West Kootenay Elk Hunters

[REMINGTON JIM]

I've seen some articles with alarming numbers from last season but don't recall where. Here's a quote in a recent post on FB group British Columbia Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Brit...countryHunters

"Message from Kootenay Wildlife Biologists and Conservation Officers:
A substantial number of five point elk are being illegally harvested during the six point or greater elk season in the Southern East Kootenay. In 2021, the number of illegal elk harvested hit a record high, with 56 five point or smaller elk killed over the course of the season. Wildlife biologists and Conservation Officers are concerned that elk are being illegally harvested at a similar rate this fall after 10 five point bulls were killed in the first 12 days of the rifle season.
Please spread the message to take extra time when counting points and judging length of tines to ensure the elk meets the legal definition of a 6-point or greater bull as shown on Page 3 of the BC Hunting and Trapping Synopsis.
Thank you for being responsible wildlife stewards."

Assuming these were licensed hunters who made errors & self reported or were caught during a check, if you add poachers & other illegal kills, it might not be long until there's a complete moratorium on elk hunting.

Thanks for that info Mike - Lots of POACHING going on As there is NO way there all Mistakes ! RJ

[HarryToolips]

I hug ave hunted elk long enough.
I wish folks that do hunt them do accept that more times than not the bull you see will be a 5pt.
And honestly, if you have to hum and ha if that little protrusion is a legal 6th point, best to leave it alone and put the rifle down!
There really should be no excuse for killing a 5pt in 6 season.
Ince in a blue moon I can accept that someone mistook a branch for a tine.
But not the way it’s being reported by The bio/co.
No excuse for that bs.

Completely agree...it's the morons that will be ruining the hunt for the rest of us if they have to shut it down: I know the Ministry objective for bull:cow ratios is 20 bulls:100 cows, if they're not meeting that objective then...just look at how the WK has already been cut back on season dates from Sept 10-Oct 5 (and then bow only season of course) - if idiots keep shooting illegal elk we could lose the season altogether...

[HarryToolips]

I wonder this as well. Was bugling back and forth with one in mid September, but the first good look at one in the area was this past week on the road out in the evening, lower down the mountain. Barely legal light, and he vanished into the darkness after a quick stalk. Beautiful split up top, but couldn’t get passed 90% of seeing if it was a 5 or 6 point for sure. I’m not taking the risk on that, although it will probably haunt me all winter.

They seemed far more vocal in mid month, but now I just get crashing around and faint cow calls poking in all directions.

Good on ya for passing on a questionable bull...welcome to the club...

[HarryToolips]

So technically staying on topic of the OP regarding elk behavior, this question is for all you pro elk hunters High Country, Bugle M In, Elkaddict et al.:

So the last day and a half of my elk hunt with my partner we have figured out the areas after many miles covering ground on foot...we see their sign everywhere in these specific areas, and there is optimal water and thick thick cover (typical WK) in this area - my partner and I then in order to increase our odds of success divide the area into 3 zones, and we split up morning and evening covering 2 of the 3 zones at any one time...because I shot the bull last year my partner gets first dibs on which zone he wants to station at...so he picks the zone where we saw the freshest tracks of the herd: we figure approximately 10-12 elk, and we can see the biggest tracks of the herd are HUGE - big herd bull...so the last evening of our hunt my buddy stations in that zone, and I station where we saw the 5 pt earlier in the day, in the hopes that the herd isn't pressured and may come back to feed in the zone where I was...well, my buddy nailed it on where they'd be: he lets out a location bugle and a couple cow calls with about 20 minutes of legal light left, and then continues to sit...5 or so minutes later, all hell breaks loose as he sits in this one opening where they feed: he can hear a big animal crashing through the woods and it proceeds to let out this huge bugle..buddy then texts me (yes we had cell reception up there) what you think I should do? So I tell him play the wind and get closer to that timber and let out a big challenge bugle: so he does then this bull replies back with several chuckles: to which buddy replies again but light is almost gone at this point..then, the cow elk light up, and so does this other bull! But these bulls are not coming out of the timber, and light is pretty much gone at this point, which would make it a challenge to count 6 tines...wind is good so buddy decides to deke out and we'll try first thing in the am, hoping, praying, that they would feed there all night and we would have opportunity in the morning...so we get up, proceed into the area very carefully, doing all our diligent checks and glassing at the very first glimpse of light...their sign is everywhere, but they were completely gone....We cover ground in the area in the thick timber and call etc but nothing, seems like they completely vacated....

What would you guys have done differently from what I described, if anything?

[Bugle M In]

I don’t know if there is much you could do differently with that little time left.
That bull was protecting his harem.
And probably once nightfall hit and you boys went back to camp and it was all quiet he probably pushed his cows out of there.

I had a different scenario which started on my 1st day of the hunt and only a couple hundred yards from camp, saw a couple cows just off the road so I bugled, and a bull bugled over the hump some 50 yards away and then damn near ran me over about 30 seconds later.
By time I tried to count, off they took.
Anyways, for 3 days after that, every day I found them, he was in timber with the cows, bugling but not coming out.
Each day I had pushed him another 1 to 2 km further away from my camp.
Had him bugling right beyond dark.
Now, on the 4th day he was about 7km from where I started but luckily he hung with his cows along the river.
I realized that I would bugle til night with him, and then the next morning he had moved away protecting his cows.
So, 5th night I got him to bugle just a couple hundred yards up river, so yet Agsin, moving away from camp but in the other side of river do too late to go over.

Instead, I went up river, on my side beyond him, basically ti get in front of him and how he had been travelling for these several days.
l got about 400 yards beyond him, and gave it hell right til dark and him blaring back.
So, now dark, I left bull scent all over.
And didn’t make a peep as I travelled back to camp, going past him on my side of the river.
He kept bugling snd bugling ling after I was gone.

Next morning, I got up real early to be right where he was the night before.
And was hoping they might have come out into the river bed to feed.
Got there 10 minutes before any light.
Didn’t make a sound, no calling.
Got to about 100 yards to where I would be able to look and waited.
As soon as I could just make out where ti walk without breaking a branch or poking an eye out, I walked to the bank of the river.
There he was, with his 8 cows.
And while they fed and the herd cow stared at me!!!
She just knew, that 6th sense!!!
Anyways, there was the bull, lifted his head from feeding, and automatically was staring up river.
Up river from where I bugled last!!!!
I think I tricked him in thinking I was still up there!
And yes, they were moving in the direction back to the timber.
They had been out there for a few hours already it appeared.

So, one can try to get beyond a bull who has cows and is holding fast and try to get the heard to move towards a place that is huntable for the next day, rather than watch them move away in a direction you will never get too.
But, it hard ti get them ti come out when they don’t want ti and it’s too late to try ti go in.
Just how it goes.

[Husky7mm]

Sounds like you guys are in the right scenario to have a chance at a big ass herd bull. I would be way back in the timber up the hill they came off of and I wouldnt call. That bull is bugling to hear if other bulls, or most likely hunters are in the open areas bellow. He’s too smart to commit to coming out in the open during day light. I would hit the timber in the evening and intercept him on his way down but only after the thermals switch down hill or they will smell you. He is going to bugle for a bit when its time for the herd to get up and head down the mountain for the evening feeding. Having them gone by morning is pretty usual, i don’t see elk stay in the same clearings or blocks all night long, either they went lower and wisely took the timber all they way back up or they had their fill and left in the middle of the night. They can see at night like we see during the day. Some days they just don’t feed much. Is it hot? Check the north slope dark timber, find the trails they take down the mountain and ambush them. Some times they bugle quiet and unless your within a few hundred metres you wont hear them. Just listen and move accordingly as they don’t use the exact same trail everyday. Again, I would not call in this scenario, that might have made him/ them hang up till dark.

[HarryToolips]

Bugle M in:

^^^that was a smart move on your part...if we have time next time if that scenario plays out again I may try that thanks..

Husky: we were actually hitting those thick timber areas including on north slopes and we did find their trails but I like your idea of ambushing them , which would have worked well if we had more time to hunt.. when we were in thick where we predicted they would be, we would call and wait but maybe we pushed them further?

[Husky7mm]

Also the herd bull is in the back so if your going to ambush him be prepared to be far enough off the trails that the spikes and cows don’t see or smell you first. There is only a short window of time in the evening for this type of tactic.

[HarryToolips]

Also the herd bull is in the back so if your going to ambush him be prepared to be far enough off the trails that the spikes and cows don’t see or smell you first. There is only a short window of time in the evening for this type of tactic.

For sure makes sense...in this instance, the herd bull was actually bugling from what sounded like the front while the cows were in the rear, weird eh..

[HarryToolips]

I've seen some articles with alarming numbers from last season but don't recall where. Here's a quote in a recent post on FB group British Columbia Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Brit...countryHunters

"Message from Kootenay Wildlife Biologists and Conservation Officers:
A substantial number of five point elk are being illegally harvested during the six point or greater elk season in the Southern East Kootenay. In 2021, the number of illegal elk harvested hit a record high, with 56 five point or smaller elk killed over the course of the season. Wildlife biologists and Conservation Officers are concerned that elk are being illegally harvested at a similar rate this fall after 10 five point bulls were killed in the first 12 days of the rifle season.
Please spread the message to take extra time when counting points and judging length of tines to ensure the elk meets the legal definition of a 6-point or greater bull as shown on Page 3 of the BC Hunting and Trapping Synopsis.
Thank you for being responsible wildlife stewards."

Assuming these were licensed hunters who made errors & self reported or were caught during a check, if you add poachers & other illegal kills, it might not be long until there's a complete moratorium on elk hunting.

Thanks for posting Mike...again, need to stress the importance of getting this message spread to all the fellow hunters we know, most importantly for conservation, and secondly for the fact that if too many bulls are illegally harvested and the bull:cow ratios drop below the target, they will shorten seasons or cancel them all together..this should be a concern for all of us...