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.

 

[Wagondriver]

Hunting elk with a bow during the rut is as good as it gets as far as hunting goes. Big, smart, vocal, and a herd animal. Getting within 50 yards of a trophy bull elk takes real hunting skill.

 

[Laramie]

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.

I tend to agree that most hunters aren't very good - making the comparative success rates valid across species. Of course there are tougher animals and hunts but comparing large ungulate hunts in North America, they are the lowest success rate I am aware of when viewing the species as a whole.

Growing up I heard quite a few old men say that 90% of the elk are killed by 10% of the hunters. I think it was a bit of an exaggeration but it also holds some truth. Maybe you are part of the 10%? I know I am but I still consider them very challenging.

I have filled every bull tag I have had since 1989. Some of those years required a pile of effort just to kill a spike but my family really likes to eat elk so I make it happen. All but one of those tags was filled in an over the counter area on public land. The one outlier was on public land in a LQ area.

I have also guided elk hunts in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. I am currently 17 for 19 on the guided hunts. One hunter didn't fill on a national forest archery hunt where he had 2 different solid shot opportunities. The other passed a 6x7 330 class bull at 18 yards, among other bulls, on a private land hunt. I honestly don't think he wanted to kill an elk. In general, those guided hunts were easy because I was guiding hunters on unpressured elk in high population areas. I'm guessing most of my hunters would consider elk hunting fairly easy but their experiences aren't the norm for DIY elk hunting.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Great responses…I’ve had the benefit of being out 3 times and have been blessed to harvest a few elk. I’m fully addicted to Elk hunting and I have a 7 year old boy and that’s all he talks about must be because he hears me talk non-stop about it. For me, I’m an eastern whitetail boy…once I found a style of hunting that is the “go get them” style I was hooked! Sitting in a treestand just isn’t the same anymore for me.
But I am just amazed at all the programs,gear,food, etc… that is pushed in an elk hunters face every year to help you be more successful. These businesses do a great job of cashing in on the “golden goose”

Agree. My first elk hunt in the Bob, after 25 years of WT hunting field edges, food plots, and transition areas in stands and on the ground in Iowa, ruined WT hunting permanently. The concept of fair chase was turned on its head for me, and hunting elk is several levels up from an adversarial perspective.

I filled multiple WT tags for years in Iowa, and honestly if you have an average piece of private to hunt it's more about patience than challenge. Now, if you're waiting for a B&C BOAL, it is extremely hard and you have to be willing to eat a lot of tag soup. But if you're just looking to fill a tag in Iowa for any deer it's not that difficult.

For a Midwesterner, elk hunting and all the prep that goes into it, is in a completely different league.

 

[highcountrymuley]

The fact that CO issues OTC tags for bull elk and a HUGE number of non-residents come out in a pretty big group and only a few have the fortitude and experience to hunt hard and have success is what skews the success rate numbers. For example where I hunt 3rd or 4th season cow hunts in otc bull units there are many groups of out of state hunters. If there are 10 guys in camp only 3 or 4 are even out there hunting every day. It is like a cool vacation and camping trip. I would 100% be into that with a good group of buddies. It is fun and not everyone can or wants to grind every day. If a couple elk come home they prob have a split among the group.

Not trying to be high and mighty at all - just a possible explanation of why the numbers look so dismal (factoring in NR hunters out here on camp trip). I personally do not think elk hunting is easy and would never be so arrogant. Some years I am in elk every day and eventually close the deal. Some years I don't see an elk. Weather and pressure vary each year and I have gotten lucky the last few.

 

[KurtR]

From my time in Idaho it seems all the camps set up along the roads were more for socialization and hanging out vs killing some thing other than beers