Questions for a wildlife manager or biologist?

[lifesupport4u]

When you guys talk to a unit manager regarding a hunt in a new unit to you, do you have a list of questions you ask? Mind sharing?

 

[Deleted member 40728]

I sometimes ask how bad the hunting pressure is in a certain area but typically I’m talking more to the forest service people instead of unit managers. I like to know where and if there are cattle grazing in units, drought/water conditions at higher elevations, road accessibility, if recent burn areas are off limits to entering, etc.

 

[OREGONCODY]

I sometimes ask how bad the hunting pressure is in a certain area but typically I’m talking more to the forest service people instead of unit managers. I like to know where and if there are cattle grazing in units, drought/water conditions at higher elevations, road accessibility, if recent burn areas are off limits to entering, etc.

How does information about cattle grazing effect your hunt plans? Do elk and cattle tend to stay apart?

 

[Rzrbck918]

Depends on where you're hunting but I would also ask if there are domestic sheep in an area. I also ask where they would start looking (location or elevation), they don't always say but many are willing to give some guidance.

 

[SAJ-99]

How does information about cattle grazing effect your hunt plans? Do elk and cattle tend to stay apart?

Very good question. I thought about starting a thread just on that question. I think that elk generally avoid cattle (not always, but if they can). If I have cattle in an area I usually find another area. I just don't know if my view is rational. It is possible that I get frustrated by nocking an arrow on what ends up being a black angus.

 

[OREGONCODY]

Very good question. I thought about starting a thread just on that question. I think that elk generally avoid cattle (not always, but if they can). If I have cattle in an area I usually find another area. I just don't know if my view is rational. It is possible that I get frustrated by nocking an arrow on what ends up being a black angus.

Interesting, I had been wondering the same thing! I actually just filled my cow tag yesterday, but the day before I watched a herd of elk cross a flat where there were also cattle grazing. The cattle ended up being right in the path of the elk. They definitely seemed to dislike each other, in fact I thought the cattle were going to push the elk into a different draw then they originally were headed towards. The elk herd got somewhat scattered in the flat but they all ended up rejoining and following the same path. It was interesting to see!

 

[Deleted member 40728]

I just like to know the general area they might be and the forest service can also tell you when the animals need to be out of the national forest by. I’ve been in an area when the ranchers are herding the cattle up to take off the mountain and they really make a lot of commotion. If I know there are cattle in a certain area I will focus on areas the cattle might tend to avoid.

 

[BraidenR]

I have seen a group of bull laying right in a herd of cows on several occasions. I have never seen cow elk in with cattle before. This comes more from the ranching perspective, but that is how it is around our ranch. Course this is in on Utah/ Nevada Border where Water is King, and both the cattle and bulls were laying not far from the best water source in the area.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Question: When you guys talk to a unit manager regarding a hunt in a new unit to you, do you have a list of questions you ask? Mind sharing?

Answer: I have seen a group of bull laying right in a herd of cows on several occasions. I have never seen cow elk in with cattle before. This comes more from the ranching perspective, but that is how it is around our ranch. Course this is in on Utah/ Nevada Border where Water is King, and both the cattle and bulls were laying not far from the best water source in the area.


Oh, the twists and turns of a potentially informative thread!

 

[Gila]

I have a face to face conversation with the forest district but only after I have scouted several areas that I am interested in. I have a brief "list" of questions. Where the elk, deer or bear are is not one of them. Scouting for the animal I am after is a very important ritual to me and is about 80% of the hunt. Figuring out where to camp and what the hunting strategy will be is only accomplished with boots on the ground scouting and alot of it. The key questions I ask are where and when are the prescribed burns scheduled. Which roads will be closed during the burns and for how long. In addition which roads will be open and which gates will be closed during the season.

And, don't hunt where there is cattle. LOL

 

[El Jason]

These are some of the questions I ask:

1) Are these resident or migratory animals? Or a mix?
2) What are the migrational corridors, if any?
3) What elevation do animals tend to favor during the specific time period?
4) When do you see the peak hunting pressure?
5) Are the concerns with access due to weather?
6) Are there any outfitters, and if so where are their camps?
7) Do certain areas tend to attract more horseback hunters?
8) Do you recommend avoiding certain areas, and if so why?
9) Do you recommend focusing on a certain time period within the season, and if so why?

 

[onpoint]

Take a little hint/suggestion.....
Increasingly, these days, I would preface my questions for an area biologist/game manager with:

Do you hunt the area yourself which I'm asking about?
If not, have you spent much time on the ground there (especially during hunting season), or have you only flown over it once or twice a year.
How well do you know the hunting pressure/ hunter/outfitter/game presence seasonality, etc. etc., yourself.

Trust but verify (best you can).

Or go ahead and blindly believe what a voice on the other end of a phone (or computer) tells you.........................................................................................................................