Elk Don't Exist

[jtevanMT]

Stick with it, patience, persistence and perseverance will pay off. If the elk are not in your first spot, move to plan B, C, and D. Elk are always adapting to food, water, cover and pressure (human and 4 legged predators).

I hunted for several years before figuring it out and now we have success nearly every year. Some years are still very challenging and it seems like the elk are gone, but hard work usually ends in a full freezer.

 

[gentleman4561]

The more difficult the endeavor the greater the reward

This is true, I just killed my first black bear two weeks ago.

I tried for 4 years before I finally connected and boy did it feel good!

 

[bcjoe]

We got to camp two days early, spent five days hunting very hard, miles of dark timber climbing ridicoulus inclines, misreading topo satellite maps that look like meadows but are really aspen groves on horrible slopes, all elk sign is a week old, rubs, wallows, game trails so well used a blind man could follow them and one very close bugle that excited me something fierce. But in the end, the wind shifted at the very last moment before an unseen bull left town and all went silent quickly. That's hunting. My buddy and I came to the conclusion that we are great elk hunters, not just good elk finders, lol, as we never saw an elk either. We did see a couple squirrels though. I wouldn't trade our seven days on the mountain for much of anything. Great fellowship, laughter, awesome views and now we are already planning for our attack next year.

Stick with it Chris_in_Idaho, almost no elk were taken in the entire valley we hunted this year. Only two out of six clients for an outfitter that was near us took elk. We didn't realize the rainy summer brought dry streams and springs alive this year way up high, warmer weather made for ample high food way up high and lots of OTC archery pressure changed the 'normal' elk patterns this year. We need to adapt quicker next year and learn from our observations from this year. Looking back over our hunt, we realized some mistakes we made and will change it for next year. I do feel your pain though.

Don’t forget that

We got to camp two days early, spent five days hunting very hard, miles of dark timber climbing ridicoulus inclines, misreading topo satellite maps that look like meadows but are really aspen groves on horrible slopes, all elk sign is a week old, rubs, wallows, game trails so well used a blind man could follow them and one very close bugle that excited me something fierce. But in the end, the wind shifted at the very last moment before an unseen bull left town and all went silent quickly. That's hunting. My buddy and I came to the conclusion that we are great elk hunters, not just good elk finders, lol, as we never saw an elk either. We did see a couple squirrels though. I wouldn't trade our seven days on the mountain for much of anything. Great fellowship, laughter, awesome views and now we are already planning for our attack next year.

Stick with it Chris_in_Idaho, almost no elk were taken in the entire valley we hunted this year. Only two out of six clients for an outfitter that was near us took elk. We didn't realize the rainy summer brought dry streams and springs alive this year way up high, warmer weather made for ample high food way up high and lots of OTC archery pressure changed the 'normal' elk patterns this year. We need to adapt quicker next year and learn from our observations from this year. Looking back over our hunt, we realized some mistakes we made and will change it for next year. I do feel your pain though.

don’t forget that we had 2 friends hunting up 3 miles from us and someone who walked the entire trail and elk were only seen a day before opener lol. I think a push text went out to all the elk on opening day that the little orange men have returned and all elk need to go into lockdown

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Year 10 of hunting. Only killed one spike and one cow in that time. No deer since 2012. Many close encounters. Between work, first kid, and money, hunting north Idaho is tough.

 

[3325]

Oh, elk exist. But when you’re out in the morning, they’re out in the evening. When you’re out in the evening, they’re out in the morning. If you’re out all day, they’re out all night. If you’re on public land, they’re on private land. If you have a hunting lease or landowner permission, they’re on the National Forest.

It’s simple, really.

 

[bcjoe]

Oh, elk exist. But when you’re out in the morning, they’re out in the evening. When you’re out in the evening, they’re out in the morning. If you’re out all day, they’re out all night. If you’re on public land, they’re on private land. If you have a hunting lease or landowner permission, they’re on the National Forest.

It’s simple, really.

U nailed that right on the head, u will see trophy elk when u have a deer tag and vice versa.

 

[wapitibob]

Fairly normal morning this year, but a long way from ID.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

You feel the same way about elk as I do barbary sheep. Maybe we can start a support group.