Bullshot
Well-known member
Based on most hunting shows, photos of success, and written hunt accounts, I always find myself perplexed by how different an environment it appears from what I had always learned on elk hunting in years past. My remembrance of conventional wisdom was that to find elk you have to hunt high, dense, north facing... until the weather pushes them down to winter range, yada yada yada.
But much, maybe even trending most, of what I actually see are photos of early and mid season elk in desert sage, scrub oak, juniper, and just into the aspen. Ignoring private land ranches, I see this posted all over from public land hunts with I am assuming, a good amount of hunting pressure. Sure, some early bow photos from near alpine, dark timber are always there but lately it seems the minority. I scratch my head at many of these photos, thinking they look nothing like the 9-10K+ habitat that I usually seem to get into. I’d much prefer to hunt in the picturesque foothill/transition areas which are my favorite scenery, but as far as finding elk in that stuff, hasn’t happened for me except watching them while camping and chasing deer in a 25+point unit in NW Co.... But that’s a pretty stark exception. The rest of the time, finding elk out in open country in daylight in early and mid season and not deep fir, spruce/pine forests is foreign to me. But I want to!!!!
Seeking perspective. What gives?
But much, maybe even trending most, of what I actually see are photos of early and mid season elk in desert sage, scrub oak, juniper, and just into the aspen. Ignoring private land ranches, I see this posted all over from public land hunts with I am assuming, a good amount of hunting pressure. Sure, some early bow photos from near alpine, dark timber are always there but lately it seems the minority. I scratch my head at many of these photos, thinking they look nothing like the 9-10K+ habitat that I usually seem to get into. I’d much prefer to hunt in the picturesque foothill/transition areas which are my favorite scenery, but as far as finding elk in that stuff, hasn’t happened for me except watching them while camping and chasing deer in a 25+point unit in NW Co.... But that’s a pretty stark exception. The rest of the time, finding elk out in open country in daylight in early and mid season and not deep fir, spruce/pine forests is foreign to me. But I want to!!!!
Seeking perspective. What gives?