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I went up for a couple days of archery. No dice. Too hot and the elk aren't bugling yet in my area. It was 75 degrees today, so I don't think they are coming out of the really thick timber until really late. Maybe in another week or two.
it was cool, I came across my carcass from last year...drug about 75 yards down the mountain. Wonder if it was a bear or lion, or a squatch?
anybody else hear anything or get something yet?
Heading out to unit 58 for muzzle loading in a few weeks.
Not yet. First rifle, unit 66 for cow. The wait is killing me!
I'm heading up Friday for a long weekend. If no dice, I have the last 10 days off from work and will try them again then.
I'm going up on the 19th for 9 days, then again for 3rd rifle.
I've done a few hikes off the Peak to Peak trying to toughen up for 2nd rifle season. I have cow, bull and bear tags. One evening I came upon 15 elk in a meadow north of Ward. Two bulls were fighting halfheartedly, with one doing a few bugles. The next day I hiked to a lake where there was a bull moose in the water chomping on yellow pond lily stalks. And, sometime over the past couple nights, a moose walked through my yard by the cabin leaving tracks in the mud.
On another day I walked up on two mulie bucks in velvet. They knew I was there but I stalked and followed them through the woods for a good half mile, keeping within 20-70 yards of them all the way. They acted curious and not overly concerned. Several times I could have taken them with a bow or handgun. They finally took off when I approached in a more open lodgepole forest. Fun stuff.
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Btw, there wasn't a lot of browse in the lodgepole forest but I noticed the buck deer were feeding on russula mushrooms, myrtlehortleberry, and kinikinik. I've seen elk feed on these, too. Dusky (Blue) Grouse will also eat the berries of myrtlehortleberry, kinikinik and low juniper. (Eating juniper berries can make their meat taste like gin.) On my way home after following the deer I flushed two Dusky Grouse on my property. The birds separated and one screamed a rooster call as he flew around the yard and landed in a tree. The rooster call was much like that of a White-tailed Ptarmigan.
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Been trying... Flooding knocked out most access where I hunt. But finally scored permission on a chunck of private land so we shall see. Gonna spend most of the week up there.
Anyone have suggestions for getting started w/ elk/deer? I waited too long and now my relatives all kinda old to take me out. Am I best off blowing the money on a guide a few times, or are there some folk that would actually let someone tag along to observe. (Not that I may be ready this year or have the time, but need/want to at some point.)
Have any younger friends? I went with family this year as my first time. I don't think I'll be ready until I've done it a few times. We'll see how it goes.