Spikes in the Blues?

[huntndad]

Why aren't more spike elk harvested in GMUs like 162, 166 and 169?  I know there have to be some elk in the Blues, and if there are elk, there should be some spikes.  I was just looking at the 2010 harvest reports and archers didn't kill a single spike in unit 169 and only 1 in 166.  What am I missing?

[Fowlweather25]

Some of the best elk hunting in the state is in the blues!

[Bob33]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2010/reports/elk_combo_dist_all.php

Are you reading the same report?

This report shows 31 spikes killed in 162, 19 in 166, and 5 in 169 in the general seasons.

Are you looking at the special permit reports?

[johnnyaustin44]

Some of the best elk hunting in the state is in the blues!

That's what I've always heard. comparable to c post as far as the amount of game running around. thousands of animals in easy to access areas

[Fowlweather25]

Hahahaha

[huntndad]

Since I archery hunt, I was primarily looking at those numbers.  However, when you look at the total  harvest for spikes and compare it to the quality hunts for bulls, the number harvested are about the same.  I would think a general season for spikes would have a larger harvest than a limited draw hunt where 90% of the elk taken are 6 points or bigger. 

[nwwanderer]

When you select against spikes, harvest them before maturity, the number of spikes in the population will decline.  Also the very limited branch antler harvest increases branch antler survival, more selection pressure on the spikes.  Lots of first horn bulls are branch antler and we are actively selecting for them.  I had nineteen bulls in my spotting scope in a wintering area in the blues, all branch antlered.

[huntndad]

That's what I was wondering.  We have the opposite here on the west side.  I see a lot more spikes than branched antler bulls, and I don't know that I've ever seen a first horn bull over here that would be considered branched antler.

[400out]

Since I archery hunt, I was primarily looking at those numbers.  However, when you look at the total  harvest for spikes and compare it to the quality hunts for bulls, the number harvested are about the same.  I would think a general season for spikes would have a larger harvest than a limited draw hunt where 90% of the elk taken are 6 points or bigger.

the reason for that is the limit draw makes people hunt harder that they will for a spike! If you go look at the lay of the land in those areas it's not the easiest hunting there is in the state and most hunters get a few hundred yards off the road, if they even get off the road and expect to kill an elk! You can't drag a elk like you do a deer so people dont want to get out of their comfort zone! I know of a guy on here that get a one almost every year and I would imagine the majority came to camp in pieces! They are there in the bottom of the 3 mile canyon where you ain't 

[steen]

I took my Dayton elk out in pieces a half mile from the road.  I  guess we know how to piece them out better than drag them with a cable.  We tried that this year 250 yds down hill and it didn't work so we, again, pieced it up and hauled it out on our backs.  Love doing it, very rewarding!

[400out]

I took my Dayton elk out in pieces a half mile from the road.  I  guess we know how to piece them out better than drag them with a cable.  We tried that this year 250 yds down hill and it didn't work so we, again, pieced it up and hauled it out on our backs.  Love doing it, very rewarding!

that's coming from a guy that know the area 

[Fowlweather25]

Blues is rugged but gorgeous country!

[huntndad]

So, if somesone was willing and able to hike in a few miles and put forth as much effort as they would for a 300+ bull, they would have a good chance to kill a spike?

[jackelope]

No spike bulls in the blues, only humungous branch antlered bulls.
 

[rosscrazyelk]

Since I archery hunt, I was primarily looking at those numbers.  However, when you look at the total  harvest for spikes and compare it to the quality hunts for bulls, the number harvested are about the same.  I would think a general season for spikes would have a larger harvest than a limited draw hunt where 90% of the elk taken are 6 points or bigger.

the reason for that is the limit draw makes people hunt harder that they will for a spike! If you go look at the lay of the land in those areas it's not the easiest hunting there is in the state and most hunters get a few hundred yards off the road, if they even get off the road and expect to kill an elk! You can't drag a elk like you do a deer so people dont want to get out of their comfort zone! I know of a guy on here that get a one almost every year and I would imagine the majority came to camp in pieces! They are there in the bottom of the 3 mile canyon where you ain't 

     Spikes dont come easy..I think the overall success rate is like 3%..  and if anyone tells you the blues are not hard on you, obviously has never been to the blues..

[highlander]

The problem is not that there are no spikes.  There are just enough big branch antlered bulls to keep us distracted   

[Wacenturion]

Have fond memories of muzzle loading for elk during the mid-70's off I believe Blacksnake Grade above four or five corners (can't remember) in the Blues.  Just before you got near the Watershed.

I would spend the entire morning hunting down to the bottom and the rest of the day hiking back up.  I always laugh at myself for the years after that.  I distinctly remember saying to myself when I got to the the bottom and looked back up..."WTF am I doing down here again".  Geez you think I would have learned my lesson last year.  What a dumb A**". 

Course I was young then and hills didn't mean as much ...lol.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

You gotta be in the right place at the right time.  You could get into a herd of elk and only have shots at the big bulls and cows, while the spike is hiding in the brush. 

[Mr Mykiss]

No spike bulls in the blues, only humungous branch antlered bulls.
 

That's not true...there's plenty of small branch antlered bulls...

[toyman2]

So, if somesone was willing and able to hike in a few miles and put forth as much effort as they would for a 300+ bull, they would have a good chance to kill a spike?

this is the way I hunt, I have killed 1 spike ever. I'm not a big fan to see a bunch of people when I hunt elk, spikes are just hard to come by.

[PlateauNDN]

So, if somesone was willing and able to hike in a few miles and put forth as much effort as they would for a 300+ bull, they would have a good chance to kill a spike?

this is the way I hunt, I have killed 1 spike ever. I'm not a big fan to see a bunch of people when I hunt elk, spikes are just hard to come by.

Getting off the road and away from the crowds is my preference.  When I hear people trying to tell me how I only got that or that's it or...I tell them well I don't road hunt nor slaughter in the winter, I go where you have to work to get in and work twice as hard to get out.  That itself is the reward and makes every animal in my books a trophy.

[Woodchuck]

You guys are killin me  Ross I expected better from you.     

In all seriousness it takes a combination of all things. Hard work sure helps but being in the right place at the right time does to. We have gone 0 for the season more than once but have also had 4 spikes hangin at once with two of those dropped right next to each other seconds apart.

Ross likes to shoot spikes miles from camp but shoot the big bulls where you can nearly drive the truck to em. 

[TG509hunter]

I've hunted the Blues for 15+ years and have only killed two bulls and a cow. One was a branched bull (drew tag in '09) and one was a spike (got lucky in '11). 

The theory of luck and hard work is the definition of hunting, in my opinion.  I shot my spike last year in a field I have hunted for years.  Every year I walk (2 to 3 miles from road) across this CRP field to the breaks, with about 20 other hunters.  Always knowing I'm probably not going to kill an elk, I just observe the country and reflect on how thankful I am to be in the outdoors. 

Although, last year was a different story on the second morning of elk season.  I must admit though, last year was the first time, in a long time that I hunted modern firearm.  My great uncle at the age of 84 asked me to come hunt with him one last year, before he retired from hunting, so I put the bow down and bought a modern tag.  I switched to archery years ago, do to the amount of hunters in the area.

So, on the second morning (2011 season) I parked in the parking lot by the trail head, and to my surprise there was not one other vehicle in the parking lot.  I WAS SHOCKED!!!!! So, I put my pack on and headed down the trail. My uncle couldn't get around very well so he covered his "crossing" about 200 yards from the truck.   About 2 miles from the truck there stood a heard of elk, I looked around and didn't see one other hunter, still SHOCKED!!!!  I glasses the herd and there stood a spike all alone, about 30 feet seperated from the herd of 30 to 40 elk.  Still waiting to wake up from a dream ......... I laid down, got a good rest, put the spike in the crosshairs and pulled the trigger.  Down went the spike!!!!  Still waiting to wake up, my buddy slapped me on the back and said, hell of a shot!!! 

Anyways, I know this was a pretty boring story, but it's a good example of luck and hard work.  This was more luck than anything for me.   

Oh yeah ...... there are spikes in the Blues.  I saw 6 spikes opening morning 

Still too many hunters though, other than that morning ... for some strang reason.  I figured I'd stop while I'm ahead with rifle hunting, so I'm putting the rifle down again next year and going back to archery.  Although, if I don't draw a quality bull hunt in the Blues, I'm going to IDAHO instead this year

Good luck out there everyone!!!           

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Shoot every year I hear about the herd of 150 head of elk that some guys shot 6 spikes out of.  Seems to happen every year, yet the 3 generations of my family that have hunted there have never seen a herd that big,  biggest I've seen is 50.  All cows and two branch bulls.  Who knows maybe its a roving herd that appear in different places every year?  ; ).

Hard work and luck is how you find spikes there. 

[igotbigbulls]

its not worth it. too many bigfoot in that part of the country. 

[Woodchuck]

  That is the real story.

[huntnphool]

 I spent a good amount of time there last season, saw loads of branched antler bulls throughout the season and only saw two spike bulls. No way would I hunt that area for spikes after having personally been in there that long and seen those numbers.

That being said, if you are looking a challenging hunt that would be a good one.

[PlateauNDN]

Oh no not bigbulls to.....   Please bigbulls tell me it ain't so, tell me you weren't another victim of the "tickle fest", say it ain't so, please say it ain't so.

[Pathfinder101]

its not worth it. too many bigfoot in that part of the country. 

   There's someone who knows what they're talking about.

It's not worth the risk gentlemen.  Put in for the Colockum...

[PlateauNDN]

its not worth it. too many bigfoot in that part of the country. 

   There's someone who knows what they're talking about.

It's not worth the risk gentlemen.  Put in for the Colockum...

Here's the proof.

[Pathfinder101]

 

[Woodchuck]

From a camp just up the road from the that one.

[trophyhunt]

From a camp just up the road from the that one.

:yike:Oh no, where's the internet police? No orange and the tags need to be on the biggest portion of the meat not the antlers......!!!!!  Just thought I'd beat some one to it, just kidding around.  Nice job on getting two down.

[Pathfinder101]

yupper...LOTS of spikes in that Colockum...

[huntnphool]

yupper...LOTS of spikes in that Colockum...

  Lets hope anyone checking out this thread actually reads the posts rather than reads the thread title, scans through it only looking at pics, and thinks the pics are actually from the Blues.

 These are Colockum bulls!!!

[Woodchuck]

Very good point sir. 

[Woodchuck]

From a camp just up the road from the that one.

:yike:Oh no, where's the internet police? No orange and the tags need to be on the biggest portion of the meat not the antlers......!!!!!  Just thought I'd beat some one to it, just kidding around.  Nice job on getting two down.

Wasn't me, those are just some guys that were camped up the road from the camp in the Colockum on the previous page. 

[gaddy]

talked to a boilogist years ago( had a brother coming from out of state ) to ask about the herd health in the blues. he actually laughed.
he mentioned that the heard #s were down, now picture the # of spikes born from a herd at what %, now enter the % of younguns taken by preditors & other factors & if they make it to antler growing age.
now you can enter the BF factor & if you have followed other threads you will know not to bother with the blues.
a newbe we brought up to camp last year thought he saw an elk but was unsure as whatever he saw was traveling mach- something & headed west.
now, in this age we can enter the wolf.
wolves, bf --
no elk in the blues

[Kowsrule30]

I don't hunt the Blues much.... Too many BF I'm told.... I usually get a spike every year.... I don't know why but two trails I sit on just attract them..... Sat there almost all damn day one openiner a few years ago.... Even dosed off probably a couple times.... I woke up to a very distant ml blast  to find 7 spikes walking single file down the trail....  Have killed 5 spikes on that trail so far....

[Pathfinder101]

I don't hunt the Blues much.... Too many BF I'm told.... I usually get a spike every year.... I don't know why but two trails I sit on just attract them..... Sat there almost all damn day one openiner a few years ago.... Even dosed off probably a couple times.... I woke up to a very distant ml blast  to find 7 spikes walking single file down the trail....  Have killed 5 spikes on that trail so far....

...Sounds like the Colockum.  Most of the trails in there are like that...

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I don't hunt the Blues much.... Too many BF I'm told.... I usually get a spike every year.... I don't know why but two trails I sit on just attract them..... Sat there almost all damn day one openiner a few years ago.... Even dosed off probably a couple times.... I woke up to a very distant ml blast  to find 7 spikes walking single file down the trail....  Have killed 5 spikes on that trail so far....

You need a mag extender so you can get more than 5 rounds in your gun ; )

[PlateauNDN]

Or the CCC can let others in there and assist with the harvest of these spikes in the Colockum instead of selfishly keeping them to themselves.

[Pathfinder101]

Or the CCC can let others in there and assist with the harvest of these spikes in the Colockum instead of selfishly keeping them to themselves.

Damn Plat.  Are you trying to get yourself into the wintess protection program?  I am telling you, if you start informing on the CCC like that you are going to wind up like me...WDFW had to create a whole new identity for me.  Hell, everyone now thinks I live in Walla Walla...