I travel far every fall to elk hunt, some years I put one on the ground, some years I don't. This was one of the years where I did not. Bulls were very hard to locate this year. I probably went physically harder this year than I ever have previously. Got really close one day, but low clouds/fog let that bull get away. 5 minutes differently, and I'd be posting some photos.

Quarters in the cooler or not, there is nothing I look forward to more than heading west every fall to pursue elk in the back country. Already planning for next year.

Hope every has had or has as much success as I did.

Pulling the trigger isn't the only reason for a successful hunt .Wish I could hunt elk ,lucky to get enough time to hunt WT

Those kind of years make it worse for me....

Ask my wife....

I have learned to savor the experience, and I am thankful that I can still load the truck and head north when October rolls around.

Still, it would have been nice to put one on the ground this year, as we used up the last elk venison in our freezers sometime in late spring.

Fortunately, there's always next year...

Bummer you didn't get one but you're not alone by any stretch. Elk harvests in southwest and south-central MT have been lower than recent years according to check point station stats, that is until recently - Madison Valley Elk Success . I'm still on the hunt. Went out today and took my rifle for a 6.2mi hike looking for elk in a new place on the Beartooth Mtn front in south-central MT. May haveta head towards the Madison Valley