Elk Hunting 2014

[Hummer]

I hunted second season on public land in the Flat Tops region east of Meeker. It was my 29th year hunting the same area where I typically cover about 15 square miles, so I know the country well. The weather was very warm and it seems there were very few hunters this year, I guess because many are OTC bull hunters who wait for snow to buy a license. I drew a cow tag and also carried bull and bear licenses.

For six days I hunted the area widely but only flushed a single cow in the timber as she ran straight away from me. There was elk sign everywhere but most all of it was old. I knew there were 50+ head of elk on private ranch land in a valley over the mountain and sometimes hunting near the fence line can be productive. But, it requires a 10-12 mile round trip climb up a mountain, an 1800 ft. vertical descent, and then back out at night. I've done it many times before, hunting until end of legal shooting light, then hiking out in the dark. It's spooky as hell, even with a GPS and flashlights. In pitch dark it's easy to miss the trails and end up in a dangerous tangle of down timber.

One of the truisms of elk hunting is that you have to hunt elk where the elk are, not where it's convenient. Without big snow to spur migration I knew there was little chance of getting an elk without making the marathon hike. On Saturday I climbed over the mountain and got into a group of elk in the timber. A spike bull zeroed in on me at 30 feet and I couldn't move for 20 minutes. There was a cow or calf to it's right but I couldn't tell which because it was obscured by deadfalls. I didn't want to shoot a calf. Eventually they caught my scent and booked out of there. I worked my way up the slope and busted a bull from his bed. He shot by me only 35 feet away running down the hill like a race horse so fast I couldn't count points, but he was massive.

As I climbed the hill a short while later another bull stood from his bed to look in my direction. I took a few seconds with binoculars to check antler points and made the shot at 69 yards just as he began to move away. The bull disappeared and pretty soon several cows and calves emerged to move away and down slope. In a stroke of bad judgement, I picked out the biggest cow and shot her too. I watched as she slowly moved in a different direction from the other elk which headed to safety on the private ranch land. I hit the bull neatly on the left shoulder and he dropped and died 40 feet from where he was shot. The cow took a double lung hit just behind the left shoulder and dropped 230 yards from the bull. It was 4:34 p.m. and I knew I had to work fast before dark.

I got the cow eviscerated, skinned and parts laid out on a log to cool, then went to work on the bull. It was now pitch dark, no moon, working by headlamp and I struggled with my knife which just wasn't cutting well. Got the job done so the meat would get cold overnight, and started the climb back out at 7:45. I found and trudged a muddy horse trail and made it back to camp at 11:45 p.m. It was a grueling hike. The next day I rode in by horse with an outfitter and pack animals. Didn't have time to take grip and grin shots but here's the evidence:







These were my 26th and 27th elk in 29 years of hunting the area, and the first time I've taken two elk in a single year. Now the butchering and packaging begins.

[DHC]

I hunted second season on public land in the Flat Tops region east of Meeker. It was my 29th year hunting the same area where I typically cover about 15 square miles, so I know the country well. The weather was very warm and it seems there were very few hunters this year, I guess because many are OTC bull hunters who wait for snow to buy a license. I drew a cow tag and also carried bull and bear licenses.

For six days I hunted the area widely but only flushed a single cow in the timber as she ran straight away from me. There was elk sign everywhere but most all of it was old. I knew there were 50+ head of elk on private ranch land in a valley over the mountain and sometimes hunting near the fence line can be productive. But, it requires a 10-12 mile round trip climb up a mountain, an 1800 ft. vertical descent, and then back out at night. I've done it many times before, hunting until end of legal shooting light, then hiking out in the dark. It's spooky as hell, even with a GPS and flashlights. In pitch dark it's easy to miss the trails and end up in a dangerous tangle of down timber.

One of the truisms of elk hunting is that you have to hunt elk where the elk are, not where it's convenient. Without big snow to spur migration I knew there was little chance of getting an elk without making the marathon hike. On Saturday I climbed over the mountain and got into a group of elk in the timber. A spike bull zeroed in on me at 30 feet and I couldn't move for 20 minutes. There was a cow or calf to it's right but I couldn't tell which because it was obscured by deadfalls. I didn't want to shoot a calf. Eventually they caught my scent and booked out of there. I worked my way up the slope and busted a bull from his bed. He shot by me only 35 feet away running down the hill like a race horse so fast I couldn't count points, but he was massive.

As I climbed the hill a short while later another bull stood from his bed to look in my direction. I took a few seconds with binoculars to check antler points and made the shot at 69 yards just as he began to move away. The bull disappeared and pretty soon several cows and calves emerged to move away and down slope. In a stroke of bad judgement, I picked out the biggest cow and shot her too. I watched as she slowly moved in a different direction from the other elk which headed to safety on the private ranch land. I hit the bull neatly on the left shoulder and he dropped and died 40 feet from where he was shot. The cow took a double lung hit just behind the left shoulder and dropped 230 yards from the bull. It was 4:34 p.m. and I knew I had to work fast before dark.

I got the cow eviscerated, skinned and parts laid out on a log to cool, then went to work on the bull. It was now pitch dark, no moon, working by headlamp and I struggled with my knife which just wasn't cutting well. Got the job done so the meat would get cold overnight, and started the climb back out at 7:45. I found and trudged a muddy horse trail and made it back to camp at 11:45 p.m. It was a grueling hike. The next day I rode in by horse with an outfitter and pack animals. Didn't have time to take grip and grin shots but here's the evidence:




These were my 26th and 27th elk in 29 years of hunting the area, and the first time I've taken two elk in a single year. Now the butchering and packaging begins.

Very nice!

That is the same GMU my son and I are heading next week. We filled our deer tags just a bit North of there this past week. Spoke to the DOW officer about elk success this year and he indicated it was pretty dismal for most hunters due to lack of weather. Hope the snow flies and/or we are able to scare some up as you did.

Nicely done.

[Hummer]

How did you have two tags? I'm new to this.

Irving, if you apply for and draw a cow tag, you can purchase an "over the counter" or online bull tag as an "additional" license. DOW/CPW has allowed this for about 10 years since elk populations have been "over population objectives". I hope, now that populations are reduced, they don't remove this opportunity. I buy a second license because it's cheap insurance to fill the freezer. Invariably, if you only carry a cow tag you'll only see bull elk, and vice versa.

Very nice!

That is the same GMU my son and I are heading next week. We filled our deer tags just a bit North of there this past week. Spoke to the DOW officer about elk success this year and he indicated it was pretty dismal for most hunters due to lack of weather. Hope the snow flies and/or we are able to scare some up as you did.

Nicely done.

Thanks. Success in the Flat Tops region (and probably most of elk country) is weather dependent in spurring migration. We did have some rain and snow which quieted the forest and made for good hunting, but the snow didn't last and I never found a fresh elk track in the snow. That told me that few elk were in the area. I saw 17 deer, two pair and the rest singles, but haven't drawn a deer license there in two years.

I camp near an outfitter I used to work for so they will pack my game. They had a decent first season but packed little in the second season. Three hunters I met had shot two elk and a deer, none of which were recovered. Pretty pathetic. When one shoots an animal, it dies, and it's your obligation to find and utilize it.

Congrats on the deer and best of luck to you in your elk hunt. An old outfitter friend described second season as the hunting season, third season as the killing season. Go get 'em!

[Irving]

Irving, if you apply for and draw a cow tag, you can purchase an "over the counter" or online bull tag as an "additional" license. DOW/CPW has allowed this for about 10 years since elk populations have been "over population objectives". I hope, now that populations are reduced, they don't remove this opportunity. I buy a second license because it's cheap insurance to fill the freezer. Invariably, if you only carry a cow tag you'll only see bull elk, and vice versa.

Makes perfect sense now. Pretty cool that you can pull down two elk. As to your last comment, that was pretty much my experience for my first hunt this year. Saw everything but what I had a tag for.

[fly boy]

[QUOTE=Hummer;1753187]Irving, if you apply for and draw a cow tag, you can purchase an "over the counter" or online bull tag as an "additional" license. DOW/CPW has allowed this for about 10 years since elk populations have been "over population objectives". I hope, now that populations are reduced, they don't remove this opportunity. I buy a second license because it's cheap insurance to fill the freezer. Invariably, if you only carry a cow tag you'll only see bull elk, and vice versa.


QUOTE]

Drew for cow tags - only saw deer, bull, or moose
Got a bull tag - only saw deer, cows, or moose
Got both bull/cow tags and we only saw deer and moose
Got deer and cow only saw bull and moose

seeing a trend here.

Guess I should have pulled an OTC tag of the opposite. and when we pulled for a moose tag they said HAHAHAHA

[Hummer]

Irving, if you apply for and draw a cow tag, you can purchase an "over the counter" or online bull tag as an "additional" license. DOW/CPW has allowed this for about 10 years since elk populations have been "over population objectives". I hope, now that populations are reduced, they don't remove this opportunity. I buy a second license because it's cheap insurance to fill the freezer. Invariably, if you only carry a cow tag you'll only see bull elk, and vice versa.

Drew for cow tags - only saw deer, bull, or moose
Got a bull tag - only saw deer, cows, or moose
Got both bull/cow tags and we only saw deer and moose
Got deer and cow only saw bull and moose

seeing a trend here.

Guess I should have pulled an OTC tag of the opposite. and when we pulled for a moose tag they said HAHAHAHA

You've been there, done that, too. Probably most hunters who've been around a while. The more you work at it the better you can play the game and beat the odds. Preparedness, dedication, luck and skill sometimes comes together marvelously.