I had bulls bugling low for me again not a ton of hunting pressure where I was and water was plentiful. I called in a 6x6 at 36yds and shot right over his back it  is still haunting me!!

...where you find 'em. I heard they were all up high before MZ season on the forums. I spoke to someone in Steamboat the day before the opener and he was helping his neighbor move the cows down because the elk were in the valley hammering the alfalfa field every day. We weren't hunting too far away from Steamboat. I found several bulls around 10,000 ft. I also found a cow, which was what I had a tag for, about the same elevation. I think it may have more to do with pressure also. There seemed like there was enough good grass and water both high and low where we were. We heard a couple bulls bugle close by but they were not hammering them out. Just a faint, short locator bugle. I think you just have to beat the bushes for them....quietly. Sometimes they just get pushed out and you have to look somewhere else.

Now that the season is closed, they were going nuts last night right at dark:

They're laughing at us.

very cool pics! i sure hope they are still going first season!

They are going completely ape s**t in town here at night!

We hunted area 161 in CO early cow elk private land. First part of August I had trail camera's out and had many elk pics. Bulls, cows, calves all in the same picture. Come middle of Aug. when my permit went into action not a single one could be found. First part of Sept. did hear some bugles and a couple of bow hunters said they jumped the herd but cows, calves and bulls were all quiet when they found them. On Sept 30th I did manage to call a small 5 X 6 into the meadow with hopes he had some girls with him but no such luck. Got the bull within 50 yards and me with a cow licence. I hope he sticks around for a couple more weeks. Most of the hidden water holes are dried up this year and I think come 2nd season I am going to find some water and hunt there the whole time. Same went for bears. Got lots of pictures on the trail camera but couldn't find one to shoot during the whole month of Sept.

I had some friends that hunted Archery in the Central Mountains.  They agreed that the Elk were low this year.  They filled 4 of 5 tags and said all were killed at or heading to watering holes.  They only encountered limited rut activity.

A buddy and were bow hunting 371 and only herd elk once out of 8 days. We backpacked in 3 miles  2 different times I thought for sure at night we would have heard more. After the smoke pole boys got in there all we saw were moose. Still cool. I guess I'll have to wait for 1st season rifle!