Tough Season? Or just me?

[IdahoElk]

Yeah, but you got that buck to go after. Let me know if you need a hand.......

Randy

Ha, I’m chomping at the bit to get back in there. Good luck amigo

 

[mtnwrunner]

Ha, I’m chomping at the bit to get back in there. Good luck amigo

And you as well......won't be too far from you i'm guessing.
Shoot straight.

Randy

 

[trophyhill]

I hunted 23 days and 117 miles on my boots and never heard a bugle. I passed a 40 yard broadside shot on a cow opening day after stopping her with a nervous grunt. I remember thinking while I was at full draw, “don’t do it stupid. You have plenty of time to find a bull” as I let the arrow down. Then I remember thinking “I sure hope I don’t regret that decision”. I saw probably 60-80 different cows and calves in small groups, but they were always running for their lives from the pressure.

hunters in every crevice and crack, every draw, every canyon, every ridge. Never seen anything like it. The COVID was a big reason with hunters being paid to stay home/hunt. And the wild fires being a small part too as some of the hunters who couldn’t hunt in those areas ended up in a little known already heavily pressured unit. Yes it was tough and yes I regret not touching off the shot opening day......

 

[ShakeDown]

We had a really rough go. Spent 10 days in NM 1st archery helping my little brother. I do not think I have ever hunted that hard. Averaged 10+ miles a day, saw 33 different bulls from spikes on up. 4 were targets. 1 received all our attention once we found him. No shot on him. Very good bull. No notched tag. Hot, full moon, and very hot.

Moved on to CO and hunted solo another 7 days above 10k. Dealt with high temps, smoke, heat, low rut activity and hunter pressure. Did call in and hit a good bull day 3. Too far forward, spent the rest of my time looking. Ok blood I followed for a while, then extremely scarce. Followed for over 2 days, over 2 miles uphill, often on hands and knees. He never bed. Then I grid searched. Really tough, I have never lost an elk before. I’ll be thinking about that shot for a long time.

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

“Theories on hunting are really just a bunch of organized bullchít” - somebody

Tough year. Plain and simple. Elk were there, some bugled—most didn’t. Covered a lot of ground and had some opportunities but daggum it sure wasn’t for the faint of heart. Elk were really being frugal with their vocalizations, we had to be right in the bed room to get em’ talking. Our group’s one shot opportunity resulted in a gut shot and many days tracking/grid searching through moon dust. Found the bull two weeks too late...heartbreaking stuff.

But I have a kid on the way come Feb and ultimately I was thankful for time on the mountain with good people. I can’t wait to introduce my little one to bow hiking...I mean hunting.


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[mtblackdog]

Alot of monster bulls killed here in Montana this year.

 

[Werty]

Alot of monster bulls killed here in Montana this year.

Haha, be careful what you wish for.

 

[trophyhill]

Alot of monster bulls killed here in Montana this year.

Montana here I come. I think CO is about hunted out

 

[Ucsdryder]

A few of us got a lot of crap about complaining about the number of otc hunters and non-resident hordes. I think a couple more years like this one people will start to realize how bad it’s gotten. I think Aron Snyder said it, “I would rather hunt every 2-3 years and have a quality hunt”. Lots of people took their bows for a hike this year! “We need more hunters! Hunter numbers are declining!” Uh huh....

 

[njdoxie]

A few of us got a lot of crap about complaining about the number of otc hunters and non-resident hordes. I think a couple more years like this one people will start to realize how bad it’s gotten. I think Aron Snyder said it, “I would rather hunt every 2-3 years and have a quality hunt”. Lots of people took their bows for a hike this year! “We need more hunters! Hunter numbers are declining!” Uh huh....

Bet Aron would do a 180 if he had only 1 western hunt, that he could do only every 2-3 years.
He would want to hunt every year.
I want to elk hunt every year, it’s the only hunting I care about.


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[trophyhill]

A few of us got a lot of crap about complaining about the number of otc hunters and non-resident hordes. I think a couple more years like this one people will start to realize how bad it’s gotten. I think Aron Snyder said it, “I would rather hunt every 2-3 years and have a quality hunt”. Lots of people took their bows for a hike this year! “We need more hunters! Hunter numbers are declining!” Uh huh....

As a NR hunting CO, and have been since 2009 when I don’t draw a NM tag, I’ve hunted otc now a half dozen times, there have always been crowds to deal with. However, there were, in the past, always areas I could go and get away from people. And kill an elk or 5 over the years. Drawing the Gila in 18 and 19, I figured it couldn’t have changed much, right? Wrong! In fact I couldn’t have been more wrong.

COVID definitely changed the landscape and there were hunters on every ridge, mountain top, crack, crevice, valley, river bottom, north slope, south slope, east slope, west slope, wilderness, river bottom, aspen patch, timber patch, water hole, wallow and Rokslide I either hunted or attempted to hunt. The forest roads were more like RV cities. ATV’s and UTV’s racing back and forth, and parked just about anywhere one couldn’t park a pick-up. Usual barren BLM took up all the overflow in the open country all vying for a limited patch of leftover timber or aspen. RV parks were full as well. I’ve never seen anything like it. Bugles non existent, call ins nearly non existent. Being picky in an otc unit was a huge mistake on my part when I drew back and let off at 40 yards broadside on a cow opening day. Yes I’m afraid that decent hunting in an OTC unit may be a thing of the past. Perhaps OTC will soon be a thing of the past with recent trends, thus the abnormally high number of hunters. Time will tell.

Either way, this shouldn’t be viewed as pissing, moaning, whining, crying or complaining. It’s just the way it was in a formerly already crowded otc unit I’ve hunted a half dozen times previously.

The best part was some of the very cool hunters I met from various places. My neighbor in the RV park from near Dixon Missouri, the father and 2 grown sons from Indy, a handful of guys from CO Springs and more were all great people that I won’t forget. Anytime a person leaves a good impression, is worth the time and the effort. Good luck next time all

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’m very curious to see the number of otc archery and rifle tags sold this year and the 5 year trend. I think it’ll be eye opening.

 

[D_shear]

Spent a week in Idaho middle of September it was hot and smoky hardly any rut activity. Bulls would not vocalize unless you were right in there face and then it was just a chuckle and off they went. Did manage to get on two bulls with cows but couldn't seal the deal. Just got back from our Washington muzzleloader spike hunt and the bulls were screaming and chasing cows. Seems it was just a bit later this year than usual.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Bet Aron would do a 180 if he had only 1 western hunt, that he could do only every 2-3 years.
I want to elk hunt every year, it’s the only hunting I care about.


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I’d personally rather hunt every year than have a better hunt every other year. If I can’t hunt elk every year, I’ll focus on my cribbage career

I’ve noticed more hunters on the road in Wyoming. But once I get in the min tiana I haven’t found another one yet.

 

[njdoxie]

COVID definitely changed the landscape and there were hunters on every ridge, mountain top, crack, crevice, valley, river bottom, north slope, south slope, east slope, west slope, wilderness, river bottom, aspen patch, timber patch, water hole, wallow and Rokslide I either hunted or attempted to hunt. The forest roads were more like RV cities. ATV’s and UTV’s racing back and forth, and parked just about anywhere one couldn’t park a pick-up. Usual barren BLM took up all the overflow in the open country all vying for a limited patch of leftover timber or aspen. RV parks were full as well. I’ve never seen anything like it. Bugles non existent, call ins nearly non existent. Being picky in an otc unit was a huge mistake on my part when I drew back and let off at 40 yards broadside on a cow opening day. Yes I’m afraid that decent hunting in an OTC unit may be a thing of the past. Perhaps OTC will soon be a thing of the past with recent trends, thus the abnormally high number of hunters. Time will tell.

Sounds like an effing nightmare to me, I'll be seriously PO'd if I run into the same during 2nd rifle.

 

[Dave0317]

Hearing stuff like this, makes me think draw only might not be a bad thing. I’d be fine with hunting only every other year or so to build a point or two and draw if it meant the quality of the experience was much better.

 

[williaada]

Our group went out west, and we ran into more people than normal. The one thing the people we rented a house told us this was the busiest year on record for renting their cabins due to Covid and the extra unemployment.

 

[trophyhill]

I’m very curious to see the number of otc archery and rifle tags sold this year and the 5 year trend. I think it’ll be eye opening.

I’d personally rather hunt every year than have a better hunt every other year. If I can’t hunt elk every year, I’ll focus on my cribbage career

I’ve noticed more hunters on the road in Wyoming. But once I get in the min tiana I haven’t found another one yet.

If I can hunt WY every year, I see a change in my future

 

[Voyageur]

I hunted 23 days and 117 miles on my boots and never heard a bugle. I passed a 40 yard broadside shot on a cow opening day after stopping her with a nervous grunt. I remember thinking while I was at full draw, “don’t do it stupid. You have plenty of time to find a bull” as I let the arrow down. Then I remember thinking “I sure hope I don’t regret that decision”. I saw probably 60-80 different cows and calves in small groups, but they were always running for their lives from the pressure.

hunters in every crevice and crack, every draw, every canyon, every ridge. Never seen anything like it. The COVID was a big reason with hunters being paid to stay home/hunt. And the wild fires being a small part too as some of the hunters who couldn’t hunt in those areas ended up in a little known already heavily pressured unit. Yes it was tough and yes I regret not touching off the shot opening day......

Don't regret passing on the shot. A Canadian friend told me years ago when we were discussing passing good whitetails and later regretting it that "it's not a mistake, it's a decision." His words have stuck with me ever since. On the bright side you got to experience 23 days of hunting that you would have missed out on had you scored the first day. Many people envy you for that experience.

 

[Bolt]

It was tough, elk were only out at first light, maybe 5 min and then into the timber. Hardly any bugling. Hunted my a$$ off and had to settle for a small bull to bring home meat.