Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Old Elk Hunters

Problem with those PP's is you will most likely age out before you will draw a tag. ( I did on my sheep and goat draws) Then as aging continues,you can't count on hunting the next year, so you want the capability of getting a tag every year. BTDT.

I agree that cows eat better….way better.

But the problem with cows is ….it’s hard to toot on a call and get them to come in blowing snot and screaming!

I value bulls during rut archery type deal. But if with a gun a bull compared to a cow isn’t that different.


Unless the bull is HUGE!

Which was the original point of the entire thread...we have tremendous point creep here in SD causing frustrated people to be driving around road hunting because they can't physically do it on foot.

Congrats Skinny, we have locked on to a place in a neighboring state with annual access to cow tags. Allows the group to go each year, and we pull 2-3 any elk tags in addition to the OTC cow tags. Its a great setup and good to be able to get out as we do. Hope alls good out there. My WR deer hunting is getting some schedule foul ups

Strange times, hunters getting upset because one is NOT road hunting. Elk of all things!

The GFP knew point creep was going to be an issue when they implemented the weighted system. Sat through a few of those commission meetings.

This is not a popular idea. But why can we only apply for two deer tags, our most abundant big game animal. Yet allow us to apply for five elk tags?

One idea is to only allow one to apply for one tag and only have "elk" preference points, not each season. It would certainly get rid of bunch of accumulated pp's, and just maybe make it easier to draw the tag one really wants. I for one, would forego all the rifle seasons for archery. Makes sense to me when dealing with such a limited resource.

Careful there. That has happened in Colorado and now archery seasons are about as crowded as rifle season and archers are crying for CPW to make more of their OTC tag units, draw only.

Just like big game units have a a carrying capacity for wildlife, Colorado has a carrying capacity for hunters and we reached that several years ago.I suspect most other states have too. We need to either reduce the number of hunters, or we will reduce the number of elk,deer, pronghorn, and just about every other species of wildlife.

In fact IMHO,the United states has reached it's carrying capacity for people.

The problem with Idaho Archery seasons…..

They have them in September around me 4 elk….

September has had July weather 4 years now…

It’s too hot 2 make meat with archery tactics….


I like the Midwest archery lasts months…

Idaho puts the archery season during the elk rut. That allows calling them in which is a lot more fun than just wandering around hoping to find one. That fact that they rut in Sept when it's hot can't be helped.

Do not think that would be an issue. SD is resident only and you have every elk hunter putting in for five different season's. Would immediately cut down applications by 80% if my math is right.

But there is the rub....cut down application fees by 80% too. Draw an elk tag and you sit out 9 years. Would probably be drawing some tags pretty quickly. There are some fixes to implement the issue, but they will not happen because of the financial ramifcations.

They will just keep introducing more wolves !

I am 75 and was diagnosed with lung cancer 2 years ago. My son took my grandson and I elk hunting last year in NM. We took wall tents and stayed for 5 days and had a blast. I have elk hunted since 1973 and was grandsons first elk hunt. Son was our “guide”. He hunts with his wife archery every year. Grandson and I were both able to harvest good bulls. Son set up a ground blind for me and would drop me off. I have to use a cane, so he would take me to the blind in our ranger and drop me off. Grandson would take off from there and hike about 1/2 way up the mountain to a nice lookout point. We both took our bulls about and hour apart on the second day. I enjoyed just being able to get out with family in God’s wonderful mountain country. If I’m still upright I hope to experience it again next year with another grandson.

Hope you make it, that's a great story!

+1 bubba!




"Old elk hunters never die. They just smell that way."

The road hunters dream, is young guys busting brush for them! You met the retarded ones!

I'm 76 and still hunt elk. The only thing that has changed over the years is I have shortened the distance I hunt from a road or trail. I hunt alone most of the time and I'm careful I don't shoot something I can't get out in a reasonable amount of time. The last elk I shot was only about a 100 yard pack to an atv trail. 5 trips back and forth for an old geezer was plenty.

I'm 74. I hunt for the best meat which is a younger cow. I'll take a yearling every time if I have a choice. Besides being more tender, they're also smaller and easier to handle.
I have pack llamas but haven't needed them for the last 3 seasons because each time I was able to get a 4 wheeler up close. This year's elk was only 100 yds from an atv road but I wouldn't have been able to use the llamas at all. The road was so bad that I couldn't have got my llama trailer within 7 miles. It would have been a long hike in and out with them.

I haven't really changed how I hunt, except I would like to have another slightly younger guy with me. I am still getting "back in there" ,but it just takes a little longer. Did not do well this year for various reasons, none associated with my age. I still can hunt the tough spots, but stay out of the deep dark. Apparently I have great genes and keep in great shape for a 77 year old. I am already looking forward to next season and hoping that things go better, and as posted previously got my first elk in the early 60's.

Just one of those years I think! Glad you're still out there kicking around..

just had my 69th birthday ,ya i have few health problems but never drew a elk tag this year ,my favorite way to hunt elk is with a bow but after being a REA lineman /pole climber for 35 years and a bowhunter for over 55 years my left shoulder even after shoulder surgery and neck surgery i just can not hold a bow up anymore under pulled weight pressure anymore. i have a great area on public land in Montana that son and i have killed plenty elk but Montana does not allow x-bows during the archery season so i am done . when your a non-resident finding a good elk area takes time ,money and at 69 with health issues it is just not with it, besides these western states charge to much for a non-resident hunting license on Federal land that all legal American`s own .

Idaho has a disability waver that allows hunters with injuries like yours to use a x-bow in an archery hunt. I haven't done it but I think it's just a matter of getting your doctor to sign a form.

A rifle carried with a standard sling can also put a lot of pressure on an injured shoulder or neck. A couple years ago I switched to a Boonie Packer Safari sling. It spreads the weight and makes it a lot easier on the shoulders.