MtnElk's Season of Firsts... Tag Soup Edition

[MtnElk]

Tmrw is the big day and boy am I glad I moved spots. Spent the morning at my one waypoint in this area that was off by itself. It did not produce elk but it showed a lot more elk sign and far more recent. It also showed me the elk have started descending as there was a dearth of tracks headed downhill. Downhill near this waypoint was a unit I don’t have access to, but it shows me that my other waypoints which are lower are likely going to get me closer to elk.

Taking lunch in the van today to pull up goHunt on the iPad to also identify some pinch points that might be useful if hunters start driving elk up from below.

No matter how this shakes out, I’m super pumped for tmrw and the whole experience. This area is really beautiful… though I could do without the two guys whipping through here on their UTVs.

The name of the game tmrw will be getting in place early and observing the effects the other hunters have. Hopefully their mistakes will be my gain

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

photos

 

[Stocker]

You’re already figuring things out it took me 3 bowls of tag soup to find out. It pays to not be a bullheaded slow learner.

 

[MtnElk]

Welp… sometimes life throws you a few curveballs. Currently laid up with a stomach bug that I must have caught at the gas station when I moved spots yesterday afternoon. Nothing like being stuck in a van with things moving both ways. Hoping things will tail off soon because I can’t keep any fluids down, which is making me feel like death. Other than this still having fun - but hoping this hunt isn’t over for me.

Saturday and Sunday were really quiet except for a few shots right at legal shooting light. Still not seeing elk, but taking my rifle for some epic hikes @DouglasR I’m still compiling a list of lessons learned, but I think the biggest one I’ve committed is not studying enough about an elk’s needs on the day I am hunting them. I seem to be finding really awesome rutting areas - wallows, huge beds, tons of old sign, rubs, etc - but apparently really bad at finding sanctuaries. And that’s not to say I am not going into places most people wouldn‘t want to - I am trying that also. Haven’t run into a lot of other folks, but the ones I have met so far have been really nice. I’ve found it funny that the solo hunters are a lot more friendly / chatty than the group guys are to a solo hunter - even when the group guys bust into your setup. Everyone is feeling the slow hunt, and its showing on people‘s faces for sure.

Here’s more hiking pics from the Medicine-Bow Rhoutt National Forest

 

[nrpate05]

Dang, very few things worse than the stomach bug when you're taxing yourself physically already. Looks like you are in some good country but those giant stretches of dark timber are tough to hunt and the beetle kill is brutal. Good luck with the rest of the season. At least the weather is nice, if you're into golf or hitting the lake. Probably too nice for elk! Hope you can recover and get into some critters!

 

[Fencepost]

Awesome story. The bug is the worst. But before you know it you will wake up and feel great. Hopes.hang in there get it done .YOU GOT THIS

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Sorry about the stomach bug

 

[TOGIE]

it's always been a somewhat hard unit, pre and post fire. no doubt there are elk in there, but the mere handful of opening morning shots and everyone feeling the slow hunt sounds relatively normal. keep at it when you feel better and go find them, they're there!

also, let me know how many deer you're seeing and where

 

[trb]

Hope you can recover quickly from the bug. I ended up in the Moab ER in March from one, they can really, really suck. If you lack the energy to hike to high altitude glassing knobs, slowly stalking through the thick timber can be effective this time of year, and might be easier on you physically.

 

[MT_elk]

Looks like a great spot! Hope you get to feeling better soon!

 

[DouglasR]

Idk what I’m talking about, but make sure you’re out there until it’s completely dark.
It works on whitetail does.
Most reward for the least amount of effort.

 

[MtnElk]

Well I officially called my season off Tuesday morning as I wasn't feeling good enough to head back out. Its a bummer for sure to be so looking forward to a season and then lose 3 out of the 5 days, but such is life. Woke up from a nap yesterday and the girls gave me this gift. They assumed I would be coming home from this trip with a nice bull elk, so they thought this would be a cool gift... I was blown away. Now I just need to deliver on my end haha



my daughter also told me I should laminate and save my unfilled tag as motivation - I like the way she thinks!

Hoping for redemption in 3 weeks with a cow tag in my pocket. If anyone has any links to research / strategy on cow elk, please send them my way. Almost everything I've reviewed so far has been focused on public land bull elk, but I really don't want to eat two tags in the same season

 

[DouglasR]

Have you/do you small game hunt?
See any grouse?

 

[trb]

but I really don't want to eat two tags in the same season

Bummer it got cut short from sickness, but I'm sure you still learned alot. The CPW hunting atlas' winter range layer is pretty damn accurate. I have used that successfully in later seasons when also considering pressure and potential sanctuaries.

 

[MtnElk]

Have you/do you small game hunt?
See any grouse?

Saw a ton of grouse while out there, in fact, had one fly into me that I spooked on a early morning hike in.

Will be duck hunting in Wisco around thanksgiving after visiting my mom in Chicago, but thats about all the small game hunting I have planned

 

[DouglasR]

Saw a ton of grouse while out there, in fact, had one fly into me that I spooked on a early morning hike in.

Will be duck hunting in Wisco around thanksgiving after visiting my mom in Chicago, but thats about all the small game hunting I have planned

Did you drop a wizzy on their locations?
I want to taste one of them grouse.
If I lived in co I’d be on that.

Good luck with the geese.
Lots of squirrels and white tails in Illinois if you’re into that kinda thing.

 

[MtnElk]

ill dm you some details

Did you drop a wizzy on their locations?
I want to taste one of them grouse.
If I lived in co I’d be on that.

Good luck with the geese.
Lots of squirrels and white tails in Illinois if you’re into that kinda thing.

 

[DouglasR]

ill dm you some details

Oh shoot, I was trying to imply that you should go get them.
Thanks though!

 

[westbranch]

Good luck on the cow tag!

I have been hunting 20+ yrs and have ate way more tags than I have filled. Definitely not one of those hunters that kills critters consistently. I think I have ate five deer/elk tags twice. Might be six this year the way my hunting has been going. But somehow I keep on going. You have a ways to go to catch up on tags eaten!

 

[MtnElk]

One thing that went really well on this hunt… here is my orca 58 literally one week later