Montana Elk

[Whisky]

The Belts sound like a shit show, just like the Crazies. MT is really pissing me off. 3 years bow hunting for first elk and no dice. And it's not even the fact that I haven't killed shit that pisses me off. Not getting any opportunities or good encounters to get a guy pumped up is what gets discouraging. Afraid she may be time to cozy up to the grizzlies and try to find greener pastures. These high pressure areas, the elk just act different IMO. Not nearly as vocal. That and I don't know WTF i'm doing I suppose either. This year I hardly blew a call at all. Mostly tried glassing them up (which is impossible) and hunting feeding areas in the mornings and evenings. Boring, kind of like whitetails.

The only hope I got is to go back and kill something with a rifle. I could've tagged out the last 3 years had I had a rifle.

I was desperate enough to get some elk blood on me I offered my pack services to a couple MT residents who had hit one earlier in the day and were taking a break from looking. I was looking to gain the experience of breaking down a bull and getting him off the mountain. Didn't care who's it was. Well we blood trailed and grid searched with no luck.

 

[airlocksniffer]

I was in the LB's this weekend. Other than almost hitting two brush bulls with the truck at dawn, didn't see any elk on the public and a ton of hunters, most with big RV's and quads. I was genuinely surprised at how many people there were during archery. I guess rifle is even more of a shit show. I don't think I'd waste another day there. Much rather go to wolf and griz country to keep the people out.

 

[Takeem406]

Anyone else seeing more bears than elk??? I only have seen one elk this season along the hwy, and six bears last weekend... Well if I had a bear curse I broke that, now to get an elk... LOL Yes I had my orange on...

 

[Jon Boy]

Nice bear 406!

 

[Takeem406]

Thanks! Rifle shot him, but using Granddaddy's gun was better than shooting it with a bow! Haven't seen too many hunters, but haven't seen any elk around Lincoln. Got one more place to check. Worst case rifle season comes and I use that old Weatherby. Probably what will happen. Anyone else notice that guys are like "Oh the elk aren't even talking yet" then the next guy is like "Oh yeah they are all fired up and I filled my tag!". I suck at elk hunting so I can accept it if I can't find the elk so I won't hear them anyways lol.

 

[Jon Boy]

Just keep moving till you find em. Once you find em then start hunting. Best advice that was ever given to me.

 

[Shrek]

My experience in the little belts was there was traffic all over the roads and the trail heads had trucks parked with atv trailers empty. Hiked in and as soon as I got past the second ridge there wasn't even another boot print. I think the LB's are like every other place I've been in Montana in that as soon as you get over a half mile past the last place you can drive a vehicle of some kind you're mostly going to be alone.

 

[squeekieslayer]

We got into them thick, lots of bugling and carrying on till about 11 am and then starting back up at hour or so before sundown. In the little belts. Here's my hint... Hike further

My buddy blew a shot at a 330 class bull at about 20 yards. I called him in with cow calls on a string, he hit a branch (i will call it a branch in case he reads this.. it was more of a log hahaha.)

Joe

 

[Shrek]

I ate dinner with an outfitter last fall and he works in the LB's and said there are 400"+ bulls in there but finding them in all that timber is super tough. There's a reason that most of the LB's are any elk and that's because there are plenty in there. It just hard hunting and all those road warriors don't make a dent.

 

[Takeem406]

I ate dinner with an outfitter last fall and he works in the LB's and said there are 400"+ bulls in there but finding them in all that timber is super tough. There's a reason that most of the LB's are any elk and that's because there are plenty in there. It just hard hunting and all those road warriors don't make a dent.

A friend pointed out something, he said if your complaining about road hunters, your probably too close to the road...

 

[PredatorX]

Can you get away from the crowd in the LB'S easily enough?

 

[Clarktar]

Can you get away from the crowd in the LB'S easily enough?

I feel you certainly can. I have yet to see another hunter in the areas I hunt, and it is not because those areas are super secret, or hard to find. I only hike in about 2-3 miles in the area I spend most of my time in.

 

[PredatorX]

Wow its amazing how little people are willing to work to get back in there. Hell that is what I love about elk hunting. The physical aspect to it.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I have been in elk every time I have been in the little belts for the last 2 seasons... not skunked in 2 seasons (knock on wood.) I only go there when I dont have time to go somewhere I like more...

I hear a TON of crying about how crowded the LB are, I almost never run into people where I hunt. I use horses some but mostly hike in 6+ miles. There are lots of elk in the LB. There are HUGE bulls in the LB, i see there sheds come out every spring. The problem is that the elk that are easy to get to are deep in the dark timber, and they do not come out for anything till the snow is waist deep. I have found sheds in over 8 miles in... blows my mind they can stay way in there year round.. but they do, and thats how they survive to get big with that many people.

I always think its funny when people get mad like its the mountains fault that there are people and that they are not getting the experience they wanted... hunt harder hahaha

Joe

 

[Shrek]

Easy and hard at the same time. Just hike a couple miles and into a hole or blow down area and it will be all yours. Most human sign drops to nothing a couple hundred yards past the end of the trail. Most hunters are ridiculously lazy.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I was coming out on a Tuesday last year after opening weekend. I had been in about 8 miles on the horses, within the last 1.5 mils from the trailhead i passed no less than 8 guys. All of the mentioned it being a "slow year" with "no elk." Followed by "did you see any" and "is there anyone in front of me?" Kinda funny considering you just parked at a trail head with 4 trucks and a horse trailer... of course there are people in front of you. 8 people, on a tuesday...

JOe

 

[Shrek]

Like Joe said , 1.5 miles. A lot of miles past a mile and a half.

 

[gethuntin]

I wonder if I ran into anyone from this post in the LB. Groups of Brother and there sons go in on horseback every year for about two weeks. I walked out with a few of them on there last day last year. Nice group of guys just wondering if it sounds like any members here. They were in about 3 to 4 miles above an outfitter.One of them shot a 400"+ bull the year before (Not in the Little Belts-draw unit).

 

[slick]

Anybody connect lately? Also a reminder to stay safe out there fellas. Unfortunate event for the Kalispell man found a few hours ago.

 

[Logan T]

Pic from a couple days ago. Still frame from a video I took through the spotting scope.