Elk Fact/Behavior Round Robin - Concur or Bullshrimp

[Dan-o]

Bull shrimp


FACT:   Elk are incredibly tough animals that can take unimaginable damage to their vitals and keep on going for miles.   In fact, you should never shoot under a 30 caliber bullet because an elk can withstand a heart/lung hit from something smaller and travel very long distances.  they are just that tough.

[Broken Arrow]

In the 40's and 50's numerous Tule elk we released in the Olympics. Concur or bullshrimp?

[Jolten]

FACT:   Elk are incredibly tough animals that can take unimaginable damage to their vitals and keep on going for miles.   In fact, you should never shoot under a 30 caliber bullet because an elk can withstand a heart/lung hit from something smaller and travel very long distances.  they are just that tough.


I call bullshrimp. My .243 doesn't seem to have an issue.

Fact : Rocky mountain elk and Roosevelt elk are only different on color variations.

[buglebrush]

Elk almost always feed and move with the prevailing thermals or winds in their favor.

Concur or bullshrimp?   

Bullshrimp  

Elk almost always move up in the  morning even after thermals are already going up, and the almost always move back down in the evenings with the thermals also going down.  In our area we like to use this to our advantage

[Dan-o]

FACT:   Elk are incredibly tough animals that can take unimaginable damage to their vitals and keep on going for miles.   In fact, you should never shoot under a 30 caliber bullet because an elk can withstand a heart/lung hit from something smaller and travel very long distances.  they are just that tough.


I call bullshrimp. My .243 doesn't seem to have an issue.

Fact : Rocky mountain elk and Roosevelt elk are only different on color variations.

(I agree on your bullshrimp call)

I call bullshrimp on yours.    I say Rosies grow bigger bodies, but shorter/thicker racks.

FACT:   Elk were once predominantly plains animals, but hunting pressure has changed that.

[WapitiTalk1]

Elk live and survive by their sense of smell more so than by any of their other senses.  This is their primary mechanism to alert and protect them from predators, including us. Thermals, switching thermals, and crosswinds attention are 'mostly' always the order of business for elk.

Elk almost always feed and move with the prevailing thermals or winds in their favor.

Concur or bullshrimp?   

Bullshrimp  

Elk almost always move up in the  morning even after thermals are already going up, and the almost always move back down in the evenings with the thermals also going down.  In our area we like to use this to our advantage

[WapitiTalk1]

Cows only come into estrus once, almost always in late September.  If they don't 'take' they will not come into estrus again that year.

[Tbar]

Cows only come into estrus once, almost always in late September.  If they don't 'take' they will not come into estrus again that year.

Bullshrimp elk can cycle several times from the beginning of September through the month of October. There are several variables that come into play, bull to cow ratio, harem size, animal age, are a few.

[buglebrush]

Elk live and survive by their sense of smell more so than by any of their other senses.  This is their primary mechanism to alert and protect them from predators, including us. Thermals, switching thermals, and crosswinds attention are 'mostly' always the order of business for elk.

Elk almost always feed and move with the prevailing thermals or winds in their favor.

Concur or bullshrimp?   

Totally agree about the importance of the wind to the elk, but i still maintain that in the jungles of North Idaho vertical movement in the morning and evening trumps thermal/wind.  Maybe it depends on the terrain etc... elsewhere? 


Bullshrimp  

Elk almost always move up in the  morning even after thermals are already going up, and the almost always move back down in the evenings with the thermals also going down.  In our area we like to use this to our advantage

[Dan-o]

Fact.

New "Fact":  Average trophy elk antler growth in a given area can vary by over 20" from year to year depending on forage.   Further, if forage is good early but then dries up before antler growth is complete, then the base points will grow well but the end points will suffer. 

[WapitiTalk1]

Fact.

New "Fact":  Average trophy elk antler growth in a given area can vary by over 20" from year to year depending on forage.   Further, if forage is good early but then dries up before antler growth is complete, then the base points will grow well but the end points will suffer.

Good one Dan-o!  Althought 20" seems a bit excessive (I have heard that drought/poor browse can affect antlers up to 10%).  I may be wrong, but I say "concur".