Pressure cooker elk

[Bullshot]

I am looking for some insight from people who hunt elk in circumstances I might soon find myself. Or at least think so based on the ol' google earth review. I'll set the stage, then I am looking for any salt-of-the-earth advice on what elk do and where you would focus during the heavy pressure of a general rifle season which follows the previous heavy pressure of a general archery season.

- A relatively small but long/narrow mountain range with a dispersed low to moderate elk population, surrounded by heavily populated areas that would inhibit an early migration off the mountain
-Prolific road network with few areas more than a mile deep
-Steep craggy spots, but a lack of true thousand-foot deep/high hell hole sanctuaries
-Relatively moderate elevations overall (no alpine/high country)
-Mixed vegetation that is semi-open to very open conifer/aspens, dominated in between and below by low scrub and grass
-Many steep v shaped gullys/drainages off the sides.

First, I am confident there are elk scattered thinly throughout the forest, roughly speaking. Maybe west side is slightly better than east, and north slightly better than south (or who knows, probably only the locals). I also suspect they are not all parked in one isolated sanctuary, and also that isolated in this context will not be by distance, but by slopes and deadfall probably. But will the elk just hunker down and wait the season out, moving only at night, if at all, like heavily pressured deer? Or will there be a lot of random/panicked movement across the landscape in response to hunter activity daily? Mid Oct, will bulls be solo or with other bulls or still with cows? Is it generally better to park on a funnel or a saddles and wait for one to get kicked around. Or better to roll up the sleeves and be the one doing the kicking of the rough spots (i hate the idea of moving the elk out of their holes, just for another guy's benefit... but if NOBODY does this, it could make for a quiet hunt). I just don't expect this to be a glassing/spot/stalk kind of hunt. I expect it to be different than my usual experience which is with elk that have more room to move deep, thus, where I tell myself if I work harder than the masses, I should do well, though stay realistic that I am probably only outworking say 1/2 of the hunters anyway, and not even that far in to do so. In this upcoming case, I think I will just be another number, everyone with relatively easy access, and any thoughts that I am getting in farther than any body else are likely false. So any words of advice? Thanks!

 

[Sagebrush1]

I don’t have any advice, but that sounds very similar to my new area, so I’m listening intently.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Sounds like a lot of the elk hunting in eastern Washington. We have a 13 day archery season in the middle of September, and 9 day rifle season at the end of October beginning of November, I've never hunted our muzzy season at beginning of October, but I've never seen mature bulls with the cows in the rifle season. In the high pressure areas it's definitely a case of hide out in the day unless they get bumped, then they run for new cover, and if there's a bunch of hunters around it can get crazy with people shooting all over, especially when the cow tags open up. But we can only shoot spikes other than a few special permits on the rifle seasons that get high pressure, so most people aren't searching out the mature bulls in the high hunter density areas. It can be pretty frustrating and hectic, but I can usually still find some elk that nobody else is on yet by the end of the season when it quiets down a bit. I usually go for a combination of being the one finding them and being the one waiting for them in those situations, got to be flexible cause you never know when someone's going to f up your plans. Archery in September is better, but we have a late archery season in Nov/Dec too and they can be pretty nocturnal that time of year where there's lots of people. In that case I usually do ground or tree stands since there's not much hope of sneaking up on them when they're that spooked and not distracted with breeding. On the late season I sometimes set up on a spot where they move through to cross a road, and set up just about where the road first comes into sight (sometimes this is only a few hundred yards from the road), because they stop and mill around checking the road out before they decide to run across it, and sometimes that's about the only time they stop moving when they're moving to new cover.

 

[Bullshot]

Thanks kwyeewk. I have never been to eastern WA (would like to change that!) but from many of the pictures I've seen, I think that it could be very similar to my description.

 

[mtmuley]

Hunting elk successfully in high pressure areas can't be learned on the web. mtmuley

 

[Bullshot]

Hunting elk successfully in high pressure areas can't be learned on the web. mtmuley

But asking for answers to impossible questions sure passes the time 'til fall!

 

[Dinkshooter]

Sounds to me like you're making this more complicated than it actually is.

1. Buy Tag
2. Got to unit
3. Look for elk
4. Go to elk no matter where they may be (that part can be painful)

 

[Bullshot]

I have already decided that I am going to have to go out there and on day 1 shoot the biggest bull of the circus and post it back in this thread and say my original question was just a joke and some of you fell for it.

Also need to get off the booze while posting. Makes me wordy.

 

[teej89]

Where's the pressure cooking come in play here?

 

[Bullshot]

Just a euphemism regarding the crowds of hunters all chasing elk in a confined area. I suppose it could also come into play after success as well, so I'll start a new thread looking for recipes after Day 1 of my hunt.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Where's the pressure cooking come in play here?

In December when your'e making delicious elk pot roast.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Just got a new pressure cooker I was hoping for a recipe.

 

[KB_]

for some reason I feel your talking about Bozeman. There is places where you can go where you wont see people. Get creative, you can find elk in the darnest of places.

 

[beartoothhiker]

The best advice I've seen on this forum - and I can't remember who posted it so I apologize for not giving appropriate credit: hunt the elk where they are; not where you want them to be.