2012 Elk

[Aheny]

This is going to be my first year hunting, after spending too many years working too much. I would really like to try for an elk this year, I am not too picky on size, just want to pop my elk cherry!

Any good areas in Region 8? That's closest for me, although I could probably combine a work trip to Fernie with a week or 2 off for an elk hunt afterwards.

[r106]

It's going to be tough getting info on region 8 Elk, There not as abundant as in region 4 or 7. I would look east of Okanogan lake

[835]

Yep, 8 is a tough one. From what i hear you gotta be a local, just to be able to spend the time. Reg 4 is a better bet, or if you have the time and money Reg 7. Getting a specific portion of a MU will be a tough one, people are tight lipped about elk. Personally i have been out there twice for a total of 20 days on 2 seporate seasons and ive yet to see an elk! BUT!

Get the Reg 4 road atlas and put that beside the regulations. Then you need to look at vehicle closures, people hike/ bicycle past them. But you need to be ware of where they are. I emailed my CO contact who put me in touch with a local CO and i was able to confirm both exact location and he told me he had just posted new signs i could not miss,,,,,, shoulda asked where the elk were but thats hind sight!

Combine the above with extensive use of google earth and you should be able to put a good finger down on a map. Probably just as good as you will get here. The other thing that i have heard since,,, and this goes against the grain but.... one guy said he likes to go late. Every one wants to hunt the rut, so the bush gets pounded hard. This guy goes at the end of the season, says its easier to hunt them.... i dunno i suck at Elk!

[Aheny]

I've spent a bit of time pounding miles out in 4-23, so if I dont get any better ideas thats where I will end up. Just wasn't sure if there was a big elk population in 8 that I didnt know about. As for the Peace, I won't be going up that way this year, spent over 10 years living up that way though, so next year we should be heading up there for moose and hopefully a dall.

[835]

From what i have read there is a good population of elk in 8 its just they are in the thickes thick and you really have to be in the know. Thats what i mean about locals only. Honestly though, if your familiar with 4-23 and that side of the Koots your chances are way better there.

[proguide66]

Go to 7 , near some sheep hills and shoot the shit outta the elk there !

[hunter1993ap]

you dont have to be a local in region 8 but you have to have some time. it is hard hunting because the elk are call shy because of so many people blowing bugles, the elk sink back into the thick stuff. i have had my chances the last couple years for elk but i still havnt been able to pull it off.

[rides bike to work]

It seems to me everyone from cranbrook has an elk in their avatar so I would try there

[dragonslayer]

Elk can be extemely tough to hunt doesn't matter which area, all depends on how many hunters have been pushing the animals around, region 8 is very hard, go to 4 or 7 for , but you still have to know the area or someone that can show you the area, not that easy to come bye even if you know the area, sometimes they show , sometimes they don't, all depends, wish you luck. John

[Ddog]

i would look in region 7 not 4, i live in 4 and the pressure has been greatly increased in the past 5 yrs and especially the last couple due to the cow calf season.
still restricted to 6 point bulls, where as 7 you are not ( at certain times)
check 7 before any decision on your part
good luck

[schilly101]

im not sure what region it is but i worked a few years back up near big white in kelowna and i saw a few elk here and there. i forget what road but i belive it may have been the kettle?

[goatdancer]

im not sure what region it is but i worked a few years back up near big white in kelowna and i saw a few elk here and there. i forget what road but i belive it may have been the kettle?

That's region 8. I've hunted 8 for over 25 years and have never seen a bull elk, even though there are some around. It's tough country to hunt elk. Have heard the odd story of somebody driving along an FSR and popping one, but very rare.

[Aheny]

I can't make a trip up to 7 this year unfortunately, but i do know the area quite well, spent a dozen years working in every gas field there is up there. I will say that I saw a MASSIVE herd of elk in 4 while I was working there last year.

[hunter1947]

i would look in region 7 not 4, i live in 4 and the pressure has been greatly increased in the past 5 yrs and especially the last couple due to the cow calf season.
still restricted to 6 point bulls, where as 7 you are not ( at certain times)
check 7 before any decision on your part
good luck


I agree the hunting pressher in 4 has got bad in the last 5 years but maybe now that GOS cow calf season in zone X has come to a halt there might not be as much pressher this coming year ???.

In 4 there are remote areas to go if you want to put some hard miles on in order to get away from the crowds ,lots of area in the EK or WK you just got to get away from the main logging roads..

[swampdonkey]

There are elk in region 8 but hard to come by. I got one back in 94 and seen them over the years in 8-5.I always buy a tag every year I have a friend in Merritt who took one 3 years in a row

[cameron0518]

At least your not aiming too high for your first animal. I would also maybe look at attempting to get a stone sheep if you have time. It would be cool to be a rookie and get an elk, stone sheep, and hopefully a bison if you put in for it. I am looking forward to the success stories!! Best of luck.

[Wrayzer]

There are some kicking around, it has taken a lot of guys around here a while to find the pockets of them. Best bet is to start looking now and don't stop until you locate some heards and have a 6 point down in September.
Ive heard of bulls taken all over the valley, and with all of 8 open now, pick a area and go venture.

[Aheny]

I guess I am a rookie now, used to hunt every year for moose up the alaska highway, and tried many times for a Dall, which I want to get back to.

[genockous]

Princeton is good for elk

[835]

I guess I am a rookie now, used to hunt every year for moose up the alaska highway, and tried many times for a Dall, which I want to get back to.

Wouldnt call you a Rookie then, Hell you might be retired and have all kinds of time. But its gonna take it, i think for me being on this forum since 2009 I have seen one Reg 8 bull Elk show up. And in that time countless reg 4.

[Taurusguy]

I have seen many elk in region 8... just never have 6 points :( or they have no points. The only elk that I have seen taken down was my dads elk in 2004 on the vancouver island. He won a rosie draw and he shot it on day 4 100 yards from camp!

[igojuone]

At least your not aiming too high for your first animal. I would also maybe look at attempting to get a stone sheep if you have time. It would be cool to be a rookie and get an elk, stone sheep, and hopefully a bison if you put in for it. I am looking forward to the success stories!! Best of luck.

I'm tasting a large portion of sarcasm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Just in case you didn't notice it.

[todbartell]

use the hunting pressure to your advantage.

[hunter1947]

I have seen bull elk way up the back end of the whipsaw main line ,last time I saw the elk up there was about 14 years ago when hunting for mule deer another place was to north of Sunday creek and Friday creek a couple where 6x6 bulls but the season had closed by then..

[Aheny]

I'm tasting a large portion of sarcasm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Just in case you didn't notice it.

Yeah he must have misunderstood me. I've taken down almost a dozen moose, and maybe 15 mulies, tried to Dall several times with no success so far...

Also was on a successful goat hunt (not my tag though)

[cameron0518]

This is going to be my first year hunting.... what else would you think when reading??? LOL.
This is going to be my first year hunting, after spending too many years working too much. I would really like to try for an elk this year, I am not too picky on size, just want to pop my elk cherry!

Any good areas in Region 8? That's closest for me, although I could probably combine a work trip to Fernie with a week or 2 off for an elk hunt afterwards.

[Aheny]

Yeah I guess it could be misunderstood. But if you read it again I'm sure you can figure out what I was saying

[.300WSMImpact!]

I want to get my fisrt elk ever too

[Ourea]

Thinking of making a trip to 8 for an elk hunt?
Good luck with that one.

My group and I are off in a few weeks to our old stomping grounds in the Kootenays to cut out our old trails from 10 years ago. This effort is in response to the mounting region 8 pressure. Quality and quantity have taken a pounding the last several years. 8 is my back door and the motivation to hunt it any more for elk is all but gone.

[BlacktailStalker]

Thinking of making a trip to 8 for an elk hunt?
Good luck with that one.

My group and I are off in a few weeks to our old stomping grounds in the Kootenays to cut out our old trails from 10 years ago. This effort is in response to the mounting region 8 pressure. Quality and quantity have taken a pounding the last several years. 8 is my back door and the motivation to hunt it any more for elk is all but gone.

That right there is an advantage with age, those long gone and forgotten (by most) hotspots that really don't change, just the access changes. Most are too lazy to do this !

[835]

Thinking of making a trip to 8 for an elk hunt?
Good luck with that one.

My group and I are off in a few weeks to our old stomping grounds in the Kootenays to cut out our old trails from 10 years ago. This effort is in response to the mounting region 8 pressure. Quality and quantity have taken a pounding the last several years. 8 is my back door and the motivation to hunt it any more for elk is all but gone.


That right there is an advantage with age, those long gone and forgotten (by most) hotspots that really don't change, just the access changes. Most are too lazy to do this !


I just wish i had that kinda time! I cang go Pre- Trippin' into any area except my IBT Spots! And i sure cant saty in one area long enough to "Develop it"
Good luck Guys!

[bassplayer]

you dont have to be a local in region 8 but you have to have some time. it is hard hunting because the elk are call shy because of so many people blowing bugles, the elk sink back into the thick stuff. i have had my chances the last couple years for elk but i still havnt been able to pull it off.
X2. It gets so bad down here that when you get a reply you don't know if it's an elk or another hunter. I've had as many as 3 replies at the same time. I then switched to a cow call and then started getting cow replies. Whoever that was didn't have a clue. He way over did it to the point that i thought i was listening to a clarinet solo within a dixieland band.

[835]

Im glad moose are dum....

[Ourea]

That right there is an advantage with age, those long gone and forgotten (by most) hotspots that really don't change, just the access changes. Most are too lazy to do this !

Having the fortune to hunt 3 - 4 days a week all season in addition to being in the bush checking a network of trailcams weekly we pretty much have our area and it's inventory in a phone book. We do mostly deep packpack trips for several days at a time. There is no area that we "hope" to get to. If it's elky, we've checked it out. After 20 years of this approach you get to know your country and animals pretty good. Like I said, the age class of bulls has dropped dramatically with the majority of bulls not making it past 3 or 4 years of age now due to the pressure and high harvest rate.
At least in the Koots there are large pockets of forest with no access roads, no marked trails...just wilderness. If a guy invests 5 or six days on a saw he can get back 5 or 6 miles into slides and basins that hold elk that are untouched. Region 8 simply does not afford that type of isolation any more. Anyone that knows elk knows they don't like pressure and react accordingly making them more difficult to hunt. 8 has a lot of pressure and a lot of access. Not hard top do the math...

[igojuone]

Yeah I guess it could be misunderstood. But if you read it again I'm sure you can figure out what I was saying

Really though why would you want to read it more then once, this isn't a test, is it? LOL

[drakfero]

good luck to find one 6 point elk in region 8 :)