Muzzy coweeman over turkey day. not good

[kenzmad]

well, We spent 5 days chasing the elusive elk in the coweeman over Thanksgiving. We got after them on Wed the 21st no elk but my hunting pard did have a 2pt buck inside of 30 yards but the season didn't open til the next day.. We saw 4 deer, 2 does and 2 bucks and didnt see an elk til 4:50pm on the last day (saturday). never heard a shot. The 2 elk I saw were a cow and a spike. not sure what has happened to the elk in this unit but they just aren't there. talked to one other hunter who had seen elk, 4 altogether. coweeman just ain't what it used to be.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Look at all the cow tags issued... That is what happened to all the elk...

[rfhd69]

Look at all the cow tags issued... That is what happened to all the elk...

 

[gotcha]

More cow tags equal less elk. There has been like 600 given out the last two years. 1200 tags equals way less elk. Bad idea. That is a lot of calves never born.

[kenzmad]

Ya, unfortunately I will be there in January trying to help dad fill one of those cow tags. Kind of a double edged sword.

[funkster]

I hunted in there from the 21st to the 25th and got into elk every day but one. Lots of cows and spikes,got into one small herd that had a raghorn, almost stepped on a bedded deer and it spooked the herd. Saw a lone bull 1000yrds away moving in and out of reprod just couldn't figure out how to get to him. Watched a herd of 10 cows and a spike for 45 mins got into 20 yards.One of the elk looked like a bull that was bedded under a vine maple so I wanted to make sure,turned out to be another cow. Most of the elk I saw was within the first hour or so of light.

 Talked to one other hunter that said his camp took a 4x4 opening morning.  I heard a couple shots every day.

Defiantly not  the same place but the elk are still in there just not as visible.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Ken, i will be there also. I used my cow points to get my son a cow tag. the coweeman jan 1-15 was my 3rd choice.

Cody will have an opportunity within the first hour on new years day, just a guess but it is a good guess. The bigger problem will be finding one without a calf. I don't like shooting cows with a calf.

I had a 3 point 75 yards broadside on saturday. Took my father in law and another hunting partner up looking for an elk for them. Wouldn't you know it, i had the bull in front of me.

[Sneekee23]

Won't most of the cows in January have a fetus = less elk  ...please correct me if I am wrong.

[TangoU]

Sucks.  Maybe January will be good to you.  No luck for us this year either.  I saw a bunch of cows and one 4x4.  Darren saw nothing and Pop saw one cow from about 500+ yds away.  Pop had the cow tag, but didnt' fill it. Tag soup needed some salt. Next year...

[bobcat]

Won't most of the cows in January have a fetus = less elk  ...please correct me if I am wrong.

Sure, and they're mostly all pregnant now as well. Killing female elk always will equal less elk. And that is what the WDFW wants, in this case.

[duckmen1]

try and take a younger elk
they have grown up pretty good by that time and better eating
plus you know it isnt pregnant