BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[gunnar]

Looking for some help, I have only been elk hunting for two years, and I have not figured out how to get a draw yet. Last year I hunted the north slope but after the first day the elk seemed to disapear from the face of the earth. Do they tend to go back up to a higher elevation with the pressure or just really hunker down? My other questions are, at what elevation are most elk at during the season and any suggestions on were to hunt with a general elk tag?

[supersider34]

If your asking what they do? It depends on the area you are hunting. Alot of them know what happens during hunting season as the lead cow the runs the rest is wise and knows. They will usually go into the back country or stay in the tree's once the season gets under way. The lead cow knows what the shooting is all about and will get them to safety if she can. Once the shooting starts it's all over. I know guys that hunt the back country on horses and have hunted there for 15 or so yrs. Used to hunt mule deer there then the elk moved in and now hunt elk there. They know all the escape routes for the first couple days and have yet to find where the elk go after that. Even being there for all them years . So its all a guess on what they do.

[bitmasher]

It has been my experience that they do not go to a higher elevation, but they will hunker down. Like Supersider said, they will become more leary once they start getting hunting pressure.

What elevation they are at seems to depend on whether snow is flying or not, as the temperature drops and the snow starts to stick the elk will go to a lower elevation relative to where they were at during warmer times. I don't think they are hard wired to any particular elevation but rather work lower as the browse gets covered.

Try hunting dawn and dusk, especially if you are hunting on warm days falling a cloudless night with a full moon. With a full moon and no cloud cover they will feed all night long, then sleep through the day.

I have found snow to be a friend. Cold weather and cloudy nights keeps them up and moving around through most of the light hours.

Elk will definitely hunker down. Last year I sat down in a draw during the middle of the day not 300-400 yards from what we later found out to be 5 cows and a spike. I sat in the same spot for 2-3 hours with no movement in the draw and I thought there were no elk. We (my Dad and I) packed out of the draw then re-entered it about an hour later. As we were going back in, we caught movement in a dense stand of scrub oak and aspen on the opposite side of the draw. As we were walking back in the elk were slipping out up the opposite draw following the best cover line they could.

They were cool cats for 2-3 hours with us so close and only moved when we started heading back in and didn't even bolt when we started packing out. They knew about us long before we knew about them.

[ This Message was edited by: bitmasher on 2003-08-19 22:36 ]

[rather_be_huntin]

Hi gunnar, I'm from Utah also and I've hunted the north and south slope of the uintahs. In those any bull areas there is a lot of pressure and the elk simply go where they are not pressured. Unfortuneatly for you and I that means in some hole or just miles from the nearest road.

You just have to get away from the crowds. Minimum is a mile from the nearest road.

[rather_be_huntin]

I almost forgot about the elevation part. Its been my experience that the elk up there even in the first week in October, unless pushed down by snow, are still on their summer range. That means the top of the mountain.

[dosghooter]

I live just over the border from where you are hunting and I usually see a lot of elk coming down due to the hunter pressure in Utah. I agree that the biggest part of them just get into the blackest timber they can find and hunker down but I have been pretty successful taking border crossing elk so please, you guys keep trying!!! :smile:

[bitmasher]

Well the circle is complete. A UT, WY, and CO resident have all chimed in on this one. Have any of you hunted the tri-corner area on either the WY or UT side?

The CO side is unit 201 which is hard to draw in and I'm interested in knowing what the hunting is like on the UT and WY side of this area. On the UT side it would be along or north of the Green River but east of Dutch John. On the Wyoming side it would be east of Richards Mtn.

Now about the Unitas. When you say the North or South slope in what general area are you in? Up by Marsh Lake, south by Moon Lake?

[dosghooter]

I hunted elk near Sunbeam one year (got lucky and drew a tag). LOTS of elk there. Got a nice one that year.

[rather_be_huntin]

The Utah-Colorado border in the 3 corners area is excellent elk hunting. Its just hard to draw a tag but if you do, its time to clean out the freezer and clear some wall space cause you're gonna get a big one. I've got a cow tag over there this year and I'll be looking for some nice bulls to photograph. I put in for a bull tag but just got another preference point.

The North Slope and South Slope are basically divided by the highest ridgeline of the Uinta's. Mirror Lake is pretty close to the divide line.

[bitmasher]

Thanks for the info Dosghooter, but isn't Sunbeam quiet a ways from the border? I was through Sunbeam once (I think) some years ago.

That is good news on the cow tag RatherBe. I figured the hunting was probably good on that side of the border too. How many preference point are you expecting before you draw there?

From looking at the DOW stats it looks like a 9-11 year wait for a bull tag in unit 201 on our side.

[rather_be_huntin]

9-11 points is about the average on the Utah side too.

Its a real interesting deal though since they found the first CWD case in Utah over there. CWD is a part of life in Colorado but in Utah its almost like "the plague". Everyone is kind of shrugging their shoulders as to what they think about it and hunters are steering more towards parts of the state where CWD has not been found.

I'll have to wait till the numbers come out but I think a lot of people passed on applying for a cow tag in that unit. Its actually harder, or at least just as hard, to draw a cow tag over there than a bull tag. With the cows you don't get preference points and theres no waiting period if you draw so you can put in year after year. So I think the reason I drew the cow tag is because not as many people put in for that unit this year due to CWD.

The application period was done for the bulls this year before the CWD was reported. We'll have to wait till next year to see if thats effected at all.

[bitmasher]

That is interesting about the CWD reaction. I think most hunters take CWD seriously and have their game tested if they believe it is a health issue. Maybe the hunters will shy away for a season or two, but once they realize that CWD can be managed and tested for I think they will come back.

Maybe it will help you shave a few years off that tag. :wink:

[rather_be_huntin]

I think you're right about people learning to deal with CWD. I think there is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction due to lack of knowledge about the disease. We haven't had it here so a lot of people don't know much about it. But once people accept the fact that its in Utah and learn more about it, it won't be big deal.

Until then hopefully my odds will increase.

[captchee]

Call me old but I haven’t heard of CWD yet,
Here in west central Idaho I usually find a saddle that has heavy hunting on one side and lots of woods or a deep canyon on the other and sit that on opening morning any way.
I also stay late; I have taken most of my elk between 10 and 1 with most around about 11 am. After the first day I look for dark timber and down fall. Spend some time just looking you might be surprised just how many those little hole’s have elk.
I also like to check out areas that are steep with little basins here and there

[rather_be_huntin]

We won't call you old for not knowing about CWD cause here in some western states its a relatively new thing. But I might suggest picking up a newspaper now and then. :smile:

Heres a link to Colorados info on CWD.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/cwd/