Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk Hunter Shot In Face!

It happens here too. Surrounding herds on open ground and keeping them bunched as a gauntlet forms. Real classy......

I think the wolves have caused a decline in the elk populations in some parts of Wyoming, and wolves often drive elk into nonforage areas, that can't sustain them. But as to hunter stupidity, this has increased, I think more so due to the availability of ATV's and UTV's. Many times I've seen UTV's packed with big overweight hunters on a trail, and have heard several shots shortly from their direction, as they had driven quickly down a ways past near where I was scouting . Obvious "drive by" shooting at elk or deer. Those vehicles give some hunters the sense of hunting without the effort. Very dangerous.
I've come to the attitude that more National Forest should be made unavailable to vehicle traffic of any kind. If I see more than a couple hunters, I'm out of there. I just don't take chances.

Wyogal: I think your observations are correct.
For instance this past weekend was the end of our Deer/Elk Big Game seasons here in Montana and I took the opportunity to just go observe game and what was what!
I had filled both my Antelope and Deer tags and have plenty of meat in my freezer as I received some "pay" in the form of Moose meat and Elk meat for helping out packing game etc.
Anyway the Elk hereabouts are mostly ALL on private ranches and I drove to 6 different ranches with large herds of Elk on them just to enjoy seeing them.
This "last" weekend had the Hunters literally "patrolling" the edges of these ranches in their pick-up trucks hoping for Elk movement!
And the game wardens were patrolling the Hunters and the ranches as well!
And in one instance the warden had his truck hidden in a hay lot with his spotting scope attached to his window and he was watching the "firing lines" and the "gauntlets" from his hidden position.
I am sad to see "Big Game Hunting" reduced to this crummy situation, and the increased "risk" to concentrated Hunters.
I hold both the greens and the rmWf partially to blame for this new set of circumstances.
Sad... and dangerous both.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: I estimate that I saw at least 2,500 Elk on these various ranches.
I could only accurately count one giant herd and it came out at 480 Elk - I was able to get high on a ridge and look down on this ranch bunch.
The other Elk herd numbers were estimated as the Elk were so bunched and concentrated it was tough to accurately count them.

222Rem: Thanks for the report from Oregon.
Its my understanding that the Wolves have not yet "over-populated" Oregon as yet like they have in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho?
Are YOUR concentrated Elk herds due to cultivated crops concentrating Elk in places or to something else.
By the way my good friend from Twin Bridges, Montana headed out to western Oregon this fall to Hunt Elk between Seaside, Oregon and Tillamook, Oregon - he was successful with his bow by the way.
He had never been out there before.
He also had never seen a "Blackberry thicket" - he became so scratched up on his legs, thighs and forearms that his children laughed at him when he got back home!
Looking forward to your reply.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG, it depends on who you talk too, but IMO we've already got way too many wolves for the BG populations to support, given the cougar and bear are free from hound hunting. I don't know at what point we'll reach the point of no return, but the wolves have definitely made their presence known in NE Oregon.

Yes, many of our herds head for the large ranches once pressured. I personally hate seeing some of these huge ranches tie up the country that used to be several smaller ranches, but from a conservation standpoint, at least the elk have a refuge to maintain their numbers and catch their breath. If counting all the different elk seasons (some overlap), they're chased about 8 months out of the year. When combined the depredation, hard winters, "damage control" tags, and the bottom-feeding poachers, it's amazing we've still got any herds left at all.

I can laugh at your friend's report, having grown up on that side of the state and knowing exactly what he encountered. Those black berry thickets and poison oak both thrive over there. I applaud your buddy for actually tackling the brush. Many just road hunt or glass from landings into clear cuts.

Don't blame Minnesota for the wolves! We have them here, and seem to have plenty of deer. Our party of 10 took 9 deer - i was the only one eating tag soup ;-(

I've seen elk in the crossfire many times in Utah. I've walked into a herd and shot a cow, only to have Joe Public open fire from > 600 yds away, and wound/kill several animals, but tag only the closest one to the road. Park the truck and WALK to get away from the bozos.

I don't care for wolves, but the guy getting shot in the face was not the result of wolves, but idiot hunters/shooters who don't know the basics of hunting............

To many yahoos rd hunting. Get off yer fat azz and hunt not shoot. Hanging out in your truck until animals move off a ranch is lame.

I have always been willing to trade better odds for a piece of tranquility. Being successful is not as important as the quality of the trip.

Fortunately, our MT legislature is introducing bills to address this problem, so I'm sure the whole matter will be solved soon.