Elk the “Golden Goose”?

[highcountrymuley]

Success rates mean nothing to me. I don't compare my chances as a resident of CO to a flatlander from the east who has to adjust to altitude, drives 30 hours to here then has to hunt for a week straight, who is not in as good a shape as me to start with... etc. I have never given any thought to success rates. As a resident I think of hunting an area because I have seen animals there - then I look at likelihood of drawing tags.

 

[270-300]

I guess that depends on where you are. Maybe what elevations the elk are at. September is summer for sure compared to October. But October is just fall compared to November. In a lot of national forests where hunting is from day 6500 to 9500 feet or so elk are as concerned about bullets as they are bad weather. They will hold out as long as they can. They will move to staging areas. Some cows will drop down with calves. But the ones we are looking for are in no hurry to migrate. Elk behavior and food sources definitely change from September to post rut in October. But everywhere I’ve hunted they were still somewhere in the same areas. I wouldn’t scout in July or August though. They’re never in the same place when you come back to hunt.

I have friends who hunt Colorado. High country. Higher than I care to hunt! Elk are definitely not in the same places in October as they are in September.

I used the calendar above my desk to determine september is in the summer.

 

[Jon Boy]

Man I would love to know where everyone Is hunting where they can kill elk as easily as a deer. I’ve seen 50x as many 1-3 y/o bucks from the truck that I’ve seen 1-3 y/o bull elk from the truck. That’s in “junk” deer units in regions 3-5 in MT and excellent elk units in the same regions. Older age classes for both species are about as hard to find in my experience.