Post by: WoolyRunner on November 11, 2023, 12:01:27 PM
Post by: Humptulips on November 11, 2023, 12:15:08 PM
The other thing is that bigger bull that was in that herd might be in someone else's freezer by now.
Post by: lewy on November 11, 2023, 12:50:15 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 11, 2023, 02:00:24 PM
Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..
After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.
Post by: Bullkllr on November 11, 2023, 02:05:52 PM
Post by: Humptulips on November 11, 2023, 02:08:08 PM
That paints a picture. Maybe replace the dogs playing poker picture with bull elk playing cards. :chuckle:Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..
After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 11, 2023, 02:16:03 PM
That paints a picture. Maybe replace the dogs playing poker picture with bull elk playing cards. :chuckle:Where do the bulls go during rifle season? I’ve been on 3 different herds this season and there are only spikes in the bunch…. It seems rifle season is a real gamble to stumble on one..
After the rut they all relax together in groups, play cards, take penicillin, heal their wounds, try and replace the fat they've lost during the rut. I've seen groups of mature bulls hanging out in refuges together. They're done with the cows and obnoxious youngsters.
You might have the next great felt painting there. It's been a while since the last great one; maybe the 70s.
Post by: boneaddict on November 11, 2023, 02:54:17 PM
Post by: Backstrap on November 11, 2023, 04:56:05 PM
Post by: builtfordtough on November 11, 2023, 07:20:10 PM
Post by: Dark2Dark on November 11, 2023, 07:40:51 PM
The big boys go far into crappy stuff where they won’t be seen or heard by other people or elk.
In my opinion, if you can find him, it’s much easier to kill him than a bull in a herd.
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on November 11, 2023, 10:30:42 PM
Post by: haus on November 12, 2023, 05:52:31 AM
Post by: metlhead on November 12, 2023, 08:31:58 AM
Post by: WoolyRunner on November 12, 2023, 04:55:33 PM
Don't forget that plenty are hanging out in freezers already. I know of quite a few bulls killed around the Harbor this season. Often the small herd's bull has been picked off. You could be doin everything right, but 3 guys did it righter earlier.
Very true.. was out all day today.. didn’t even see fresh sign..
Post by: time2hunt on November 12, 2023, 07:22:07 PM
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Post by: Badsmerf on November 13, 2023, 11:19:48 PM
Post by: Big6bull on November 14, 2023, 04:41:01 AM
I couldn't find a mature bull this year either. Saw plenty of elk in the clear cuts, but couldn't find any in timber, draws or creek bottoms. I hunted some nasty stuff and put in a lot of miles. I read the bigger bulls break off, but how do you find them? They still need to eat, so wouldn't they want to venture into a clear cut at some point?
There is just so much food everywhere they go, I don’t think they need to come to the cuts. even a lot of timber has food for them and most creek bottoms have plenty.
Post by: LDennis24 on November 14, 2023, 07:06:17 AM
Post by: Stein on November 14, 2023, 08:06:22 AM
Ah ha! So they are in Lake Havasu, Arizona according to time2hunt? Is that right?
I think New Zealand is where those "elk" come from, not sure how they get themselves down there though. Poor choice as it doesn't seem to be any safer than staying here during hunting season. :chuckle:
Post by: dilleytech on November 14, 2023, 09:01:35 AM
I couldn't find a mature bull this year either. Saw plenty of elk in the clear cuts, but couldn't find any in timber, draws or creek bottoms. I hunted some nasty stuff and put in a lot of miles. I read the bigger bulls break off, but how do you find them? They still need to eat, so wouldn't they want to venture into a clear cut at some point?
Elk will eat leafs off maple vines or whatever they want. They don’t need to come out of the thick timber. If they do it could all be at night any way.
Post by: Badsmerf on November 14, 2023, 09:04:39 AM
There is just so much food everywhere they go, I don’t think they need to come to the cuts. even a lot of timber has food for them and most creek bottoms have plenty.
I'm guessing if you don't know where they are from scouting the off-season, probably hard to find them in season. Makes it even tougher when there is pressure and a ton of the known shooter males in an area are already taken.
After the first few days I think to myself where "would an elk go to get away from people?" Then I try to get in there and look for fresh sign. Problem is I've yet to even bump elk in those areas. See sign, mostly old. There is just sooo many creek bottoms/timber to walk that it gets daunting.
Post by: Stein on November 14, 2023, 10:47:30 AM
There is a reason rifle elk success rates are what they are.
Post by: Rugsnfeathers on November 16, 2023, 12:15:52 PM
Often the first time they get jumped, and this could happen before modern rifle, they end up being split from the herd and being a lone bull. Tremendously difficult to find and sneak up on a single elk. In the past I have had the luck to find a herd of bulls, so they do also herd together from the cows sometimes. Also, hard to find because typically you are only going to find two or three together. Hard to track and I don't think they move around as much as a herd. Pretty easy to be close to them and not even realize they are around.
The other thing is that bigger bull that was in that herd might be in someone else's freezer by now.
Absolutely agree! During our hunt, the bull, a raghorn we captured in our trail camera was already harvested by a muzzie hunter and was confirmed when we showed the pic to a hunter that knew the muzzie hunter. However, days into our hunt as I've bushwacked my way into our area, I found a small herd of cows,with no bull just 300 yards from where we camped. Further northeasterly from that area, about a half mile away, one of my hunt buddies found another group of about 8 cows, a spike, and this time a royal bull. This is the same day and approximately the same time. The royal kept his distance from the heard and was still about 70 yards from the herd. He picked up my buddies scent and took off wihout my buddy getting his shot leaving him only with nightmares to remember. All this time, no bugle heard.
Post by: Humptulips on November 16, 2023, 12:47:30 PM
Last year I found a lone bull before season and he stayed within about a mile radius but to track him, about impossible. I did have one chance when I jumped him in a thicket but he was gone in the blink of an eye and again no way to track him. If you get a loner you have luck going on yer side.
Post by: GASoline71 on November 16, 2023, 07:43:20 PM
Hole up is about the best description.
Yup... hell hole
Gary
Post by: Griiz on November 17, 2023, 06:55:31 AM
I don't think a bigger bull can keep up with or maybe doesn't want to keep up with a herd when jumped. I have seen this quite a few times when I jumped a herd and even though I glimpsed a big bull, after chasing them a way and getting a good look at them when they stopped, the big bull would be gone. They just pull up in the brush and let you go on by. The spikes and small bulls usually stick with the herd but the bigger ones, I believe are wore out from the rut and don't have much staying power when the herd takes off. Unless you have snow, It is about impossible to track a single elk.
Last year I found a lone bull before season and he stayed within about a mile radius but to track him, about impossible. I did have one chance when I jumped him in a thicket but he was gone in the blink of an eye and again no way to track him. If you get a loner you have luck going on yer side.
I've tracked bulls in the snow hunting and some of them pull half hitches so they can watch their back trail like wounded bear do. This was in thick brush and timber. Smart animals.
Post by: branches on November 17, 2023, 10:43:05 AM