tips for hot weather elk

[MThuntr]

FWP called me this morning and I was selected for a damage hunt in 410/700. :hump: I spoke to the ranch and they have been hitting 90-95 daily. I have the standard gear, carts, etc but I've never hunting this early

Any pre-rut tips for hot weather elk? Tactics? Cooling animals?

The rancher said if I get one to track someone down and they'll help me anywhere they can.

 

[THWAK1]

Find water, find bedding areas on north facing slopes, pattern them and set up in between the two. When you get one down, get the hide off quick! Remove the quarters and bone them out if you can/know how to, place them in good game bags (along with all the other great elk meat), and get them to a cooler or place them in the shade until you can. Even if you can drive to the animal, loading it whole in this heat you stand a good chance of having meat spoil before you can get it taken care of. Be prepared and good luck!

 

[MThuntr]

Thanks Thwak. I definitely need to get some game bags. I need to iron out the last details but I'm set to start the hunt Wednesday morning. I have until Monday next week to tag out on the early hunt.

 

[MTELKGUY1]

Look at your maps/Google Earth for those north facing drainages and the waterholes in them. I've had best luck late in the afternoon and evening setting up at those areas and waiting for them to come in. You'll be able to tell as soon as you get into the waterholes if they've been using them, and if they haven't, try another. Might not be as fun as calling one in, but patience and some luck you'll see an elk sooner or later. The moon is in your favor too, so hopefully they won't be doing much at night.

Good luck!

 

[wingman1]

Most of the elk are in the musselshell river bottom feeding on hay grounds. They should bed up in the willows. Dont forget the OFF bug spay!!!! lol

 

[streamer]

An old guy told me to but black pepper on the meat bags after quartered out, this seemed to help keep alot of the flies off the meat.

 

[idnative1948]

An old guy told me to but black pepper on the meat bags after quartered out, this seemed to help keep alot of the flies off the meat.

And, or lemon juice?? Old guy told me.. Never have, though he was an old moose hunter.

Anybody?

 

[sweetnectar]

Amen on the pepper....bring a lot of it. I've used it and it does work and tastes better on your meat than what bug spray might taste like or the maggots all the flies will be trying to lay in it.
Not sure if the lemon juice works.
The other thing I'd do is take it to Stahls Colony (off of hwy 200) for processing. They have the best butcher facility I've ever used and they swarm to the task so that you know it is going to get taken care of and not sit around too long. Where ever you take it too I'd recommend calling ahead so they meet you and get to the task. The one mistake not to make is to try and throw a couple hundred pounds of unfrozen elk meat in your common sears freezer this time of year because it will take weeks to get it frozen. That is why I recommend someone with a commercial freezer.

 

[MThuntr]

Thanks guys. I've heard about using pepper but never had to use it. I've been looking at topo maps on Acme Mapper. I have some ideas of where to look at first but hopefully the guys on the ranch have seen some movement. This particular ranch has mostly cropland around the Musselshell and they will be starting their second cutting of hay so I'm not sure if they'll be bedded in the willows but I can't imagine they'll be too far.

I've had some of Stahl's sausage and it's great. I have a brand new freezer that I need to get filled up and I already have 200lbs of beef added...everybody around here says my odds increased since I bought part of a beef earlier this month.

 

[----]

I'd think about maybe only hunting evenings. It's been cooling down pretty good at night, and you'd have a lot better conditions for taking care of the meat.

 

[noharleyyet]

Keep your socks dry.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

been into elk here in oregon,but its in pretty thick cover{15 yr reprod stuff} catching them crossing a logging rd but the lead cow seems to spot me first twice now,,,any tips on getting past the lead cow,,,that a tuff one.

 

[wingman1]

Take her out! Are they seeing you or getting your wind?

 

[the nikster]

Sit right on the water and stay until dark. Not until the sun goes down, but until the very last second of legal light. They ARE thirsty and they WILL come to the water-you just have to be there when they do.
I use citric acid. Buy it in the canning section or a preparedness store. I warm up 1.5 cups of water and put in several teaspoons of acid and stir. I let it cool down and put it into a spray bottle I carry with me on hunts. I spray it directly on the meat. The water evaporates leaving an acidic layer that deters flys. I also can pour a little of the acid into a water bottle to add a little 'pick me up' to my plain water.

 

[THWAK1]

I have 2 sets of game bags (4 per set); one for normal to cool weather hunting and one set for hunting in HOT weather. The hot weather bags have been pre-soaked in lemon juice and tabasco sauce to keep the flys off and are enclosed in two ziplock bags. They work great!

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

the lead cow has been spotting me,almost no cover to hide in and the logging road is basically the only shooting lane beyond 10yrds.been easin down along the edge of the road as steathfully as posible.

 

[Biscuit Hunter]

Vinegar works too. From my understanding, the idea is that you not only keep flies off of the meat, but by wiping or spraying it with something acidic you change the PH enough to keep bacteria from growing until you can get the meat cooled. I'm definitely going to steal THWACK1's method of presoaking the bags. Genius.