Bow hunting Van Isle Rosie’s

Hey all,
just wondering if anyone on here that has bow hunted elk on the island have any tips or info to share . I will be hunting from October through to December.

Are the bulls with the cows and callable after Oct 10?

What type of feed is best to key in on?

are they hanging in one area if in pressured or are they running a big circuit changing locations often?

Are they most likely down in the river valley bottom or are cut blocks a good area to target, or a combo of both?

Thanks in advance.

What MU are you hunting in?

It is only LEH, so you must have a specific sub-unit you are going to be hunting.

No one from Vancouver Island can help you if you are not very specific, it's a HUGE place with lots of different terrain.


NH3

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Night Hawk 3

What MU are you hunting in?

It is only LEH, so you must have a specific sub-unit you are going to be hunting.

No one from Vancouver Island can help you if you are not very specific, it's a HUGE place with lots of different terrain.


NH3

---

Hey,
Thanks for the reply, 1-12c Conuma river Oct - Dec. I drove up there yesterday, took a quick look around, talked to some people I met in the area. I’ve hunted Rockies uo north, but I’ve never hunted Roosevelt elk.

"Are the bulls with the cows and callable after Oct 10?" YES, the bulls I've witnessed over many years of VAN Isle deer hunting are with cows in Oct and later. Are they callable, I sure think so. Played with elk cow calls multiple times while bear hunting and have gotten a herd of cows talking. I'm generalizing a bit here but I don't think the bulls get quite as chatty as RM elk as far as vocally answering but I did watch them come into my calls.

Got my bull 3rd week of oct and they were vocal to say the least. Throughout the third and beginning of the 4th week of Oct in 2018, actually witnessed some of the most intence bull bugleing and sparring action I have ever seen. Problem was, the bigger bulls were protecting their cows and hard to pull away from them. Although I didn't call my bull in, I unkowingly got in between him and another bull. My bull took exception and got extremely vocal and agressive. He was jacked up to say the least. Have heard and seen bulls exhibit rut behavior many time in various areas whille deer hunting in late Oct/Nov with cows. I suspect no different than RM elk, the bigger bulls may distance a bit when the first rut is over but I suspect the bulls that didn't breed will be shadowing the cows waiting from the 2nd estrous.

What type of feed is best to key in on? Depends on where you are. Farm country or the hills. They seem to love the choked up cutblocks that are like jungles but in the areas I deer/bear hunt see them from the river bottoms to the sides of deep draws to cutblocks. In non farm areas, get up high and glass down. Like RM elk, find the cows you will find the bulls.

are they hanging in one area if in pressured or are they running a big circuit changing locations often? Totally depends on what the lead cow wants to do.
. If she wants to hang in the river bottoms because thats where she's finding food and feeling secure, that's where they will be. If there is lots of pressure in that area (regardless of what it is), they will be in less accessible areas. This might mean only moving 500 yards, but it could be 500 yards across a nasty ass steep, choked up jungle of a cutblock.

I watched this guys for a couple days before I was able to connect. He had 30+ cows with him and was agressive to say the least.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/95.jpeg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ron.C

"Are the bulls with the cows and callable after Oct 10?" YES, the bulls I've witnessed over many years of VAN Isle deer hunting are with cows in Oct and later. Are they callable, I sure think so. Played with elk cow calls multiple times while bear hunting and have gotten a herd of cows talking. I'm generalizing a bit here but I don't think the bulls get quite as chatty as RM elk as far as vocally answering but I did watch them come into my calls.

Got my bull 3rd week of oct and they were vocal to say the least. Throughout the third and beginning of the 4th week of Oct in 2018, actually witnessed some of the most intence bull bugleing and sparring action I have ever seen. Problem was, the bigger bulls were protecting their cows and hard to pull away from them. Although I didn't call my bull in, I unkowingly got in between him and another bull. My bull took exception and got extremely vocal and agressive. He was jacked up to say the least. Have heard and seen bulls exhibit rut behavior many time in various areas whille deer hunting in late Oct/Nov with cows. I suspect no different than RM elk, the bigger bulls may distance a bit when the first rut is over but I suspect the bulls that didn't breed will be shadowing the cows waiting from the 2nd estrous.

What type of feed is best to key in on? Depends on where you are. Farm country or the hills. They seem to love the choked up cutblocks that are like jungles but in the areas I deer/bear hunt see them from the river bottoms to the sides of deep draws to cutblocks. In non farm areas, get up high and glass down. Like RM elk, find the cows you will find the bulls.

are they hanging in one area if in pressured or are they running a big circuit changing locations often? Totally depends on what the lead cow wants to do.
. If she wants to hang in the river bottoms because thats where she's finding food and feeling secure, that's where they will be. If there is lots of pressure in that area (regardless of what it is), they will be in less accessible areas. This might mean only moving 500 yards, but it could be 500 yards across a nasty ass steep, choked up jungle of a cutblock.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/95.jpeg

---

Thanks for the reply Ron!
And man, that is a nice bull, I can only hope I get an opportunity with one that nice. Appreciate your advice.