LACK OF ELK IN UNIT 340

[lostbackpacker]

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.

I think that most hunters only hunt their comfort zone.  If they dont see elk at gnat flat, they drive up to quartz mtn.  if not at qtz mtn they go to buck mdws. so on and so forth. 

How many hunters do you know that go into the nasty, nasty stuff?  There are only two in our group of 12 that will go down there.  I could of filled at least two dozen cow tags this year in the 4 days I hunted. 

Am I a great hunter?  not by any means.  I am just stupid enough to go down into the nasty, thick brush to find the animals. 

I think there are hunters who hunt the roads.  hunters that hunt hard and then hunters that hunt hard and smart. 

[PlateauNDN]

   sun up to sun down. Time is limited for me this year but getting into elk wasn't difficult this year in and near the observatory unit.

[jackelope]

 

[jackelope]

 

[jackelope]

Take note of the 2nd picture. Where it was taken a little after 6pm in the middle of July(broad daylight out), it was dark enough in there to take the picture in infrared mode.

[dvolmer]

I have hunted the unit for many many years and it was the worst year I have ever seen.  There are local elk in there but the weather was a few days to late.  Lots of comments on how some seemed to do pretty good and I am happy for them but i have shot or assisted others in hunting many cows, spikes , and around 5 big bulls over the last 20 years in and around Joe Watt canyon,  Mostly way back in between Watt and Robinson but this year was like nothing I have ever seen with no elk at all.  Then again the weather was like early September instead of late October.  usually a local small herd in there even when the weather is still like it was but none that I could ever see and we hunted hard, away from the roads, and in the thick stuff.  Will be interesting to see what it really was like when the harvest reports comes out in a few months.  Well I guess it just leaves more for the group that is getting ready to go in there and slay them like crazy now that the weather is changing and maybe more for next year also.  Hunting is always throwing you a new twist or challenge.  But then again that is why we like it and love the challenge.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

When i hunted the unit I walked in above the observatory.  I would hike way back in and never saw an elk 1.  It was October and was blue skies evryday and about 60 degrees.  Most people I talked to said it depends on the weather.  They said the year before it had snowed and elk where on the move and everywhere. 

[boneaddict]

340 is full of elk.   They get hunted from about August 1st to April 30th or so.  If you think they are going to stand there and smile while you size them up in your scope, you are nuts.

[PlateauNDN]

340 is full of elk.   They get hunted from about August 1st to April 30th or so.  If you think they are going to stand there and smile while you size them up in your scope, you are nuts.

But I thought that's what hunting was...   but all the elk I've seen pics of are al smiling with their tongues sticking out..

[mulehunter]

340 is full of elk.   They get hunted from about August 1st to April 30th or so.  If you think they are going to stand there and smile while you size them up in your scope, you are nuts.

But I thought that's what hunting was...   but all the elk I've seen pics of are al smiling with their tongues sticking out..

  They are there and over thousands of them! 

[kbrowne14]

We saw tons of elk behind the observatory on the steep side.  My father in law shot a cow right behind the observatory on Friday.  We saw elk in there every time were were back there.  But I was busy chasing a herd of around 100 on the other side of the observatory, so I didn't spend too much time back there.  The elk are there, they are in the places you would never want to go because the only way out is up in every direction, you better be in good shape to pack one out of those areas.

[bassquatch]

I was on many tops and way down in the dark steep stuff, I got out of the truck at 5-6am and stayed out all day and didn't see or smell an elk until the last Friday of the season! Only found fresh sign on day 3 at that. I filled my cow tag Friday night but it took exploring miles of an area I had never been in before...it was definitely thicker stuff but the sign was everywhere and I could hear them out in front of me at one point but just couldn't see them, 3 cows finally decided to show themselves with 20 minutes of shooting light left and I shot the biggest of the 3. I was happy with the outcome of course but I was sure full of doubt Thursday! It happens fast! I learned some new things about the unit and saw a ton of new country, that alone would have made for a successful trip in my book... 

[Str8 Shooter]

i explored the 1701 B/C i wasn't familiar with that part of little naches and umtanum. Saw a nice 6x6 and two fat cows running up bald Mt. I've heard talk about the "sacred" observatory unit. during this adventure on the 1701 I'm certain i passed this area. after driving and attempting to dip into the wenus valley (with no luck) i ended up in ellensburg. It was a good laugh and my daughter wasn't complaining, b/c we just hunted the whole time. met some nice peeps along the way too. The 342 was interesting. my first year there. 2nd year elk hunting and drew a cow tag. i should of known i was suppose to dry camp @(wenus) next to the "killing fields" and just shoot from camp. But that's not my style. camping near the killing fields would risk me or my trailer being shot by a careless hunter. i had my shot up above the field on a ridge. shot at a running cow(s) and missed twice. the elk fever definitely got the best of me. All in all i had a blast. spent quality time with a few family members. and had AWESOME camp neighbors from ritzville who treated me with moose fajitas, elk burger and some good ol' ever clear. Looking forward for the next hunt. The daughter and i may have to check out archery or muzzle loader.

[crazypatty]

I hunted during Observatory Modern Firearm in 340 and was dissapointed early on because I saw zero elk in the two weekends I scouted as well as the first two days I hunted.  I hunted deep canyons, Plateaus etc with no luck.  Then driving along over to Tamarack Springs a spike and cow ran by in the woods so i hopped out to take a shot at the spike and they were gone.  Drove up about 300 yards almost in view of the Springs and jumped back into the woods.  Two cows crashed right by me and then this 5x5 ran by and the rest is history.  Then hunting cougar and bear and scouting for the rest of camp during general modern season I stalked a 3x3 also.  So there are elk in the 340 but def not as many as there should be.  The weather was so warm the elk were just bedding down in deep cool spots, and from my experience they were just slowly walking off when they heard hunters or not moving at all.

[Str8 Shooter]

Excellent! Good job!!!