Frustrated!!!!

[willyqbc]

Well I just got back from a week long elk trip with Tank and his dad. I won't bore you with all the details but we hiked approx 20km per day most days and the end result was we called bulls into easy shooting position 15 times, of those times we were sure of at least 12 different bulls. These were in 2 locations over an 1 1/2 hours apart. long story short 9 out of 12 bulls were 5X5's several of which were definately big mature herd bulls so its not like we were just bringing in little guys. Add that to the 4 straight 5X5's we called in last year on a short week-end run and we are up to 16 different bulls in a row without finding a legal one, with 13 out of 16 being 5X5's. Now call me a conspiracy theorist but I gotta think year after year of 6 point bull season is starting to shift the dominant genetic in some areas to 5 point ...this was in 7B around the sikanni river.
Anyway it was a great trip and there is nothing like having big angry bulls screaming in your face from as little as 15 yards away but man is this 6 point restriction starting to get frustrating.:cry:

Chris

[Steeleco]

My wife's uncle used to be on the board of IIRC the Northern Rocky Mountain park and said as you about the "(oops) illogical 6 point" regulation.

Wasn't long ago guys were catching monster springs on a regular basis, because that's mostly what was targeted, that gene pool appears depleted?

Have the CO/Biologists taken the elk down the same road? Are they doing the same with 4 pt mulie rule!!

The debates will never end.

Nonetheless glad you had a memorable trip, despite the frustration you speak of.

[ROEBUCK]

I agree killing all the prime bulls {6 points}cannot be good for the gene pool .the open season should be for immature game as well to create more of a balance

[elkdom]

I wasin the same general area by the desciption in your post, but yhat was Aug 18- 23 glassed alpine with 60 pwr counted 13 mature bull elk in area of about 20acres only 2 were less than 6 ptrs, heres the crappy part you,d need ahelicopterto get there ,then after you would have to live there till you ate it , the you,d probably diewalking out with the antlers ! was up there last Nov after bull season wasover , one herd of aprox 120elk we counted 23 6/6 or better bulls the entire herd 150 yds from a secondary road we watched them for at least 20 mins they could of carred less! the 6s seem to know the regs ! dont quit get even!

[mark]

I know how you feel willyman, I found the exact same thing in 2 weeks of hunting chetwynd area 27 bull elk and not 1- 6 pointer! I too know the area very well, and we did also see some herd bulls, all 5 pointers!

[moosinaround]

We were up in the 7b area the opening day for elk and it was very slow. Never had too many calling back, they did call periodically, but the bulls never pursued our calls. The last day of our hunt we did get a bull going in the morning and my buddy got him he was a small 6x5. It sure was nice payment for a tough slow hunt. That 7b area is awfully pretty. Moosin

[therrien1973]

the elk are staying on the farmmers land for now

[mark]

We were up in the 7b area the opening day for elk and it was very slow. Never had too many calling back, they did call periodically, but the bulls never pursued our calls. The last day of our hunt we did get a bull going in the morning and my buddy got him he was a small 6x5. It sure was nice payment for a tough slow hunt. That 7b area is awfully pretty. Moosin

Hey moosin, we saw the legs in yer camp, congrads you guys got lucky! We on the other hand had tons of action, we called in bull elk every day, saw 27 bulls in total but not 1 -6 pointer!

[todbartell]

in the two days I hunted we saw six bulls (one 6x5 I shot, two 5x5, two 4x4)

the day before I got there, a 4x4 was spotted, and after I left my parnters hunted for 3-4 days and got on a couple 5x5s up close in the timber

[Jetboat]

And here I thought I was the only champion of calling in 5x5's :roll: but looks like I'm not alone. A lot more guys would be eating elk if we had a branched antler season instead of the six point only rule. Wouldn't it take the pressure off the "mythical" ;) six point herd bulls if we could pop a 3x4 raghorn for the freezer?

[newhunterette]

y'all don't be frustrated - if u had a great time in the wilderness calling big critters in even though not the one u wanted - u had time away doing what you enjoy in life - it is not always the matter of getting the animal it is the thrill of the hunt - do not be frustrated be proud of yourselves for the accomplishment you made in the time you were away.

Ali

[browningboy]

I believe that theres different gene pools as where you take out the one strand of the "big" guys, then its back to square one, I remember the area that we hunt used to have way more large bulls (moose) and now its much harder to find that tri-palm etc.. most are the 38" rack variety.
Oh well my 2 cents.

[eric]

Hey Moosin, were you camped at 18 km on the Del Rio?? I work for Devon looking after some gas wells and compressor station at 14 km on the Del Rio. Just curios as I found some Elk legs at that camp at 18. Just to let you guys know I am one of the luckier one's who managed to get a small 6X5 and yes it is really slow this year for 6 pointers. Maybe it is time to open 3pt season again. Good luck for the rest of the season
Eric

[willyqbc]

Don't get me wrong Ali, still had a great trip and it was a ton of fun....but, I think that these 6 point seasons are creating a situation where the dominant gene in areas is becoming the 5 point variety. if this continues the only people who will have access to legal bulls will be those with horses or riverboats (mostly guides). In my opinion if you have a healthy elk population you should have a reasonable expectation of finding a legal animal if you put in the work and time, right now that does not seem to be the case. Every year that we shoot a few more 6 pointers and a few more big 5's do all the breeding the worse this situation is going to get. This is certainly not a province wide problem but it should be looked at regionally to determine where they need to change the restrictions.

Just my opinion
Chris

[RiverOtter]

As it applies to elk, if there are an abundance of mature/herd bulls with only 5 points, then I don't see what would be wrong with a 5 point only rule with a morritorium on 6 pointers. It would balance out the gene pool and still allow for the large mature 6 pointers, as well as the 5 pointers that don't get shot, to pass on their trates.

If the elk population is stable/increasing and fewer bulls are getting harvested every year, due to the 6 point rule, then the questionaires/inspections must also reflect the problem. No.

RO