Raise your hand if you did not get an elk this season

ClayS

FNG
Joined
Aug 7, 2020
Messages
17
Location
SW Iowa
🤚
Goal for the first year was to just SEE some elk while out in the field. Accomplished that plus got to practice stalking a spike bull (not legal to shoot in area I hunted). Had a great time hunting/camping out of my pack for ~3 days at a time between trips back to the truck.
 

Scoot

WKR
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Messages
1,635
Great experience with my son on his first elk hunt in MT but neither of us drew our bows the entire trip. Toughest elk hunt I've ever been on.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2021
Messages
1,641
✋First year in the last 20 yrs that I didn't draw a cow tag in the same unit I've hunted for the past 25 seasons. Had to go OTC bull for 2nd rifle in Co.

Good time was had by all as they say, but freezer is gonna run dry after a cow the last 4 years running. 13 elk in 25 seasons for me, with 5 muleys in 5 of the years I didn't get an elk. Pretty good success for public land hunting overall, but sucks not getting a tag and having the opportunity on multiple occasions for said cows this year.
 
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Messages
380
🙋‍♂

Two separate trips to Montana. A total of 9 days hunting. No elk.

I did get a muley and had a great experience. First time elk hunting in Montana and it was beautiful. I loved the terrain and my lungs appreciated the lower altitude. Will be back next year.
No elk for me either.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
✋ I'm gonna blame Covid, way more pressure than usual, and I was sick with Covid for almost all of rifle season. But, that's no excuse, I had all of archery season mostly healthy.

But, this was the most fun archery season I've experienced. Every single day calling them in, chasing a couple pretty big ones for a few days each. I just couldn't connect. It was more fun though than in other season when I have connected.
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
907
Location
CO Springs
Twig deflected my arrow into the bulls shoulder. Bull lives another day and my freezer is limping by on last years elk.
 

Extrapale

WKR
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
426
2 years in a row. Idaho and Oregon. I did miss one in Oregon this year. I had killed 7 bulls over the last 5 years hunting a couple states, so I guess I am due for a cold spell.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 

wytx

WKR
Joined
Feb 2, 2017
Messages
2,313
Location
Wyoming
No elk for us but a shiras moose is in the freezer. I do have a cow tag valid until Jan31 but don't think I will even try to fill it.
 

7Bartman

WKR
Joined
Sep 29, 2017
Messages
389
Location
MD
Tag soup for me as well. Talked to 16 other hunters in my unit in Idaho and the same for them. Elk just weren't talking.
 

Alegault

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
194
3rd year elk hunting for me. Fires blew me out of the units where I’ve at least scouted elk on the ground before. So, rolled the dice on a new area…blanked again. Fires kept us home a few days last year too.

Havent even seen an elk during season with a bow in my hand yet. Gotta find a way to make something happen in ‘22 or I’m going to be pulling my damn hair out.
 

Maidenfan539

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 6, 2020
Messages
242
✌️

2 different trips to Montana. Had 2 close encounters with bulls and 1 with a cow during archery.

Nothing during rifle. Spent 14 days total.

It was my first time elk hunting.

Until next season.......
 

Hoodie

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
982
Location
Oregon Cascades
✋

Lost one I hit poorly with my bow on my 15th day in the field on the coast. Sold my bow the next week. Worst day I've ever had in the mountains. Would've been my first with a bow after 2 years of trying. Killed one with a rifle last year, and will be hunting with the rifle again in 2022.

They are unbelievably tough animals.
 

Elk97

WKR
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
799
Location
NW WA & SW MT
(n) No elk this year for me or my sons. We were in to elk but something was different this year, none wanted to play. We had three close encounters with grizzlies and one with wolves so that might have had something to do with the elk acting different from past years. One son did get a road kill cow moose and shot a white tail buck so there's that. Next year.....
 

Carlin59

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
435
Location
Colorado
0-3 this year. A WY cow tag was my priority tag for the season and came with high hopes. Had several awesome encounters with nice bulls, but the cow herds had all settled into the low sage country (all private) earlier than normal this year. A leftover CO first rifle bull tag of course resulted in cows within 50 yards and a spike within 5, but couldn’t catch up to the legal bulls (only 1.5 days to hunt). And just wrapped a late cow tag in CO. Virtually no snow and warm temps made for tough conditions. Big groups of cows were already firmly on lower private and didn’t move more than 100 yards all day. Did find a few post rut bulls up high in public, so learned something there. Already looking forward to next year.
 

Maverick1

WKR
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
Messages
1,840
I can’t find the hand down emoji. Looks like I can’t be part of the club this year. Sorry! Not sorry! 😆
 

CMP_Wally

FNG
Joined
Feb 2, 2017
Messages
3
Location
Oregon
I sacrificed a ID hunt and OR hunt this year to be with my kids on a elk hunt with their Grandpa in UT. My daughter shot her second elk and my son his first. I have not filled an elk tag since 2016 and seeing their success and memories made was well worth it.
 

Miboy86

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
123
No elk for me, first time elk hunting, had a blast seeing sign, glassing up distant bulls and trying to figure out how to get close enough for a rifle shot. Closest I got to a bull was a 150 yards, was with a smaller bull, couple of spikes and 20 cows, not a care in the world about me as they fed before moving off to bed, too bad where I seen them I was muley hunting and my tag wasn't good for that area. I'll try again in acouple of years.
 
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