Elk Hunting question

[GRIZZEZE]

I have been trying to get my first elk for a few years now, but have had no success. The last 2 years we have been out in region 4, the first year, we saw lots of cows and 2 5 point bulls, we had bulls responding to calls but nothing would commit. This year, we saw a lot more 5 points and lots of cows, again nothing committing to calls. Last this year we were there for the last week of September and the year before we were there the 3rd week of September.

Is there such thing as a area where the genetics of the animals will only produce a maximum of a 5 point bull? Some of the bulls that we saw this year were absolutely huge framed 5 points.

Any info or ideas or advice would be great. I really want to get one next year.

Thanks GRIZZEZE

[325]

Hang in there. I hunted elk for 5 years before getting one. As for hunting pressure increasing the prevalence of genetics for bulls that will only ever be 5 points?? I doubt that is a factor in BC hunting.

[GoatGuy]

If the bulls aren't coming in, go after them.

[Bugle M In]

Are those 5 points with the cows at the same time OR are they present at different times in other locations??
If they are with the cows, then you most certainly can gaurantee they won't come in.
Then as previous post, you have to get in close to the cows, then you'll have fun.
Usually if you have plenty of 5 pts around, you can bet there is a larger bull around with the cows.
But just because the bull only has 5 pts, doesn't mean he isn't the strongest kid in the hood.
Don't think genetics has any influence, just bad timing and LUCK!

I only had 1 week this year to hunt reg 4, opening on 10th...hot as hell.
Had a large bull bugle...thought he was coming in...but buggered off.
Thought to myself, he might have cows.
2 days later, same bull, same scenerio, but this time I tried to cut him off.
Ran into the bull at 20 yrds...head on...unfortunately, he had me first, And although I saw briefly
he was surely to be 6x6...I needed to count points......and then it was elbows and asshole!...gone!
NO cows!! and although he seemed ready to go, just wanted to walk away, even with all the cow calling.

Just trying to say that it seems your in the right area....unless someones is there before you, nailing a 6 pt
which also explain 5 pts with a lot of cows.
Persistence will pay off, and things change from year to year.

May also try having one person bugle while the other does the chasing.
That way the one hunter can get in close queitly, and have a location when that bull responds to the other
hunters bugle/ cow calls.

Always start with cow calls and wait...then wait some more and stay quiet.
Hold off on the bugling for a time in any new area.

But you have to hunt them, go after them for the most part, and if your lucky at some point
a bull will come in to you!

Have fun ...good luck

[steepNdeep]

The younger bulls haven't been shot at & wised up, yet so they stick their head out in the light... The big boys are more nocturnal, but they are around. Spend as much time as you can in their mountains & you'll figure it out.

Get to know the country that you are hunting intimately & practice your cow calls. I have 3 different calls & mix them up to sound like a herd. I rarely bugle except to mess with other hunters... :wink:

If you put enough time in eventually you'll get 'lucky'.

[elkdom]

If the bulls aren't coming in, go after them.

x2 ! who ever said the bulls will always come to you ? yes in some circumstances a bull will come in to your bugles and cow talk, but many, many times YOU have to TAKE IT to THEM!

many times a bull will "hang up" where you cannot identify or get a shot, many times a bull has cows and doesn't wish to "come to a fight and risk loosing his harem"
take the "challenge to him" many times he will stand his ground or make a charge at you ( you! as in he thinks your another elk), when it seems obvious he now has some new "competition",,,

and when "you take it to HIM" do not try be quiet ,if you do ? you will be pegged as a predator, and they will simply move on and away

make a LOT of NOISE, thrashing branches, breaking trees, when your taking the challenge to the next level when bugling elk,,,,,,,,,,

[GRIZZEZE]

If the bulls aren't coming in, go after them.

I did this this year, I managed to get to what I thought was with in 60-70 yds, I could hear him moving around in the bush and bugling then another animal barked at one of my buddy's almost 1 km away, and the bull I was playing with had enough. He shut up until he was well over 500 yds away, and left his cows with me. It turned out that he was a 5 point as well, we got a better look at him the next day.


Bugle M In

All of the bulls that we saw had anywhere from 2-8 cows with them, and all were 5 points except the one little 3 we saw by him self.
I think you are right on the hunting pressure, last year there was a few guys in the area but this year it seemed like a highway in the mornings, everyone spread out but there was a bunch of people in the area.
I have not had any success with cow calls yet in getting any responses, but I can defiantly get them talking with my bugle. Maybe I need more practice on the cow calls

elkdom

This year I really stepped it up with my aggressiveness in trying to get in the bulls comfort zone and did have more success, but everything was one point short, actually one bull was only about 1/2" short. I knew where one bull was hanging out so the one evening I when in quiet until I was about 200-300 from where he was bedding down, and then started making noise calling, but in the end he had enough before I was able to get a look at him.

Thanks for the responses guys,
Elk have to be one of the most fun animals to hunt, and one day I will be able to post up a pic of mine. (I hope it is next year)

GRIZZEZE

[eastkoot]

Kill only sixes every year and they get scarcer every year.. No such thing as a better six gene pool. And by all means go after them cause they won't in any likelyhood be a six anyway, but it's fun!! ...I think the six only has become recreational and the cow/calf anterless has run it's course.. What's next??? When the guides tell me 2 the first hunt and one the second, you know your odds a next to zero...

[one-shot-wonder]

Kill only sixes every year and they get scarcer every year.. No such thing as a better six gene pool. And by all means go after them cause they won't in any likelyhood be a six anyway, but it's fun!! ...I think the six only has become recreational and the cow/calf anterless has run it's course.. What's next??? When the guides tell me 2 the first hunt and one the second, you know your odds a next to zero...

Next time in english please............Jelvis

[elkdom]

once you learn how to kill 6's,, it will be amazing just how many of them there is,

convince yourself there is ONLY 5's ,,,and that is what you will find,

for many years, just a few weeks after the GOS 6 point season ended there is large bachelor herds of big 6's and 7's and even larger !

and lots of guys whining all that there was during the GOS 6 point season were 5x pointers (in their opinion):?

[Mikey Rafiki]

Very few true genetic 5 pointers out there. Only have seen one that was well over 300 inches, long sweeping main beams, just nothing between the 4 and the whale tail.

Those 6's are all over the place, they are just in the greasiest spots. Like elkdom said, come out to the koots for the first week of November and you will see all the 6 pointers in their valley bottom mega herds.

[killer_shot]

Next time in english please............Jelvis

hahahahahahah...............

[GRIZZEZE]

once you learn how to kill 6's,, it will be amazing just how many of them there is,

convince yourself there is ONLY 5's ,,,and that is what you will find,

for many years, just a few weeks after the GOS 6 point season ended there is large bachelor herds of big 6's and 7's and even larger !

and lots of guys whining all that there was during the GOS 6 point season were 5x pointers (in their opinion):?


It is not that I think that there is only 5 points around, it is just that was all that we were able to find this year. I was wondering in my original post if there was such a thing as having some genetic trait that would only produce 5 points. I don't think that there would be, I just found it interesting how many different 5 points we were seeing in the area.
This year I stepped up my intensity on hunting them and next year I will try to step it up even more, I am not one to be afraid of hard work, but like most I don't want to wast hard work in one area if I could be more productive on the next ridge over or something like that.

Again thanks to all that have replied

GRIZZEZE

[huntinnut]

I sure find that if i'm hunting an area that has good access, even if it has good numbers of elk, i'll tend to see more 5's and 4's, and thats simply because there's not alot of older elk around from constant hunting pressure year after year. The few 6's around will have cows and that's alot harder. If I head into some tough spot where nobody ever goes, then usually it's alot easier to find a 6 beacuse there's older bulls around that don't have cows.