Time invested vs expectations on landlocked blm

[Doublecluck]

About 2 years ago a friend of mine who owns a couple hundred acres of land that borders some landlocked blm showed me a trail cam photo of 3 300-330” bulls drinking out of his spring.

This paticular blm is pretty large and surrounded mostly by one ranch. My friends property along with another 20 acre parcel that someone who lives out of state owns are the only access to the blm, the ranch only allows family to hunt. Hike in is brutal up a near cliff face, 1400’ elevation in 1/2 mile. Once you reach the top you have free reign to a giant section of blm with meadows, old logging roads, new and old growth trees, 2 springs and the most god foresaken canyon imangineable that no sane human would venture in to. There is elk sign everywhere, footprints along the road, elk poop new and old, and we have found two sheds that would probably go 280/90. There are a few cattle on the blm but we have never seen another human.

Two years ago I invested 7 days in archery season to this property and had one ass end encounter with what may have been a legitimate 30” fork mule deer and one encounter with an unknown bull that came in to a call but held up at the opposite end of the meadow. Last year I didn’t hunt it. Yesterday we hiked about 13 miles so today I wanted a easy hunt. Lol.. We showed up at 4 am, glassing point by 6:20 and after 6 hours on the Glass and another 7 miles hiked I am -1 arrow/+1grouse, Never even seen a big game animal. Not a bugle, not a cow call, not even a scared mule deer running thru the jungle.

My thoughts are this, I have no problem finding game on some of the most pressured pieces of public land in the area, how can a place with such potential seem so void of life? Is it possible that the ranchers just shoot everything they see? Maybe this is a sanctuary area and the game don’t move in until rifle season/snow fall? I have never been there late season. Is this a area where elk only come thru every few days?

What do the experts say? How much time would you invest there?

 

[kmf]

Well, I guess the only way for me to give an honest opinion to find out is if I hunt it for you.

 

[Trial153]

I wasted more time bowhunting elk in places I thought they should be rather then where they where. If they aren’t there then then aren’t there. Go where they are.

 

[Horse]

If your finding "fresh" sign, the elk are there or close by. It doesn't take much cover to hide a small group of elk. Could be that the elk were just out on close private the day you hunted and will be back in a day or two. Is there much for rubs? If none, the area might be better later season. Is the area easy to reach for the other private owner on the other side? If so, maybe they pushed them out the day before. Lots of questions, but it sounds to me that I look at it a couple more times before writing it off this year.