I wish I knew. I found a couple of legal bulls with some cows and a legal bull by himself during early deer season, but have not been able to find any elk at all since the season started. Sounded like most of the legal bulls in one local herd were taken on opening morning, and the rest have apparently scattered.
I've never gone the whole season before without even seeing ANY elk. I haven't even found much in the way of sign, even in places that have always been heavily traveled in previous years. A friend's property that I sometimes hunt on and that has always had a LOT of elk traffic has had no fresh tracks or droppings since late October. The two legal bulls that were showing up on the game cam during deer season never showed up again after opening day. I think they were taken on opening morning by a large group of hunters that supposedly got six bulls on opening day over the ridge from that property.
I have a feeling that the hoof rot has something to do with it, too. Last year every group I saw had multiple limpers in it, cows calves and bulls all.
Me being a beginning hunter, on foot and by myself can't be helping much, either. I don't have the capacity to do multi person drives and flush the remaining bulls out of their hidey holes.
Willapa Hills GMU. One more day!
