Rocksteady 2020.. Year of Corona

[rocksteady]

Slow day today... 1.5 km hike in the dark to get to where the elk were yesterday.. nothing.. heard a couple crapoy bugles but only thing seen was a wt doe..

Nap time... then evening hunt maybe

[tyreguy]

Keep at it.
I always had a theory when I saw absolutely nothing in the morning I'd go out late morning or early in the afternoon again with the thought being they were all bedded early in the morning. Its worked a few times.

Have a good snooze.

[rocksteady]

Absolutely frustrating morning...

I drive up onto this little knoll. Not a mountain but a bump. All sides from me are downhill. I park there an hour after first light (too foggy to glass on the river)

Park the truck, shoot down the windows, grab the cell and check the news, HBC etc when i hear a bugle about 100 yards away.. i have hunted this nob before, the elk come up here to bed.. i grab my gun and head off in hot pursuit... see a cow, calf, then they are gone. Follow their tracks and the bugle for about 3km before they go silent..

Discouraged i hike back to the truck.. as i am driving out, about 250 metres from where i parked there is a bull bedded on a ridge maybe 50 yards from the truck... 3 point...

Stupid, stupid me...
I have hunted elk here before, they come here to bed. Rather than going after them i should have had another cup of coffee, let them bed and then slo-play it.. No, i gotta be aggressive...

After i see the bull, i drive down to the end of a spur where i have seen the elk cross... here us a muley doe and a byck bedded on the landing at the end. Doe is 30 yards from truck, buck is in tall grass, bedded.. he stands finally... 2 point....

Leave and not 200 yards later there is 25 turkeys crossing the road.... guess who forgot to grab the 12 gauge this morning???

Frick me, should have stayed in bed..

[rocksteady]

Snuck in to the same area this morning with a buddy... saw 5 solo cows and buddy saw the 3 point farting around.. weird... i have never seen so many solo cows when the 2nd estrous is pending... also saw some wt does and a 2 point muley

[todbartell]

Most of the cows get bred the first time they come into estrous, mature bulls are pretty efficient in breeding. They'll move off in hopes of finding another cow, or just hole up in an area that has good feed and security, start recovering a bit from the rigors of the rut and prepare for winter

[rocksteady]

Update.. been out every morning and night. On elk every single time..

Saw 6 bulls in one day, saw numerous other bulls.. not a 6, that i know of to be seen..

I have changed tactics... runnin and gunning..

When i hear a bugle in the dark i get an idea of where they are, grab my gear and head straight at it.. so far so good , git in on the herd every time.. just nothing legal or enuff light to seal the deal before dark...

Remembered to toss the shotgun in tonight...

Turkey down.. big hen.. then after i read the regs j found i could shoot 2.. Frick

[rocksteady]

Late late update.. cant remember all of the details.. going out in morning and evening. Still seeing lots of critters.. just no big bulls.. seeing 0 to 6 bulls a day..


Killed my 2nd turkey of the fall season, nother big hen..

So 2 of those in the freezer, just not as filling as a 6 pt elk..

Having a blast, living the dream, getting lots of exercise
...

[rocksteady]

I think the rut is done..

I am seeing huge herds (200+) with multiple bulls (10 to 12), no 6's.

I think the big breeding bulls are spent. Hiding in the thickets, eating, sleeping and resting up.

Lots of bugles being cranked out, but by the smaller bulls who think they are now "The Boss"...

Maybe a dink 6 will be with the herd (he spent all season as a satellite)..

Been a fabulous run, hunted just about every day since Sept 1.. many many elk, probably 70 different bulls, lots of opportunities, 1 miss at a 6.. was a great season.

Love to have a bull in the freezer, but sure appreciate hiw many ops i had this fall on elk..

Gonna do whatever feels right for the next 3 days... sleep in? Go for a drive? Set up on a viewpoint..

Not confident in cutting a tag this elk season but sure gas been a good run.

[rocksteady]

Just my opinion and observations... in my area..

[DannyO]

And I love reading them!