KootenayKid,
Your comments are "extremely disrespectful", imo.
There are many hunters, local EK and elsewhere, who know how to hunt elk.
Yes, you seem like an avid elk hunter.
You are a local, have the time to go out and hunt in a matter of minutes from your own (if you want).
And you have taken advantage of that (good on you) and use your time wisely.
I know what you mean about some hunters and their hunting tactics.
The 1st to leave the are I hunt were those in trucks and quads (although much of my area is closed to vehicles anyways for 40 plus years.)
The next groups to leave were those on horses, AND, they had experience and the ability to hit areas
no one else really could.
(they did have lots of success).
Next were GO's selling out several times (the goat hunt is all that keeps the current GO in business).
So, that left my group and another that hunt on foot or mtn bike.
They left, in part because they "packed in" and camped in a particular area that held elk daily.
I didn't take that approach, but rather cycle in for several hours (in the dark) in a multitude of different
directions, to hit different areas.
The "TRUTH" is, and the aerial survey "confirms it", that the population is "way down".
I used to think it was down by 1/2 since 2005.
But I was worried it was only 1/4 of the 2005 levels.
IT is probably worse than that!!
There are many "qualified" elk hunters on this site.
We may not be as young as we once were, but I will take my "knowledge" of the areas over all the hard walking I used to do when I was young.
Either way, LUCK is always a part of hunting.
But, elk #'s are down, big time.
And many with good elk hunting ability are seeing that as well.
Hopefully your area doesn't get "kicked" like many others.
But, I give the locals credit.
The other locals may figure out where your "honey hole" is.
And when they do, just wait and see how bad it can get.
The best thing:
Hope that the Ministry gets their act together, and works with hunters to have a "huntable population"
in the EK.
(Not just the "minimal" that they are wanting to only achieve).
I can promise you one thing, time will catch up to you as well.
It always does!