Tag soup in the Bumping!

[lee]

It was tag soup for the 7 of us this year.

No one drew any tags so it was a spike only hunt ..... and we never saw the first spike. A few cows and a branched bull or two but no spikes. The hunting pressure in the Bumping was about the same as it always has been in the 12 years hunting that unit. The Nile on the other hand was the most crowded I have ever seen it.

Bulls were still bugling at season's end.

Lee

[Sandberm]

The wife and I went camping up there from the morning of Saturday the 4th thru  tuesday morning the 7th and I never heard a shot.  My wife says she heard something on Sunday as we were begining our failed accent of Mount Aix at around 8am. However we didn't camp way up the road either with the hunters past Bumping lake, but rather just a few miles after the turn off from 410 along the Bumping River. We stayed clear of any hunting out of respect.

We did however see a suspicious coyote/wolf/german shepard on the forest road that is a couple miles up the Bumping river road from 410 that winds its way to near the top of American ridge. It was one of those deals where we came around the bend and up ahead was a rather large, dark looking coyote/wolf. It was a good 100 yds up ahead walking along the road going from shadow to light before ducking into the forest. We got a bonifide look at it for approximatly 3.83 seconds.

We never saw an elk or deer but we did see a couple of grouse and a guy in his 50's swimming in Bumping lake in his underwear on Monday. I salute you tightywhitey man.

[washelkhunter]

Having allowed the AR crowd to take cows along with spikes the last 2 years has wrecked it for the ML hunters. Thx for nothing Dave. Again.

[steeleywhopper]

3 of us hunted up the rd from bumping lake, 2 cow tags in camp with me going spike only. Opening day buddy got a cow and that was it for our efforts. Only other elk seen was on the way out Wednesday.

[buglebuster]

I highly highly doubt having archery hunters chasing cows in the unit had any impact on the muzzy season. Very few guys actually tag out, and just as many hunters up there when it was spike only.

[ctwiggs1]

I hunted the other end and had a similar experience.  Saw quite a few elk, just no spikes!  Oh well I'll put in for cow and bull tags, I'm found to kill an elk soon!

Curtis

[vandeman17]

I highly highly doubt having archery hunters chasing cows in the unit had any impact on the muzzy season. Very few guys actually tag out, and just as many hunters up there when it was spike only.

Agreed. Could have easily been the dry, warm, full moon conditions....

[washelkhunter]

I highly highly doubt having archery hunters chasing cows in the unit had any impact on the muzzy season. Very few guys actually tag out, and just as many hunters up there when it was spike only.

I'm sure you're right.  . Having open season on cows in the open country eastern gmus is a recipe for disaster. Out of 20 cows you may see 1 spike, maybe. Killing more cows is going to raise the odds even more in future years. And it will lower the overall quality bull opty as well. Antlerless should be special draw only not OTC.

[buglebuster]

I highly highly doubt having archery hunters chasing cows in the unit had any impact on the muzzy season. Very few guys actually tag out, and just as many hunters up there when it was spike only.

I'm sure you're right.  . Having open season on cows in the open country eastern gmus is a recipe for disaster. Out of 20 cows you may see 1 spike, maybe. Killing more cows is going to raise the odds even more in future years. And it will lower the overall quality bull opty as well. Antlerless should be special draw only not OTC.

Well they better get rid of those ungodly amounts of cow tags for muzzleloaders and rifle hunters in all the units also, they account for most of the cow kills, definatly not the archers.

[washelkhunter]

I think what's really happening is that the state doesn't want to spend the money for feeding winter elk at the expense of the venerated state parks system. Just a guess. Oh, and 400 ant tags in 342 that was just a revenue raising scam by the state from the suckers who fell for it.

[buglebuster]

Thank god I muzzleload hunt the westside

[washelkhunter]

Thank god I muzzleload hunt the westside

Get your hoof rot meat and savor it!

[buglebuster]

Thank god I muzzleload hunt the westside

Get your hoof rot meat and savor it!

Not that far west, I hunt the same wilderness that goes into the bumping unit as well

[washelkhunter]

I heard of a roof rot bull taken by a member here on the east side of Indian heaven. Just heard, I don't know for fact. That's bad news if true.