LACK OF ELK IN UNIT 340

[nitro]

Just wondering if any one else had as much trouble as i did trying to find elk! Fourteen in my hunting party with one bull tag and three cow tags all not filled. I have never had so much trouble finding elk in this unit as i did this year, the lack of elk seem to be every where this year, our hunting party hunted from joe watt to robinson canyon all the way up to quartz mtn and some even went over to the observatory side of 340 and just didnot see any any elk. I know of may other camps that ate cow tags this year 7 just off the top of my head. Like to know how may others had this problem.

[lostbackpacker]

I actually saw quite a lot of elk in 340. Just no spikes. Not as man elk as last year,  but still enough to get the blood pumping

[Bob33]

You might want to read this thread:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,138994.msg1844812.html#msg1844812

[steeleywhopper]

5 guys in our camp,3 of us held cow tags. We hunted hard for 10 days and only 6 elk seen on the second day of the season.  No tags filled and like I said only 6 elk seen. Worst year of elk hunting we've ever had. We camped up on Gnat Flat and hunted hard all over. I hate eating a cow tag!

[jason stevens]

Lots of elk in 340 just gotta know where they go when the city hits the woods you probly drove rightpast them I know I did cause a fellow member had a bull tag so I stayed away he filled his.very slow up higher but then again tthat's not where the majority of the herd was.

[steeleywhopper]

I even used my Phelp's cow call and couldn't get it done! Now that's bad.

[Stickerbush]

Hunted with some friends had a cow tag with us last week, tried to get all over and hike around. Did not see any elk, wherever they were we weren't there!

[kbrowne14]

I saw more elk in the manastash near the observatory than all the years I have been hunting combined.  I had a branch tag and observed a herd of over 100 elk, there were around 8 or 9 spikes in this herd.  The elk were in a late rut this year.  I know that for a fact, I witnessed mating, bugling, and fighting.  I also observed all the elk in the near vicinity mitgrate toward this herd.  We had cows running past us to get to this herd.

Once that herd was broken up, I switched gears and started trying to find there hiding spots, I saw elk almost every day of my 13 day hunt.  It was the best hunting year I have ever seen with regards to seeing animals and getting my chase on.  Super exciting hunt, but everyone I spoke to said that they didn't see any elk, but nobody was willing to get off the roads and walk a ways up or down the hills.  Get off the roads, or the areas near the roads, and get out in the woods, find the deepest, darkest, steepest places you can.  Go where nobody else is willing to go.  I spotted a herd of about 10 or so on ground so steep behind the observatory that I couldn't even stand on it without sliding, they were grazing on it.

[270Shooter]

I also saw a bunch out below the observatory inseptember.

[kbrowne14]

I saw this herd on October 22nd. through October 26th, then they broke up due to hunters shooting at them.

[jackelope]

I had cameras in there all summer and had dozens of elk on camera. Tons of cows, big and small bulls, calves. Loads of elk.

[luvtohnt]

I had a Peaches bull tag, and was hunting near quartz mountain. I saw elk every day I was up there. Elk are big but they can still hide in the smallest reprod. I found that all the hunters in the area I was in were gone by 2 or 3 and wouldn't you know shortly after that the elk showed up in the reprod, but only on north and east facing slopes (shade). I just wish I had more available time (wife had health problems), because I found a bigger bull each time I was up there, just could not get a clear shot. Thats hunting!! There is always next year.

[hiway_99]

My buddy and I both filled our tags.  He got a cow and I found a spike on the last day of the season.



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[elkfins]

Like others have said... get away from the roads and into the deep thick stuff.  I saw plenty of elk this year.

[WAElkhunter89]

We have hunted the 340 area for years and have never seen it this bad. We spoke to a rancher on horseback who lives in the Manastash canyon. He told us that there have been more and more wolves spotted in the area and that they have already gotten three of his calves. Not to mention we seen a total of three elk carcasses that were either taken by wolves or shot by hunters and couldn't be found. Ended up seeing two wolves in our usual area on the second day.  Not that this is the main reason but it could be a factor.