My son just e-mailed me and related that some hunters were in a lot more elk 1,500-2,000 (my estimate) lower in elevation, from where he hunted. \"They were in elk every day.\" I believe there were more hunters at the lower elevation. The area is all timbered public land with openings. What are some general factors that could be contributing to this situation?
Where The Elk Are
- Thread starter Swede
- Start date
elkmtngear
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- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
\"Swede\" said:
Perhaps pressure on Private ranches drove them out into surrounding public lands? :think:
JohnFitzgerald
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- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
Better grazing or ground not over grazed.
cohunter14
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- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
That\'s what I was thinking, or lack of water in the other place. Could there have been a hard frost up high but not down low? That can affect what the elk choose to eat.
I scouted a high area near where my son hunted. It too showed little elk sign. I believe that feed is the reason they are down lower. The other possibilities mentioned on this thread would be possibilities in different places, if you are not familiar with the area. certainly check those things out. Sheep, cattle, logging, mining etc. are not present in the higher country where my son was at. Much of it is designated wilderness. Water is abundant up high. Forage is fairly sparse and insufficient for large numbers of large grazers. Remember the other thread (Elk Behavior II) where the importance of elk gaining weight fast, in the late Spring and through the Summer was pointed out.
Olympushunt
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- Jun 30, 2014
- 234
\"Swede\" said:
I\'m not sure I agree with the lack of feed theory. In fact I saw more feed and water up high than I have in any place I have ever hunted. I\'m still scratching my head to a degree about that area. Is there too much of a good thing making patterning difficult when there is ample feed, water and cover? They graze and move on....never pounding an area consistently. Our cams would show high volume....and then nothing for 10 days. If you wanted to water hole hunt or even hunt a wallow, it would work but you might sit a LONG time. Water is everywhere. Wallows are thick...maybe 10 per square mile, but when the season gets on and the pressure comes up...the elk numbers go down. Sometimes I wonder if the wilderness magnet doesn\'t lead to less animals than the low ground you just drove by to get to the wilderness paradise? Opening week the foot traffic increased HUGE.
With the popularity of everyone wanting bivy in the wilderness, or backcountry , you bet the elk are going to respond to that pressure.
Especially in Colorado. About the time you get in a few miles you are getting closer to another access point from a different direction
Especially in Colorado. About the time you get in a few miles you are getting closer to another access point from a different direction
Well I\'ve got one season under my belt so take my opinion for what\'s it\'s worth. On years we have big acorn crops, the WTs are scattered a lot more and harder to find. Much easier to pattern when the crop is scattered. On years with a scattered crop, finding the right white oak or group of white oaks can be deadly. As for pressure, I was surpsised to see as many hunters in the area I hunted this year. Seems like folks in Colorado will put some effort into getting away from access points. I would have thought our location would have been virtually void of hunters but not the case at all.
My guess is an abudance of food allowed the elk to scatter more than usual.
My guess is an abudance of food allowed the elk to scatter more than usual.
Olympushunt
New member
- Jun 30, 2014
- 234
\"razorback\" said:
I think you are spot on Steven...... the forage was in my opinion excellent. The animals were quite healthy (aka FAT) from what I was seeing. I even commented to my buddy this bull we were watching really ought to have one of those \"Wide Load\" banners placed on his backside. I told him I really wouldn\'t want to shoot that sucker because of the enormous hams he had. I wanted one less of a gluten. We were watching him and he would grab huge amounts of grass up and suck it down. Here is a picture and the big boy wasn\'t one of these guys. I know you can\'t tell the feed quality from the photo but I am pretty up tight about posting photos online.
cohunter14
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- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
\"Olympushunt\" said:
As Brad said, Colorado wilderness areas are a mess for hunters here. I don\'t think you will ever see me hunting one, because everyone that hunts them has the same idea: get a few miles in away from everyone else. If the wilderness area you hunted is anything like Colorado\'s, there is a good chance that the pressure is what did it. You have to remember that those wilderness areas are left untouched for much of the year. Then all of a sudden there are hunters everywhere. Compare that to an area that has people hiking, camping, and riding ATV\'s all summer long. Elk will sense the pressure a lot more in a wilderness area.
I also mentioned it earlier, but is there any chance there was a hard freeze up high? If there was, it can affect the quality of the feed and push the elk down as well. Just another idea.
Olympushunt
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- Jun 30, 2014
- 234
\"Swede\" said:
Where are you seeing the pine grass? Not from that crummy picture I hope. I know the difference. The feed was heavy and not pine grass.My buddy and I both agreed we hadn\'t seen feed like that in many places. One a 1 to 10 scale it was a 10. You have to trust me since I was there.
I don\'t think the elk where there all summer getting fat and happy and the feed ran out all of a sudden creating a mass exodus. Pressure can do that.
I\'ve got tons of elk pictures from 7 cameras and it is quite a surprising exodus.
I saw the pine grass in the wilderness at the same elevation and same aspect you were at. I was not with you, so I was just questioning. That there was more pressure where you were, than lower down near main open roads seems odd to me, but I was not there. I too struggle to try and figure out what is occurring in my hunting area. I am usually a step behind the critters. :lol:
That is interesting. I don\'t think there is too much of a good thing (forage). We both have seen where the elk feed regularly on protected quality pastures. They seem to love irrigated fields. Where you are at there are no cattle either. That you are seeing more hunting pressure at the beginning of the season than down lower near roads is interesting. I guess I will join you in the head scratching.
Elk generally move continuously through their range and it is possible you were just not there when they were. On a short hunt it is easy to miss them. Like I said, I wasn\'t there. I am just trying to help you figure things out.
\"Olympushunt\" said:
That is interesting. I don\'t think there is too much of a good thing (forage). We both have seen where the elk feed regularly on protected quality pastures. They seem to love irrigated fields. Where you are at there are no cattle either. That you are seeing more hunting pressure at the beginning of the season than down lower near roads is interesting. I guess I will join you in the head scratching.
Elk generally move continuously through their range and it is possible you were just not there when they were. On a short hunt it is easy to miss them. Like I said, I wasn\'t there. I am just trying to help you figure things out.
