MT archery elk - We're baaack!

[wingman2]

Yeah yeah yeah get it get it get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck fin

 

[Big Fin]

Hiked over there this evening to plan out set up. Very disappointed to realize that my GPS says those elk were about 50 yards onto the private. From above, I was sure it was into public. Not sure how I blew it, but glad to have a GPS at that point. I am sure Troy enjoyed the exercise.

Not much I can do. They need to be bumped, or something. Right now, they are happy as can be. Food, water, girls. Pretty much the human male version of wine, women, and song. i doubt they are going anywhere, anytime soon.

Did call in a year and a half old cow this evening. She stood at 22 yards, asking to be made a TV star. If not for this hot weather and us being here for four more days, I would have filled my cow tag. Just not sure how we would keep her from spoiling in this weather. Made for some really cool footage.

Heard not one bugle today, except for the big group down on private. Those don't count. Tells me there are not as many elk around as I had hoped would be here. Those of you coming in later should have it aced, if they would just bump a few of those down on the private. Would love to see some candy taken from these babes.

Not sure of the plan tomorrow, given the elk I though I could ambush were actually right on the boundary. Better think of something quick, Fin.

 

[Lawnboy]

I would be willing to bet thats the rule here too Oak... I think a warden could put a little pressure on a landowner to "do the right thing" is about it...

I thought I remember at my kids Hunters Ed class a warden came and was discussing this with them. As I recall he said that the landowner had the ultimate choice as to whether you could or couldn't retrieve from their land. He counseled the kids to keep that in mind when hunting close to private. He said he had numerous landowners over this way refuse retrieval even with the warden.

Fin are you trying any decoys? I know a couple people over here that have tagged out and they were both using decoys to bring them in. Obviously a big herd bull is going to be hard pressed to leave 80 cows for 1 decoy but maybe some of the satellites.

 

[Randy49er]

I'm with idnative48, don't like snakes. Good Luck Big Fin and crew!

 

[Leepinlarr]

on the road

I know all about hot ! just left Austin, Tx, heading up to WY area 72 for Goats
wish you all the luck
we are stopped for the night, and the weather is great !!
glad to be away from the heat and the fires !

lift a prayer tm for the tower victims and for our troops stationed around the globe

Freedom isnt Free !

 

[Up North 8]

Keep on a pluggin fin and troy

 

[StrutNut]

Wine women and song? Where is the fighting? You know how guys love to fight. Bring on the fight Randy!

 

[Bivy]

Lawnboy is correct. Montana is not a "right to retrieve state!" The same goes for Ohio (where I grew up). They changed the law there only a few years ago, and my brother watched his 150" archery buck waste away last year on a neighboring property that would not allow retrieval. The warden would be a useful tool, as I believe some landowners may warm up to an official third party. But in the case of this Ohio landowner, and a few Montana landowners I can think of, ultimately it is their choice to allow retrieval or not. On a sidenote, I believe these landowners should receive a "wanton waste" citation for not allowing retrieval

 

[Over East]

Randy are there any signs of people patroling the public land. Rumor has it that the ranchers were going to try to keep the elk on the private by putting presure in there.

 

[kansasdad]

Rumor has it that the ranchers were going to try to keep the elk on the private by putting presure in there.


Sounds like "harassment" to me.

 

[Lawnboy]

There are well over a 1000 head of elk in a 15 mile radius in that country. No one could hold all the elk on their land. It's a matter of being patient and being in the right spot at the right time.

 

[Brandenbowhunter]

Randy, Party of four more headed your way...they left today...one of my buddies has hunted that before...

 

[wingman1]

There are well over a 1000 head of elk in a 15 mile radius in that country. No one could hold all the elk on their land. It's a matter of being patient and being in the right spot at the right time.

With no disrespect I would like you to show me where 1000 elk are hanging in that country right now. I would buy 300 to 400 maybe. I have only seen 200 at the most so far and they have this gig figured out!!!! The lead cows that run those herds have been spooked off that hill one to many times. They know the safety zones believe it or not. Opener sucked. No life, it was like a desert in there. The only time the elk come up there now is if they get pushed off the private for the most part. they only hang for that evening then they end up going for food and water and never come back.

 

[wingman1]

Randy, Party of four more headed your way...they left today...one of my buddies has hunted that before...

What should I bring to the party? I have three friends and myself coming Friday for ten days. Are they coming in that little heliocopter or with the 185 guy or Champ scout plane? there will be an outfitter with 2 hunters, three airplane camps with 7 guys and your buddies. 13 bow hunters all in less than 3 square miles.. And no elk.
Lots of gin and juice for sure...

I forgot that the heliocopter Randy came on has a booking also next week, who knows how many are in that group? We should pull together and show that new land owner whats up!!!!!

 

[sweetnectar]

Are there any cow/calf (pairs) aka bovine on the private? It is that time of year for conditioning the calves for sale with means round them up and give them shots which means pressure to elk from the private lands. Otherwise, wingmans words of "stale mate" might ring true.
The only other pressure that might come from that private land would be if the landowners had tags which in this situation I have a feeling they don't???

In any case there is always a sucker in the elk herd to trick into your broadhead. Good luck!

 

[huntbux]

Good luck, at least you are seeing the elk. Hope you get a good bull close and get a shot.

 

[lbirch]

Sept 1st is finally felt like the weather was cooling off here in the desert. Today its raining for the first time in a long time. Hopefully the weather heads north so it turns the rut up there into a bugle fest.

 

[Lawnboy]

Wingman you might be right. I haven't been out there this year. Last year we had 500 up in that general area and I could see the 300 that were over Nectar's way. In the past there have been those numbers. Somewhere there are a butt load of elk if they aren't up there or on Sweetnectar's place. He's reporting low numbers as well. They surely didn't all die from winter kill.

I don't envy you guys all fighting for a hunting spot up there.

 

[RockyDog]

this whole thread has me feeling pretty content to hunt smaller bulls in the backcountry. geesh, i dont need a big bull badly enough i guess.

 

[Big Fin]

We are sleeping in the hills, right next to the elk. There are 250 of them just over the property line. If they can sleep here, so can we. We didn't come prepared for this, but fortunately I shot a blue grouse today, and that's dinner. Troy is starving and freezing. I am fat and happy.