Elk Are Migrating

[OldMan]

At least in my area they are. I just took the dog for a walk about 3 miles out of town. It\'s a couple of huge meadows on the left, and a walking trail next to Cottonwood Creek. This area is about 5-7miles from their winter range. It\'s a stop the elk make as they migrate up the mountain. Must have been around 75-100 elk there. I would have tried to sneak up on them, and just watched them, but that\'s impossible with a dog on a leash with me. They spotted us at about 200yds, and moved off to the next meadow.

No camera, but I did take a picture last year in this same meadow.

 

[cohunter14]

Good info Pete and nice pic.

BTW, good to see you around again. I knew you wouldn\'t be able to resist us! :dance2: Did you end up putting in for tags this year? I saw on the Start My Hunt thread that you might get an OTC rifle tag. Is that on top of a muzzleloader tag?

 

[OldMan]

I really thought my elk hunting was over. A horrible thought for me. So, all I put in for was a buck tag in 2nd rifle. I\'ll get that for sure with 1 point. So, my only option this year will be an OTC tag in unit 55. Hopefully, early snow won\'t close Cottonwood Pass before 2nd season.

That leaves me with a decision to make. My buck tag is 2nd season, and that\'s the season I want to hunt elk now. They\'re in different units. Ideally, I could hunt the buck I 2nd season, and get a OTC elk tag for 3rd season. The problem is I can\'t take the chance the pass will be open for 3rd season. The elk hunt is more important to me, but I hate to give up the buck tag so I can hunt elk in 2nd season.

So, I came up with an idea that might work. The weekends are usually the worst time to hunt an OTC unit. Especially, the first weekend. So, I was thinking of hunting for a buck the first week end. Then hunt for elk during the week. If I got a buck the first weekend I could hunt for elk the rest of the 2nd season. if I didn\'t get a buck I could hunt it the last week end too. Another option is to hunt elk one day, and deer the next. I come home every night, so it doesn\'t matter which I hunt. I drive to my hunting areas every morning.

Anybody have any ideas go ahead and post them. I\'m still undecided on how to do it.

 

[cnelk]

Pete
I think you are correct in your line of thinking about hunting elk during the week and deer on the weekends.
There is definitely more hunters in the woods Fri Sat Sun than any other time and the elk know it.

At that time of the year, MD buckswill be cruising so you just don\'t know where they will be unless you have a couple scouted.
They may even still be a small bachelor groups which make it fun

 

[wvarcher]

Is that out of Gypsum?

 

[OldMan]

Buena Vista

That\'s facing east. If I faced west you\'d see the real mountains.

 

[OldMan]

There was a purpose to posting this. It won\'t help bow hunter, but it might rifle hunters. Especially, if they hunt the later rifle seasons.

When I said I scout a lot. One of the things I want to see is how the elk migrate. I know from past scouting how the elk get from the winter range to the above meadow. I wait a day or so after they leave the meadow, and track where they went to next. Anybody can track 100 elk, so that part is easy for anyone. That continues all the way up to summer range. Wait a few days, and track higher, and repeat.

You ask how does this help. Well, for early seasons not much. For later seasons quite a bit. The elk will use the same migration route coming back down in the fall. Depending on weather of course. They don\'t come charging down all at once. They do it in steps. It helps to know where those steps will be. It\'s always important to know what altitude to hunt at, but that just half of it. You also need to know where they are at that altitude. Knowing the migration routes will help you determine that.

 

[cohunter14]

Good points Pete, and that makes me extremely jealous of you that you are able to do that. If you get bored, you wanna drive an hour down the road and follow the elk up for me? I\'ll pay for your gas!

 

[OldMan]

I get minimum wage.