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.

 

[Poser]

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.

I’m with you. I never bother looking at success rates, even the local numbers. It’s irrelevant. If the animals are there, the odds are in my hands, period.

 

[Poser]

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 tend to hunt elk pretty high in October and have consistently seen elk as high as 13,000 feet during mid to late October. Killed elk as high as 12,100 during that timeframe. Granted, I'm pretty far South so latitude and sun angle are factors, but my localized assessment is that elk would be in many of the same locations in October as they were in September, but the pressure and herd consolidation (need more space for a larger herd) moves them more into more adjacent territory. However, in some cases, they are still in the same exact areas, moving around the landscape in a similar flow as they were in September, they are just are far less visible.

 

[HenDawg3]

not to disagree…but I hunt PA public land whitetail. It’s been a few years since I killed a buck on PA public land. I’ve been out west 3 times, and all three times harvested a bull. So maybe I’m just extremely lucky, but I would agree with the thought that elk are slightly easier that a highly pressured whitetail buck.

But I’m still drawn to Elk even tho they might be “easier “. Obviously there are way more harder things involved when it comes to elk hunting. Like said above….when I walked up to my first dead elk I will never forget that feeling of WOW, how in the world am I moving this thing

From my experience being in Oklahoma and hunting out west the last 5 years it sounds like to me you’re hunting the right land in the west and doing the right things and maybe not doing the same thing back home. I’m from Oklahoma and elk are a lot harder to kill but I also hunt private. Big whitetail bucks are way more aware and flighty than a bull elk but there’s also a ton of factors due to time of the hunt and weather and multiple situations

 

[HenDawg3]

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.

You are completely right in everything you say due to elevation and living at a lower altitude and not having the chance to be I. The area prior, but I have to say things have changed. I have hunted 5 years and killed 4 the only year I didn’t kill because my scope malfunctioned and I couldn’t bring it back to 0. Elk hunting is more about heart and putting in the work than gear points or the other million things we obsess about every day because we love hunting. I live at 1800 feet and I can get myself ready because I’m mentally prepared every year and I have the want to to enjoy the suck for the 2 weeks or whatever it is I get to spend up there. Not picking a fight just don’t think what you said is necessarily everyone. I’d you take the time to be ready plus also do the right regiment to scout early and acclimate to the climate it’s all a mental game. Elk is 100 percent a mental game compared to Muleys in my opinion. A 200”+ Muley will probably outlast in the high country and be smarter in the high country, but Muleys in general are not going to hold up to that. The truly big ones you’ll have to go find

 

[StupidLightweight]

Can you explain why they have one of the lowest success rates out of any animal hunted? Were the hunts you went on public over the counter type of areas or limited quota and/or private land?

It’s all relative. Success rates on elk are far higher than spot and stalk cougar, for example.

I can’t explain success rates across the board, as there are too many variables across North America’s elk range, but I’ll offer this theory: most hunters aren’t very good.

My experiences are 98% public land but I have done a few guided hunts, which can be awesome but can also be a bust. My easiest hunts have been on public land, for the record.

 

[7RemMag]

A royal bull is viewed as one of the most attractive trophies, probably surpassed by only a full curl bighorn ram.

I will preface my comment by pointing out that this is likely the backbone of my opinion. I killed a sheep before I killed an antelope or elk. Prior to drawing that tag, I had successfully killed a beautiful whitetail on public land in the Black Hills and a mule deer doe on private land that was shot in a hay field. That sheep tag was a blessing and a curse. It is unlikely I will ever top that.

The only elk I’ve killed so far was in the open prairie on an HMA. This was after several weekends of hunting where elk “should be”. It was incredibly anticlimactic. Plainly, I found my antelope hunt to be more enjoyable. However, I know that this is only reflective of my personal experience, and it’s not at all to say the elk hunt was not enjoyable.

It is my belief that numerous things drive the “golden goose” feel. Elk are a pretty animal that live in pretty places and are relatively accessible for most people nationwide.

On a personal level, elk just don’t do “it” for me. They’re fun to hunt. They’re fun to watch. I get tags every year and will continue to do so. I like the meat, and the abundance of it. I just don’t dream of a big bull elk on the wall like I do numerous other critters.