Fort Riley Kansas Elk Hunt

[MattDavis]

Getting it figured out with each walk.

 

[Bigfeet14]

I'm enjoying reading about your ride, good luck!

 

[SemperHunter]

Definitely rooting for you, bud!

 

[MattDavis]

Proud member of the orange army but damn did they give me some frustration yesterday and this evening.

Set up on that wallow yesterday evening and this morning. Shot fired from the hill north of me yesterday and shots fired from the hill south of me this morning. Guess I should pick better spots lol.

Did get into some excitement though. Followed a game trail south of all the hunting pressure. Stalked in down wind. Suddenly hit the smell of elk. Followed the wind and ran into three small bulls undetected. Two 5x5 and a small 5x6 a hell of a lot of fun. Probably pushed my luck though. Pressed on past them and found a massive bedding area in some head high weeds. Than of course I hear something busting out of the weeds that I never got a look at.

Now im kicking myself ive run into that smell twice before but didn't trust it or push my luck.

Now I know.

 

[WRO]

Good luck

 

[KChunter71]

I smell the elk piss now

 

[MattDavis]

Maybe I should have dropped the biggest of the three but it would have been hell butchering him up in head high weeds.

Big ass bull I would have made it work.

There is ZERO activity in the evening right now.

 

[MattDavis]

Still at it today. Tried the area I started in but it was completely dead. Think hunting pressure has shut it down. Im giving up on it.

Back sitting on a bean field that I heard a single bugle north of me a few mornings ago.

Every says there was a huge bull here last year that wasn't killed but know one has seen yet this year. It's not one of the heavily hunted areas and I know I heard a bugle the other morning. Plus another hunter sent a photo of cows out in the field at 7:41 PM. That's the closest evening activity I've seen and that bull can't be too far from the cows.

 

[Ucsdryder]

How long is this tag good for?

 

[MattDavis]

1 Oct - 31 Dec, but due to not living here, work and other commitments I dont know if I'll be back. If I do it will be the two and a half weeks after Thanksgiving.

 

[caesAR15]

I've been following this thread daily. Thank you for keeping us updated, OP. Definitely living vicariously through you. Hoping the Rokslide good vibes result in a successful end for you. Keep at it for all of us following along at home!

 

[MattDavis]

Thanks man it's been a whole lot of frustration lately.

Nothing happening in the spots ive been set up in the mornings and evenings. Scouting isn't turning up any fresh signs. Did a 4 mile loop in a new area this morning and notta.

Need some advice now. We have I cold front coming in tonight dropping temps to 36. Do I set up in the high pressure area that I know has elk moving through just pressure has altered it. Or set up somewhere new with no scouting???

Heading out again to scout another new area before the evening sit.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'd be where the animals are until I was sure they weren't there.

FWIW (just adding a data point), I killed my cow on Oct 30th, and a dude I ran into who had a bull tag didn't see a single elk entire month of November but finally saw one and killed somewhere in the Dec 12th range.

 

[Mturney]

This has been a great read. Thanks for posting. I was in camp in Colorado with reception reading along helped pass the time.

 

[MattDavis]

Dos Perros. You know the area. F is where I know they move through. At least in the dark. Hunting pressure seems to have turned them off but I know they're there.

 

[MattDavis]

Alright the hunting pressure area has three hunting style options.

1. Sit in my ground blind committed to that area.

2. Set up in draw hoping to catch them moving into the area. Committed to draw.

3 Set up on a glassing point that overlooks most of the ag field. But your hoping if you see them it leaves you enough time drive into a position to cut them off.

 

[realunlucky]

I'm choosing the glassing the point every time but if your not dedicated to keeping the glass to your eyes 99% of the time your losing the advantage of seeing them as early as possible. At that point your better off choosing a location and hoping they wander by.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[MattDavis]

MORNING REPORT!!!

Good lord public land! This morning I was running a little late and maybe to loud from rushing. At 0610 I bumped I group of elk cutting through brush to get to my blind. I couldn't see them but it sounded like a herd of buffalo running away from 50 yards away.

Well shit I thought but at least I turned them back towards feed and away from there beds. Legal shooting time is 0709. At 7 I start glassing hard to try and spot them. And I spot another hunter walking in a half mile away through the feed coming straight at me to his deer stand next to my blind.

I don't wait to cuss at him. I start working south hoping to find the elk trying to get back to there bedding area. Im cussing this guy the whole time during my two mile loop. Run into two other hunters cussing him to since he walked right by them bow hunting. We set and shoot the shit amazed at this guys actions.

I get back to my blind to pick up the rest of my stuff and go to lay into him. Well he's got a tiny doe down. Before I can start to lay into him, he tells me about his doe and that it's his first deer ever. I ask how long he's been hunting. This is his first year and now I feel like an ass. I can tell he is overwhelmed with what to do now that he has a deer down. I walk him through how to gut it or advise him on how to quarter. I also "pass some advice" about when he should be getting to his stand and directions to be coming from depending on time of day and wind.

I pack up leaving him still looking overwhelmed about dressing the deer but I was still frustrated and wanted to get to scouting new areas.

About thirty minutes later I feel just guilt about not staying to help him with his deer. Should have helped a new brother more than I did and it's my fault I bumped those elk towards him walking in.

 

[Dos Perros]

Those draws all seem to go up to the same knob.

 

[MattDavis]

They do and it's not a bad spot. The top rolls just enough that there's isn't a great spot to see all the crossing points. If the winds right tonight I was going to try it again.