Low Country Elk with Dan Branagan

[Jordan Budd]

Low Country Elk with Dan Branagan

Today we're joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

www.rokslide.com

Today we’re joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

Dan’s Book: So you Want to Hunt the West for Elk: Now What?

 

[robby denning]

Low Country Elk with Dan Branagan

Today we're joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

www.rokslide.com

Today we’re joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

Dan’s Book: So you Want to Hunt the West for Elk: Now What?

I’ll be listening to this one. Super intriguing what he said to me about over 50 studies show how elk are reinhabiting the plains like Lewis & Clark observed. Glad you had him on Jordan. Hard to find a scientist who hunts AND writes books about it.

 

[lawson8]

I always find it interesting hunting the low areas they normally pay off

 

[h2so4]

It was an interesting podcast, thank you!
Now I just need to find the parcels like Dan mentioned.

 

[PNWbowhunter]

This is a great podcast. I bought his book immediately after listening to it.

 

[robby denning]

This is a great podcast. I bought his book immediately after listening to it.

I thought the same thing. The evolution of elk behavior is fascinating. And I saw on the authors FB page that he just killed another archery bull low country this last weekend.

 

[Hoodie]

I listened to that podcast and immediately bought the book. Branagan condensed stuff into 45 minutes that it's taken me several years of hard (and slow) learning to figure out.

Despite this being an awesome resource, I sincerely hope no one else buys his book. On account of small parcels of public land being small. This strategy for hunting is only going to work for as long as we keep telling newbies that the best way to find elk is to join a Crossfit Gym, order a bunch of mountain-themed workout supplements, then download OnX and use the roadless layer to find the middle of the big purple.

 

[Mike Islander]

Not what I thought this was about.

From the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

 

[chanson_roland]

Not what I thought this was about.

From the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Just saying...

They outchea

Confirmed Elk Sighting in South Carolina Upstate

A confirmed elk sighting in South Carolina marks the first time the species has been spotted in the state in centuries.

www.blueridgeoutdoors.com

 

[robby denning]

Just saying...

They outchea

Confirmed Elk Sighting in South Carolina Upstate

A confirmed elk sighting in South Carolina marks the first time the species has been spotted in the state in centuries.

www.blueridgeoutdoors.com

thanks for sharing that link. Interesting for sure

but the last line: "...Thanks to the work of Chastain and others through a conservation group called the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, it is currently illegal to hunt or kill elk in the state of state of South Carolina."

is so bass ackwards. Should say "Thanks to...(RMEF), this elk would not exist and won't continue to exist without hunters' support and dollars".

RMEF didn't outlaw shooting elk. They promoted it so we could have a public interest in elk.

Am I wrong here? (not just asking the poster).

 

[chanson_roland]

thanks for sharing that link. Interesting for sure

but the last line: "...Thanks to the work of Chastain and others through a conservation group called the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, it is currently illegal to hunt or kill elk in the state of state of South Carolina."

is so bass ackwards. Should say "Thanks to...(RMEF), this elk would not exist and won't continue to exist without hunters' support and dollars".

RMEF didn't outlaw shooting elk. They promoted it so we could have a public interest in elk.

Am I wrong here? (not just asking the poster).

Yeah, that's clearly wrong. As an RMEF member, it's pretty clear to me who is responsible for Elk getting reintroduced to the East. As it turns out, RMEF has a more recent link on another SC Elk:

Young Bull Elk Wanders into South Carolina

It is not the first time this happened, but it more than caught the eyes of all those who witnessed it anyway. A hungry spike [...]

www.rmef.org

What's wild to me is that it just seems like a matter of time before we're seeing Elk in more lowland and Eastern states...SC, GA, maybe even FL?

 

[ghud]

Low Country Elk with Dan Branagan

Today we're joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

www.rokslide.com

Today we’re joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

Dan’s Book: So you Want to Hunt the West for Elk: Now What?

Dans book is great from what I have read!

 

[chanson_roland]

Just back from Wyoming and tried Dan's strategy:

1. Yes, I saw elk every day
2. Yes, I saw several nice bulls
3. No, I couldn't get anywhere near them
4. Yes, they're smart as hell and act more like whitetails (keenly aware of human behavior/traffic), and quick to jump onto private land with the least bit of pressure. Also, found them patternable like whitetails
5. Yes, I will try this strategy again, but need a portable blind disguised as a tractor or a cow
6. Hard to do with a bow, but this is a no-brainer if using a rifle

Seriously, the key factor I think in my lack of success was lack of trees. No place to try a saddle or tree stand by getting in before daylight, so it was stalking across 1 mile of open ground to try to get into the river bottoms.

So, if I were to do it over again, I'd have probably spent more time at higher elevation, then use this method as my "last ditch gamble" since the risk of blowing the animals out is really high.

ETA: If you can find public land with a LOT of trees, or you have access to private land in these riparian areas, then go for it.

 

[robby denning]

Just back from Wyoming and tried Dan's strategy:

1. Yes, I saw elk every day
2. Yes, I saw several nice bulls
3. No, I couldn't get anywhere near them
4. Yes, they're smart as hell and act more like whitetails (keenly aware of human behavior/traffic), and quick to jump onto private land with the least bit of pressure. Also, found them patternable like whitetails
5. Yes, I will try this strategy again, but need a portable blind disguised as a tractor or a cow
6. Hard to do with a bow, but this is a no-brainer if using a rifle

Seriously, the key factor I think in my lack of success was lack of trees. No place to try a saddle or tree stand by getting in before daylight, so it was stalking across 1 mile of open ground to try to get into the river bottoms.

So, if I were to do it over again, I'd have probably spent more time at higher elevation, then used this method as my "last ditch gamble" since the risk of blowing the animals out is really high.

Hey, thanks for digging this up and giving us some real world feedback.

 

[Hawks]

Low Country Elk with Dan Branagan

Today we're joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

www.rokslide.com

Today we’re joined by Dan Branigan to discuss his new book on low elevation elk hot spots. Dan runs through his strategies for finding elk areas in low elevation, why they are there, where they are coming from and how to shoot them.

Dan’s Book: So you Want to Hunt the West for Elk: Now What?

Def want this book!