Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: mallard79 on September 12, 2010, 06:21:20 PM

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Title: Where are the cows?
Post by: mallard79 on September 12, 2010, 06:21:20 PM

So I am new to elk hunting and finally got out this weekend in an area I know pretty well from deer hunting.  I know that elk use the area pretty heavily but have never been there this time of year.

Saturday morning we got to the gate and started our hike in to were I had seen elk while grouse hunting before.  Before we got very far we heard a bull bugling not too far off so we headed toward him.  All of a sudden there were at least 4 more bulls bugling around us and within a 1/2 mile in all directions.  We managed to spot 3 of the 5 or more bulls we heard over the next few hours.  Two were good size 5x5's and the thrid was a massive 6x6  :drool: that I got ahead of and he walked into a shooting lane at 40 yards (we were hunting a True Spike Only unit  :'( )  We did not see a single cow with any of them, and we observed two of them from over 500 yards away.  We didn't see a single cow or smaller bull all weekend.

Shouldn't there be cows with them or at least in the area where these bulls are?  Are the cows at a different elevation?   Could the spikes and smaller bulls be running with the cows?

I guess the bright side of this weekends trip is that now I know where to put in for next year for a bull permit. :IBCOOL: