2019 Elk Hunt Update Thread

cohunter14

cohunter14

Administrator
Jul 10, 2017
5,332
The 2019 Elk Season is upon us. Use this thread as a place to check in and to post updates as to how things are going in your hunt. Heading out? On the road? Made it to camp and have cell service? Hearing bugles? Got one down? Let us know! It's a great way for those who aren't currently in the woods to live vicariously through you!


Good luck to everyone this year!!!
 
My only way to enjoy elk hunting so please have fun be safe and send updates on a regular basis...
 
Saw 6-7 cows with a 5 point bull on the drive home yesterday. He looked like he was ready for fall to begin.
 
ribo451 said:
Saw 6-7 cows with a 5 point bull on the drive home yesterday. He looked like he was ready for fall to begin.
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I think we are all ready too!  :tease: :shock:
 
Awful hot up on the mountain in Wyoming this weekend - nothing heard or seen on opening day.  A buddy with a different tag reported hearing a couple bulges at night up around Laramie Peak.  Which was more than I heard in the General areas.  Will be out again next weekend.
 
Wyo67 said:
Awful hot up on the mountain in Wyoming this weekend - nothing heard or seen on opening day.  A buddy with a different tag reported hearing a couple bulges at night up around Laramie Peak.  Which was more than I heard in the General areas.  Will be out again next weekend.
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Good luck next weekend!
 
I have a question for everyone. Last weekend, I went out and saw nothing and also heard nothing. The elk were very silent (probably due to the hot temperatures and early in the season). Last weekend I checked out 4 different areas.


I am heading back out tonight. I am trying a few new spots. Would you recommend I get to a high glassing point and glass tonight or should I just start out in an area I believe to hold elk and hope I get a bull to bugle?


Thanks,
ST
 
StrongTower said:
I have a question for everyone. Last weekend, I went out and saw nothing and also heard nothing. The elk were very silent (probably due to the hot temperatures and early in the season). Last weekend I checked out 4 different areas.


I am heading back out tonight. I am trying a few new spots. Would you recommend I get to a high glassing point and glass tonight or should I just start out in an area I believe to hold elk and hope I get a bull to bugle?


Thanks,
ST
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It sounds like elk have already been vocal in a lot of areas, so I would probably go the calling route if it were me.
 
Head out early or late at night and do some bugling. The elk up north have definitely been talking so far. I've been surprised, but they are bugling.

I like glassing because I'd rather let my eyes do the walking, but with vocal elk walk the trails at night and listen for bugles.
 
Thanks cohunter14 and elk noob. I will give it a go tonight and see if I hear anything. This is my first year archery hunting so I am just trying to put boots on the ground as much as possible and learn as much as possible. Already learned to reduce what I bring in my backpacking pack. Dropped significant weight on my pack.


ST
 
Called in a 5 pt and couple cows for a buddy in my local zone before I head to a different zone for my hunt.  He hit a branch so no elk, but had at least 3 bulls going. Probably heard 30 bugles.   
 
Lang, what state are you hunting? Sounds like the elk are responding and getting started.


Also, looks like you are after a good bull if you are leaving that area to go into another zone. Good luck on the hunt.
 
I got into elk opening day. (Friday) I heard around 100 bugles coming from 3 bulls. One was close, one was on an open ridge across from me and one was in the bottom of a canyon. I called some and they seemed fired up to talk to each other but didn't respond well to my calling. I was getting my feelings hurt when the close bull came in silent. He was a big 6x6. He hung up at 130 yards. The wind was bad for any type of moves in his direction so I tried unsuccessfully several times to get around him and his cows and couldn't make it work. Had a small black bear at 28 yards too.  A good day overall till I fell down and rolled my ankle in a patch of devils club. 
 
Ol Arky, hopefully next week I can post a few pictures from Colorado..will be heading out there from North Carolina...not far from your old stomping grounds.
 
nclonghunter said:
Ol Arky, hopefully next week I can post a few pictures from Colorado..will be heading out there from North Carolina...not far from your old stomping grounds.
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Good deal... I hope you have a safe, fun and successful trip... I'm not gonna steal anyone's thunder but I do know the elk gods have been good to at least one....
 
Getting excited now...went out to scout last weekend for opening week of rifle hunting.

We heard at least 3 bulls and an unknown number of cows...we have an A and ES tag but really excited about the last part knowing what i know about the late rut.  Hopefully they all stick around and stay alive for a few more weeks.

Tons of sign as well including some well used game trails, water holes and a rub about 5 yds from a ground blind we determined would be good based on the game trails. The rub was made sometime in the 1.5 hour break we took for breakfast at camp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Heading out today for a quick hunt, coming back on Wednesday. Not extremely hopeful on the area, but I cannot wait to be in the woods!
 
So I finally found Elk!! (After my 8th spot to look). Unfortunately I was by myself and it made calling the bull in very difficult. I tried to challenge him 3 times. But all 3 times instead of coming at me to accept the challenge he just pushed his cows away, like he didn't want to fight. So i finally decided to go silent and sneak in. I got within 40 yards but did not have a good shot at him. I made sure the wind was in my favor and he had no idea I was there. But before I could get into a good shooting lane he wandered off. I couldn't find him again.


Any suggestions on different things I should have tried? What do you do if a bull is not wanting to be challenged and would rather run?
 
StrongTower said:
So I finally found Elk!! (After my 8th spot to look). Unfortunately I was by myself and it made calling the bull in very difficult. I tried to challenge him 3 times. But all 3 times instead of coming at me to accept the challenge he just pushed his cows away, like he didn't want to fight. So i finally decided to go silent and sneak in. I got within 40 yards but did not have a good shot at him. I made sure the wind was in my favor and he had no idea I was there. But before I could get into a good shooting lane he wandered off. I couldn't find him again.


Any suggestions on different things I should have tried? What do you do if a bull is not wanting to be challenged and would rather run?
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If you were with your lady and a guy came up and started yelling at you, challenging you to a fight from across the parking lot, would you stay and fight for no reason, or take your lady and leave? On the flip side, if he came right up to you and your lady, ignored you and started hitting on your woman right in front of you, would you still just walk away? Try getting in close and talk to his cows (with bull sounds), or do what you did last and sneak in for a shot. That's how I'd look at it.
 
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