats for bull elk from GMU Research to see the spike in archery hunter success that year)

2006              October 5-19              (We got anxious and went to Wyoming a bit too early in October.  We hit the peak just as it began. See “Return to Elk Heaven”)

2007             October 1-10               (We nailed it again. We hit the peak perfectly. See "Elk Heaven 2007” for proof.)

 

Use the following links to find out when Easter falls on any given year:

 

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/easter.html

 

And the Lunar Calendar:

http://kalender-365.de/lunar-calendar.php

 

A lot of people think the peak of the rut happens the same time every single year but it doesn’t.  The rut in general is not the same as the peak of the rut.  There is a very significant distinction between the different periods of the rut.  Pre-rut, peak and post-rut.  You will find younger bull elk will be most active early during the pre-rut and late during the post-rut.  But if you are after a different kind of elk, the biggest bull on the mountain, then the only time you may see him are during the peak of the rut and during harsh winter months.  Other than those times it’s highly unlikely you will see him as he hides in the dark timber during the day and does most of his feeding during the dark of night.