To all the Blues mountain hunters

[rosscrazyelk]

I actually know for  fact lots of cow tags went home empty.

[BLUEBULLS]

I guess it depends on where you happen to be hunting. I was hunting the 162 Dayton unit and saw no deer and very few elk. There is a cougar problem in the area I hunt and that has been bad for the deer. I saw 3 branch antlered bulls, 8 cows and 3 calves and no spikes. The full moon was not any help as the elk went into the dark timber about 10 minutes after shooting times in the mornings and came out about 10 minutes before the end of shooting time. Not alot of sign after the snow before the season started. Probably the least amount of deer or elk seen this year and a record amount of hunters.

I would like to know where the other hunters are seeing 200 elk!!! Certainly was not around the 162 unit.

I was in 162, only got 2 days to hunt so I hit it hard, hiking from dark to dark. I know the area well so that really helps finding elk too.

I agree on the cat thing and I heard that a few people missed that family of cats on chase. Keep me posted if any of you go hunt them this winter, or shoot me a PM if you want company, I'll probably try my hand at thinning the population in December. it's too bad that it closes right when it gets good.

[willapawapiti]

My brother filled his branch bull tag opening day in West Wenaha.  In the two days of scouting right before, we saw just 5 branched bulls and only one deer. 

[Woodchuck]

i wouldnt mind tagging along to chase cats as well, i dont know the chase side well, but would like to learn

[yelp]

A couple rifle bulls from the Blue Mtns this year..   They both score in the high 300's.

[yelp]

another pic of the same bulls...

[Alan K]

Now those are some monsters! 

[BLUEBULLS]

that's a couple of guys who knew what they wanted...

[KillerMiller]

Nice!!!

[yelp]

BLueBulls...I tried sending you a PM and it says your inbox is full..

Yelp

[willapawapiti]

Great bulls!  What unit?

[BLUEBULLS]

BLueBulls...I tried sending you a PM and it says your inbox is full..

Yelp

i'll delete a few... I always forget to...

[fly4fish]

COUGARS

[steen]

I was hunting elk with the bull permit.  I saw only 4 muley does during the muley season while scouting for my elk.   That was disappointing to me, but I did see lots of private land, which I don't count being you can't hunt them.   Saw lots of branch antlered bulls during the bow season all 6 point or better except one 4X4.  Saw at least 200 elk  while scouting 5 days before the hunt.  My hunt was over at 7:05 opening day and saw a dozen elk that morning.  We saw a cougar killed during bow season and a wolf after dark 3 nights before the bull permit opener.  My first time in the Blues, impressed with the elk but not so impressed with the mule deer population. 

[muley_hunter]

I did not get the chance to hunt Elk this year but my normal partners spent the season in 166 and seen very few Elk.  Also they found a spike with an arrow sticking out of it and what appeared to be a older branched bull with the head and hind quarters cut off!!! What a shame!