Late season elk tag for the week of Thanksgiving which my school district so kindly allowed us to have off! New snow today in the mountains around Frisco should have the elk moving in the morning. Since muzzleloader deer season was a bust I'm hoping the Red Gods will be more generous to me and my partner.
Good luck to you and your partner.
Look next to rocks and tree's. Good luck.
Good luck!! Shoot straight!!
Day 1- Started out very encouraging with fresh sign seen almost immediately. Beds, fresh scat all the makings of an excellent morning. Had the wind in our faces followed very slowly and deliberately until they crossed a fence into private property. Spent the rest of the day scouting as this is a new area for me. Snow was about knee deep and the further up we went the less sign we saw. Will try another part of the unit tomorrow. I figure by the end of the week I'll have something figured out!
Good luck on your hunt. Like Watch4bear said, look by rocks and trees.
If you follow the tracks long enough, they will lead you to the elk!
Day 2- Tried an area at the other end of the unit. Walked looking for sign, nothing not even older tracks. It has become apparent that the snow approx. knee deep has pushed the herd down to the more open areas near the road. Unfortunately that is where all of the private land is, so no go. I think tomorrow I will pursue another avenue and skirt along the interstate looking for the herd from day 1. I really believe, now, that they are somewhere along there since it is a south facing area. Nothing ventured nothing gained, if nothing else I'm getting a really good workout, and it's way better than work!
Day 3- Elk were seen today!I happened into six ladies that were about 100 yards out in the dog hair. The gun was up and the safety disengaged. They were walking side by side and I was waiting for one to drop back and give me an opportunity, without the fear of striking two! I was looking for an open spot and they just turned right and disappeared. They were not spooked and were eating as they walked. I later found out they were headed into a bedding area. I followed RoadRunner65's advice and followed, had no chance of even remotely keeping up as the bedding area was a morass of blowdowns. I also happened upon two groups of mule deer for a total of nine slick heads. An excellent day sans a down elk. This is a year for learning the unit and I'm taking notes.
It sounds like things are coming together for you. Keep plugging along. I have found that timing is everything in hunting. I also found out that my timing SUCKS.
Compared to most hunters, I am one of the worst , but I do enjoy getting out in the woods.
Day 4- So yesterday in the morning before I saw the 6 elk another hunter in the same vicinity shot 3 times at a cow that he said was in a herd of about 100. Could be, because this is the winter range for the herd. Anyway, he told me he tracked the wounded elk for about four hours and never got it. I know he hit it because I saw the blood and his prints while I was looking for the whereabouts of the 6 I saw. I figure he spooked the whole herd, is my thinking right and that they're in the next drainage? Anyway I figure so, so I went elsewhere and saw absolutely no tracks whatsoever. It was a long day as I was exhausted from following "my 6" through blowdowns all afternoon yesterday. I know I didn't bump anything today as I was moving slower than still hunting mode. My feet were killing me too! Oh well I'll eat heartily tomorrow and be back at it on Friday. With the snow coming in tonight there will b fresh snow for tracking!
He should have backed off after bumping the wounded cow and she would have bedded down. Wait a few hours then track, could have walked up to a dead one. They will travel quite a distance when pushed while injured. Your pack might return if he didnt push them to hard.
Have a great Thanksgiving. Rest up for Friday and get your elk.
Day-5 Late start today due to the long drive from DIA area (where I live) to the field, accident on I-70 didn't help the matter. Walked in on fresh snow , no new tracks. I talked to a local who has hunted for 15 years in the area and said it's just a matter of time before the elk show up. He mentioned that another hunter had driven something like four miles back. on the forest service road, into another meadow and had come upon elk. I have no chains so tomorrow it will be shoe leather express into that meadow. i wonder why the local didn't head back he did have chains? On a brighter note I did see mule deer on the way out. It was completely dark by the time I got back to the truck.
No more to report as the season has come to an end with no other sightings despite the fact that I burned a bit of shoe leather getting to the "back bowl" so to speak I described earlier. Good exercise none the less. After learning the unit this year I'm looking forward to putting those lessons to good use next year. Perhaps an extended stay, via winter camping to pursue the wily Wapiti on their own terms. It would sure beat climbing the mountain every day. So much learned and wonderful wilderness to tromp around in! Looking forward to next season!