Selected for Goose Prarie Archery - Need Advice

[Fireant11]

Hey all,

  I've been following this forum for about 2 years but just now created an account.  I've been hunting 8 years and have not taken an elk yet (although my partners have).  I was selected for the Goose Prarie hunt and am pretty excited!  I know people's honey holes are private and not to be shared, so I won't ask specifics.  What I would like to know though, is which GMU would be better to concentrate on ... Bumping or Nile?  Would bugling or cow calling be a better tactic?  I still have a lot to learn and really don't want to screw up this opportunity!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance!

Mike

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Congrats!  My group (4) also drew the archery Goose Prairie.  Lots of great area up there,  however I have not spent anytime in bumping.  2 of my group have so we should do well. Not sure which we will hunt or focus on yet. We have horses so we will go back in deep.  We are planning on scouting a lot over the next few months.  Not sure about hunting pressure in bumping,  but the Nile can be heavily hunted.  Still lots of area there to get back off the roads and do well.  Good luck and take lots of pictures. 

[dreamingbig]

Congrats.  I have been trying to draw this tag for 6 years now... still trying after the official results have been posted.  I feel pretty lame for not drawing this tag once in 6 years as it is a pretty easy tag to draw.  With that said I have hunted it for the past 6 years and it can be a really fun hunt but you will want to distance yourself from the crowds.  The unit has become really crowded in the past few years which is also why it is has been a tougher draw.

I know a lot about the unit but one thing I will say is don't bugle much and cow call more frequently.  Knowing how to use a mouth reed is best and keep the wind in your face.  Good luck with the scouting as well.  The bugs will be thick in the summer.

[PA BEN]

Hey all,

  I've been following this forum for about 2 years but just now created an account.  I've been hunting 8 years and have not taken an elk yet (although my partners have).  I was selected for the Goose Prarie hunt and am pretty excited!  I know people's honey holes are private and not to be shared, so I won't ask specifics.  What I would like to know though, is which GMU would be better to concentrate on ... Bumping or Nile?  Would bugling or cow calling be a better tactic?  I still have a lot to learn and really don't want to screw up this opportunity!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance!
Do you have pack horses?

Mike

[Fireant11]

Unfortunately, no.  No horses.   

[PA BEN]

There's big very callable bulls in the wilderness high country.

[deerslyr]

My dad and his group have hunted those units for 10 years. That being said if you want a hunt with more access hunt the nile...but I think the more quality bulls come from the bumping 

[elkspert]

I have never hunted that unit but I would say that cow talk would be your best bet, but again it kinda depends on the attitude of the elk and what there doing. If your hunting early and there is not much rut activity I would find an area that is showing some elk sign get in there and start softly with cow and calf chirps and a small bugle. Do that for a couple of minutes and wait 15. Then do it again, this goes on for about an hour. The idea is if there is a bull nearby he can't stand it and has to come take a look. Watch it though they almost always come in silent.

[gasman]

Stay out of Nile and put some boot leather on the trails in the upper Bumping unit (for better success).

The nile is loaded with people and low lands, so it prety warm durring the early season. Clover Spings is about the highest you can get in the Nile but there is aload of people hunting also. if you do want to hunt the Nile (i wouldn't) hike down to Flat Iron lake.
Bumping is very brushy, most guys have there success in the back country, so head out on the ridge tops and start looking for meadows and watering holes.

I quit calling in the unit, for they shut up when the archery season starts. Just keep your ears open.

[deerslyr]

I dont know about archery, but last year in the bumping they were sreaming during the first part of the muzzy season....

[boneaddict]

Muzzy has always had the best season up there. 

[bowhuntin]

I had the tag last year and hunted the nile. They weren't real receptive to calling. It was better hunting the later in the season it got though, they started to talk more. The nile isn't to bad for crowds in the early season as it is in the late and you will have less pressure if you can take time off and hunt during the week when most other people are working.

[vfilbert]

both units are very good, the nile is crowded with people, but i have had many bulls in the nile come in close, in fact i bugled one for an hour or so til dark then decided to get back to the truck only to realize he followed me to my truck, if only it was daytime, anyways both units good, but early season id go as high as you can find the meadows, if your hunting lower find the nastyest steepest canyon to hunt and that generally is where the elk are, my 2 cents.

[Fireant11]

Thanks for all the inputs!  Sounds like the high country away from the crowds.  Just need to find some time to get out and scout (seems I'm saying this every year!). 

[finnman]

They were still bugling in the Bumping last year up to the 20th of October!!

[WWSR]

Too bad people aren't allowed to trade tags... I was drawn for Rimrock E but never hunted there.  Out of the two GMU's my choice would be Bumping (in the B.C.) because the Nile has way too much vehicle traffic and firearms activity, if you know what I mean.

I've been keeping track of a decent bull in Bumping for a couple years now because of the number of cows he keeps and in hopes of getting the Goose Prairie tag. He was a 6x7 last year with gnarliest sounding bugle I've ever heard, much more growl and chuckle than bugle. 

[finnman]

oh, him....hes decent

[dreamingbig]

WWSR - I know that bull... he is a nice one.  And no I didn't get a tag either.  Lips are sealed.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

My group drew that tag and we are familiar with that bulll.... we call him chuckles.  Hopefully I can stick my 30 yard pin on him this year....      of course I doubt this bull is the same.... I think there are more than one that does that.   

[dreamingbig]

Good luck!  Just make sure you can get it out once you get it down.  Saw a couple of guys last year that let it hang for 5 days... it was a disaster.

[WWSR]

My group drew that tag and we are familiar with that bulll.... we call him chuckles.  Hopefully I can stick my 30 yard pin on him this year....      of course I doubt this bull is the same.... I think there are more than one that does that.   

We call him "Growler".  If he's still around I want to record his bugle and send the clip off to some of the Bigfoot hunters with a note that Sasquatch is alive and kickin' in ______ _______. 

In full rut you won't even need your 30 yd pin with that guy but 30 yds is probably as close as I ever want to get again.  He disregards his own safety for that of the herd...or maybe I was disregarding my own just to see how close I could get him.    Either way he got me running for cover. 

Two days after he chased me out of one of his wallows, one of my buddies got close and personal with him right after dusk. I had already backed out of the meadow and was waiting for my friends at our meeting spot so we could watch the Growler at sunset.  Growler came up out of the canyon like clockwork to see if the coast was clear for the herd to get some water but my friends still hadn't shown up yet.  Instead of standing in his favorite spot at the NW corner of the meadow, Growler took off back into the woods towards the east right as the winds shifted.  I figured that either he had gotten a whiff of myself or my friends, one who was walking towards me and another who was still unaccounted for, and decided to retreat.  I sounded off with a couple of chirps followed by a spike bugle in an effort to bring him back into view.   He responded immediately to the bugle with his own and then came charging out of the treeline 150 yds away from us straight towards the large ground blind I had been in earlier in the day.  He sniffed and snorted a couple of times, bugled once more and then started ripping the blind to shreds.  Our missing friend bolted out of the backside of the blind running with his bow in one hand and backpack in the other. I asked my buddy what he did to make him so mad.  Apparently he had found the estrus elk scent I was testing and had unknowingly dropped in the ground blind earlier in the day. He decided that since it was "free" he should use an excessive amount as a cover spray right before taking a nap.
   

I think he learned a couple of lessons that day...
1. Don't take a nap during prime time.
2. Don't spray any scent excessively especially if it's labeled "Test" and smells like $ex.

NWWABOWHNTR and Fireant11...let me know if you haven't filled your tags by 9/16 and I'll see what I can do to help.

[Fireant11]

Sorry for not responding to these posts;  I've been tied up with work.  Great insights and suggestions.  I'm anxious to get out and do some walking around!! 

Thanks for the help!  I'll keep you posted. 

[NWWABOWHNTR]

WWSR - Thanks for all the info!  Hope to show you some great pics and a story to tell before the 20th of Sept!

[D-Rock425]

I drew the same tag and i'm in the same boat. We drew 2 tags for the unit so we are making the move from the taneum unit.

[boneaddict]

WWSR, thats the funniest thing I've read today.  Reminded me of the neophyte moose hunter on here that was asking about moose in heat.     I sent him pics of the moose mounting that bronze bison and said this could be YOU.   
Thats FUNNY!