Sheep pushing elk around

[jnawalaniec]

I know everyone says that elk aren’t anywhere near the sheep. Found an active wallow over the weekend we glassed elk on Friday, well within ear shot of a heard of sheep and the constantly barking dogs. Sunday morning we set up, had a couple bull moose come in, then we heard the herder pushing his sheep down the mountain right into our set up. How long after the sheep come through will it typically take for the elk to move back in once the sheep have moved back up or down the mountain? Hopefully the rutting activity picks up but until this point we’ve heard exactly one elk chuckle so sitting wallows seems like our best option with the current temps.

 

[trophyhill]

Hard to say without knowing where you are hunting. But where I hunt, the elk don’t move too far and are back in there within a couple days. Some of those elk could be new elk too cruising for some hot cows

 

[jnawalaniec]

Hard to say without knowing where you are hunting. But where I hunt, the elk don’t move too far and are back in there within a couple days. Some of those elk could be new elk too cruising for some hot cows

Hunting in Utah, I was assuming they’d move back in within a couple days of the sheep moving out. I’ve heard others say they won’t be back for weeks, seems like a long time if there’s still water and food.

 

[Devin]

I have trailcam pics of elk feeding in a meadow at night for weeks. One morning, sheep fed through the same meadow. That night, the elk were back momentarily to check it out then disappeared. I think the elk will vacate while the sheep are there, but come back when the party dies down. Sheep obviously clear the landscape of anything edible so I think the elk don't have a reason to stay afterwards.

 

[Hoyt Ag]

Depends on several factors, mentioned above. How hard the sheep graze the land and how long they are herded in an area are the two I look for mostly. Sheep will remove all feed and water in a matter of days, so like Devin said, the elk will have no reason to linger long. I generally move on and check that area off the list if sheep have been there. Too much other land to look at to bother guessing and waiting.

 

[elkocd]

From my experience in WY and UT where they have VERY large herds of sheep. They eat everything down to dirt and then the sheep herders move them. Don't think the elk are moving back in very quick. That's why they call them land maggots!

 

[trophyhill]

Where i hunt, the herders have there sheep miles away and will move them all down into a staging area for a day or 2. They get them out of there in a day without too much damage to the meadow. They don't drop off into the timber where the feed, bedding and watering would be affected. In this particular area hunters have a far greater impact than the 1000 head of sheep being moved around