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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,069
Originally Posted by Raferman
Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
Originally Posted by specneeds
Sporty to here your situation Saddlesore. I’ve got the 17 YO grandson this year, 4or 5 years from having a great grandson come hunting. My goal is still hunting at 70 hauling out my own & others animals on foot, only 8 more seasons to get there.
Stick with it. Age 71 but I admit that I cheated. My elk at 72 and 73 were both accessable with my Polaris RZR. Saddlesore's a few years up on me but he uses mountain canaries. Having a way to pack them out can extend hunting years by 10 or more. I couldn't possibly backpack an elk any more.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
You ever thy to ride those things?
They can only carry about 80lb. I last saw 80lb before I was old enough to hunt.


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We would invariably have at least one hunter in camp wanting to go on a "walkabout" on the afternoon before their hunt. Often it would turn into a , "me saddling my horse and off to look for the sorry bastard". Some of these dudes got seriously lost and am quite certain any elk in the vicinity were off to the next zip code!

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Even in a familiar Unit i arrive a couple of days before it opens. Many times in life I have either seen elk or reaffirmed that they are still using the same area as previous years. I have killed a lot of first day elk, as a result of scouting. My last Idaho bull was an example. I saw him in a remote location three days before the opener, checked on him the morning before and killed him on opening day. I always arrive early.

The last few years I have had help packing out my elk, but have also helped pack out others. So two years ago I packed parts of two elk which amounted two elk, both easy packs a couple of miles, mostly down hill. I will be 77 this week.

Last edited by elkmen1; 09/14/22.
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Originally Posted by saddlesore
There is a difference in scouting and finding prospective areas but not going directly into them vs stumbling around in bedding areas. calling and leaving your scent everywhere like walking around a wallow. If you screw with their living room or bed room,you screw up.

Finding areas that were clear cut, burned, wind blown down,mud slides closing the trail should be done well before season.

Long before the season begins, bull elk know every other bull in the area buy their location bugles. By bugling before season they either think it's a hunter or another bull has moved in.That bull may come into investigate or he might take his cows and leave. Make the wrong bugle or call and he will take them and leave to.

What we do, although it is by four legged critters, is we ride a few FS trails Friday before season and that pretty much tells us where the camps are. I also gives the mules a chance to smell the trails to get use to them and let us know of any blow downs that we don't want to meet going in the opening morning in the dark. We never go right into the immediate area we will be hunting. We hunted several areas 25- 30 years, some 10-15 years. If no one screwed it up, the elk will be there or move in from being pushed by other hunters. Three different areas, I can get on my mule, set him on the trail and he will go 3-4 miles with no guidance and stop at the exact tree we tied last year. This will be 1/2-3/4 a mile from where we hunt.

BTW, I have had lot of entertainment over the years from guys bringing their girlfriend's, daughter's,or wife's arena horse up Friday night and then opening morning hustling around them with lanterns headlamps, adjusting tack, figuring out how to attach a scabbard and getting the horse all spooked..

I have also watched from a ridge line with binos as DYI pack strings move into the country Thursday or Friday. Elk know what is happening and you see them sneaking over the far ridge.

It is even more entertaining when you see them halfassed packed on riding saddles and everything comes undone and a wreck ensues. All that yelling and screaming does a lot for the elk watching

This is my experience too. I packed in the Wind Rivers quite a lot and hunted the Gros Ventre many times. I gotta say the hillside rodeos can be spectacular.

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We tell hunters in our camp no scouting before opening day. If they are unfamiliar with their area, go in at first light, but don’t stumble around in the dark and send elk into the next zip code. Good hunting!


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