who's ready for elk season?

tahunua001 · November 1, 2014, 09:41 PM

I'm ready as I'll ever be.
1. got my knife sharpened
2. have my pack all setup
3. have my rifle setup just the way I like it.
4. got my handloads all cranked out
5. and I've got my camouflage and cold weather gear all scent freed.

guess all there is now is finding the bugger. anyone else ready for elk season?

FrankenMauser · November 2, 2014, 12:33 AM

This year, I managed to set myself up for continuous hunting, from October 4th through November 15th, by way of an Elk hunt (Utah) that immediately turned into a Deer hunt (Idaho) and then turned immediately into another Elk hunt (Idaho). ...With opportunities for upland game, small game, black bear, cougar, bobcat, and wolf (in Idaho, at least).

Elk hunt #1 didn't work out. I didn't see a single elk after the morning before opening day, because the cattlemen getting their cattle off the mountain pushed everything into an off-limits unit (the jerks completely bum-rushed a 60 square mile area with ATVs, trucks, horses, tow rigs, cattle trucks, and anything else you can imagine, right before opening day, and then hit it for three days straight, starting the day after opening day). It didn't help that the previous month's worth of weather (wet, but warm), and hunting season weather (hot and dry) were in the elk's favor, either.

The Deer hunt really didn't work out. That's a whole 'nuther story...

Elk season #2 has been open for quite some time, and I'd really like to fill this cow tag that's sitting in my wallet; but my motivation level is low. Every time I leave to go hunting this year, something bad happens at home. I'm scared....

Plus, my rifles have all decided to self-destruct this year. So, I'm down to one known-good rifle, and I don't even have it. My brother's son borrowed it for Elk hunt #1, and I haven't had the cajones to leave home to retrieve it yet (3 hours each way - usually an overnight trip).

tahunua001 · November 2, 2014, 01:22 AM

if you're alright with driving down to 11A I could loan you a rifle... you might laugh your hind end off when you see it but it'll kill an elk... with the right ammo... at close range... assuming it doesn't keyhole

hartcreek · November 2, 2014, 03:52 AM

Been hunting for deer and elk since September since I have multiseason for both. Very few hunters in my area and I have had 12 square miles to myself for many days.......Problem is herd bulls had their harems when season opened for archery and very few spikes or three point bucks and now the weather has turned to the wet season before it snows. I have three weeks off now to rest for late archery hopeful for better hunting with some snow to bring them down from 5000 feet and above.

FrankenMauser · November 2, 2014, 05:17 PM

I think I'd risk running slugs in the 20 ga before I drove all the way to Lewiston. I'm way down here in the Bannock unit (70s), with tags for Bear River (75-78). It's quite a hike to your neck of the woods, compared to where my 'good' rifle is at.

I do have other rifles that are up and running. They just aren't "100%". There's some kind of issue with every one of them - be it questionable ammo, untested ammo, questionable scope zeroes, unknown ballistics (so calculating bullet drop is nearly impossible), or something else. And, for the most part, what I have ready to go all falls into what I call the "Dark Timber" category - light, compact rifles launching large caliber projectiles at low to moderate velocity for short range snap shots. But, the area I plan to hunt is more mixed vegetation with many opportunities for 300+ yard shots.

There's a doctor's appointment Monday, that I need to accompany a family member to (if I let them go alone, bad things happen

). If all goes well at that appointment, I might be comfortable sneaking away to pursue some cows later in the week....

Unlicensed Dremel · November 3, 2014, 06:42 PM

Dates and Unit?

I'm not ready, but my hunt is only 3 days long, Dec 9-11, and I will be.

KenL · November 3, 2014, 06:51 PM

My elk hunt is over and done already. 2nd Rifle here in Colorado. We went 0- for 7 this year. I only saw 2 elk, one cow and one bull. I have a bull tag, 4 point or better, and I couldn't see points to count them. Had a main beam, but I couldn't see points. So.....I didn't shoot.

It was pretty warm this year. We heard that the elk had moved a couple of mountains north.

Last year I saw over 60 in the same spot, shot a 5x5. That's how hunting goes though!

doofus47 · November 5, 2014, 12:05 PM

kenL

Quote:

Last year I saw over 60 in the same spot,

Yeah, finding them is always the hard part. I wasted 2 days re-searching the same areas we were stalking elk last year during archery season only to find that they'd moved off two ridges.
We came up bullocks this year in archery. I've got a weekend of 3rd rifle coming up. Mostly, i'm just re-packing my gear from archery, so I"m ready(ish). This year is a completely new area for me. Considering that finding elk seems to be the hardest part, I'm expecting a nice quiet weekend of hiking in the woods.

FrankenMauser · November 14, 2014, 03:38 PM

Well... I'm done.
I was supposed to head out for the last two days of the season (today and tomorrow), but the weather is not cooperating. It's great hunting weather - just not conditions good enough for me to be willing to drive into the area I want to be, alone.

It's time to unpack and sort all of the gear, re-condition my boots, clean up the rifles, start doing winter maintenance, work on winter projects, and see if I can track down some people with coyote problems, to give me something to do during the winter (once the 'winter maintenance' is done on those rifles...

).

I may not have filled my tags, but hunting season was definitely interesting and 'action-packed'.

I'm really looking forward to finishing this winter's "big" project - a .444 Marlin that I started last winter, and had to put away when the humidity level went through the roof.

doofus47 · November 15, 2014, 10:07 AM

Yep, the woods are beautiful and quiet this time of year....
No elk this year. Gotta find em before you can take them.

tahunua001 · November 16, 2014, 05:18 PM

well, my first weekend was a bust, all I got was a flash of a rear end rushing through the trees. lots of deer but my tag's already filled for the year. saw quite a few tracks, but never did get a chance to shoot any. I'll have a 4 day weekend coming up which will be my last chance to fill my tag.

November 2, 2014, 01:22 AM	#3
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	if you're alright with driving down to 11A I could loan you a rifle... you might laugh your hind end off when you see it but it'll kill an elk... with the right ammo... at close range... assuming it doesn't keyhole __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

November 2, 2014, 05:17 PM	#5
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I think I'd risk running slugs in the 20 ga before I drove all the way to Lewiston. I'm way down here in the Bannock unit (70s), with tags for Bear River (75-78). It's quite a hike to your neck of the woods, compared to where my 'good' rifle is at. I do have other rifles that are up and running. They just aren't "100%". There's some kind of issue with every one of them - be it questionable ammo, untested ammo, questionable scope zeroes, unknown ballistics (so calculating bullet drop is nearly impossible), or something else. And, for the most part, what I have ready to go all falls into what I call the "Dark Timber" category - light, compact rifles launching large caliber projectiles at low to moderate velocity for short range snap shots. But, the area I plan to hunt is more mixed vegetation with many opportunities for 300+ yard shots. There's a doctor's appointment Monday, that I need to accompany a family member to (if I let them go alone, bad things happen ). If all goes well at that appointment, I might be comfortable sneaking away to pursue some cows later in the week.... __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 14, 2014, 03:38 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Well... I'm done. I was supposed to head out for the last two days of the season (today and tomorrow), but the weather is not cooperating. It's great hunting weather - just not conditions good enough for me to be willing to drive into the area I want to be, alone. It's time to unpack and sort all of the gear, re-condition my boots, clean up the rifles, start doing winter maintenance, work on winter projects, and see if I can track down some people with coyote problems, to give me something to do during the winter (once the 'winter maintenance' is done on those rifles... ). I may not have filled my tags, but hunting season was definitely interesting and 'action-packed'. I'm really looking forward to finishing this winter's "big" project - a .444 Marlin that I started last winter, and had to put away when the humidity level went through the roof. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 15, 2014, 10:07 AM	#10
doofus47 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent Posts: 2,483	Yep, the woods are beautiful and quiet this time of year.... No elk this year. Gotta find em before you can take them. __________________ I'm right about the metric system 3/4 of the time.

November 16, 2014, 05:18 PM	#11
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	well, my first weekend was a bust, all I got was a flash of a rear end rushing through the trees. lots of deer but my tag's already filled for the year. saw quite a few tracks, but never did get a chance to shoot any. I'll have a 4 day weekend coming up which will be my last chance to fill my tag. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

November 1, 2014, 09:41 PM	#1
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	who's ready for elk season? I'm ready as I'll ever be. 1. got my knife sharpened 2. have my pack all setup 3. have my rifle setup just the way I like it. 4. got my handloads all cranked out 5. and I've got my camouflage and cold weather gear all scent freed. guess all there is now is finding the bugger. anyone else ready for elk season? __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

November 2, 2014, 12:33 AM	#2
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	This year, I managed to set myself up for continuous hunting, from October 4th through November 15th, by way of an Elk hunt (Utah) that immediately turned into a Deer hunt (Idaho) and then turned immediately into another Elk hunt (Idaho). ...With opportunities for upland game, small game, black bear, cougar, bobcat, and wolf (in Idaho, at least). Elk hunt #1 didn't work out. I didn't see a single elk after the morning before opening day, because the cattlemen getting their cattle off the mountain pushed everything into an off-limits unit (the jerks completely bum-rushed a 60 square mile area with ATVs, trucks, horses, tow rigs, cattle trucks, and anything else you can imagine, right before opening day, and then hit it for three days straight, starting the day after opening day). It didn't help that the previous month's worth of weather (wet, but warm), and hunting season weather (hot and dry) were in the elk's favor, either. The Deer hunt really didn't work out. That's a whole 'nuther story... Elk season #2 has been open for quite some time, and I'd really like to fill this cow tag that's sitting in my wallet; but my motivation level is low. Every time I leave to go hunting this year, something bad happens at home. I'm scared.... Plus, my rifles have all decided to self-destruct this year. So, I'm down to one known-good rifle, and I don't even have it. My brother's son borrowed it for Elk hunt #1, and I haven't had the cajones to leave home to retrieve it yet (3 hours each way - usually an overnight trip). __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 2, 2014, 03:52 AM	#4
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	Been hunting for deer and elk since September since I have multiseason for both. Very few hunters in my area and I have had 12 square miles to myself for many days.......Problem is herd bulls had their harems when season opened for archery and very few spikes or three point bucks and now the weather has turned to the wet season before it snows. I have three weeks off now to rest for late archery hopeful for better hunting with some snow to bring them down from 5000 feet and above.

November 3, 2014, 06:42 PM	#6
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	Dates and Unit? I'm not ready, but my hunt is only 3 days long, Dec 9-11, and I will be.

November 3, 2014, 06:51 PM	#7
KenL Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 218	My elk hunt is over and done already. 2nd Rifle here in Colorado. We went 0- for 7 this year. I only saw 2 elk, one cow and one bull. I have a bull tag, 4 point or better, and I couldn't see points to count them. Had a main beam, but I couldn't see points. So.....I didn't shoot. It was pretty warm this year. We heard that the elk had moved a couple of mountains north. Last year I saw over 60 in the same spot, shot a 5x5. That's how hunting goes though!