The Elk Thread

[legolas]

TBH'R ( grey bow )has an outfitting service in New Mexico. Highly recommend it, if your looking for a wilderness experience. I'll put pics up later, I killed a 366" fall of 2015 and a 340 back in 2011. He hunts 16B wilderness, if you follow elk hunting at all you know this is a premier spot for big elk.

[rhendrix]

Here is a topic for off-season discussion. How do those you that hunt Grizzly country protect yourselves?



Do you head out later in the morning and earlier in the evening to avoid hunting in the dark?



Do you always have a buddy with you?



Bearspray and gun or just one or the other?



Electric bear fence?



We first hunted our area in 2014 and still laugh about our first few nights in our one man tents with brush piled around so we could hear any critters before they got to us. It turns out we didn't need them because we spent all night asking each other if the other one heard that noise.



We have only seen one Griz in two years but they are always at the back of our minds.

I haven't hunted grizzly bear country before, but if I were going to, I'd pack in bear spray and a fence.

Statistically bear spray is more effective than a large bore pistol, and lighter too, if I remember the data, bear attacks were prevented 97% of the time using spray compared to 64% using a pistol or rifle.

And the bear fence would be for peace of mind more than anything, the only thing that will limit your exposure is keeping your food a hundred yards (minimum) from camp and then have your "kitchen" area a hundred yards in the opposite direction of your camp.

As for traveling at dark, I'd operate under the same premise as anywhere else, move purposefully, have a good head lamp, and try not to pee yourself at every strange noise you hear that's outside the beams of your head lamp.

Hope that helps!

[jaker_cc]

Nobody hunts in Grizzly country?

We did in Montana a few years ago. We carried bear spray. Be extremely careful carrying it tho, I met a guy that had just gotten out of the ER because he accidentally sprayed himself in the face with it.

[Sackett]

Man, reading over this thread every year has me wanting to pony up the money for a drop camp in a great area. I was lucky enough to kill a great 5x5 my first year in 2013, a 4x5 the next year and a cow last year while my wife was with me. All this on public lands in unit 711. I'm really wanting a true 330+ inch bull and those are nill where we are for the archery opener since the elk where we're at are all resident and heavily hunted. I will say our groups success ratio from 2013 to present was 70%, 90% and 50% last year so I can't complain. Working in the Texas heat all summer sure makes me look to those Rocky Mountains each Summer.

[rhendrix]

Russell, you guys hunt early season, right?

[ladrones]

http://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/local/2016/02/09/public-asked-comment-private-land-hunting-proposal/80020714/

[Sackett]

Russell, you guys hunt early season, right?

Yep, we usually head up Tuesday before season starts, but last year we were there a week before. The guy that invited my cousin and I has been hunting the area for 30 years so he knows every water hole in the area. Typically, we hunt over water holes or trails leading to them. The elk aren't bugleing when we're there and it's only around 8k feet. My wife and I scouted an area around Lone Cone, up around 10-11k ft that looked very promising last year, but was very rugged. I might take a day or two while we're there to hunt that area this year.

[TWP]

Yep, we usually head up Tuesday before season starts, but last year we were there a week before. The guy that invited my cousin and I has been hunting the area for 30 years so he knows every water hole in the area. Typically, we hunt over water holes or trails leading to them. The elk aren't bugleing when we're there and it's only around 8k feet. My wife and I scouted an area around Lone Cone, up around 10-11k ft that looked very promising last year, but was very rugged. I might take a day or two while we're there to hunt that area this year.

Man, folks that can sit stands on water are way tougher mentally than me!!! I know that it can be THE absolute best way to kill elk for many many reasons, but I just can't quit that run and gun and screaming bulls. Ever since I was 22 and had a big boy shaking a juniper at 30 yards and then scream at us, that is when I lost it all. I thought about doing some early scouting this year and actually hanging a set for opener in CO and then going last week of Sept in Idaho. We shall see what the time says.

[TWP]

Has anyone hunted any of the OTC Colorado rifle hunts in November??? A buddy wants to go this year, and I have never hunted elk that late. Just curious on thoughts? Experiences, besides quiet elk and cold weather.

[Pernell]

NM landowner tags are off the chart this year, I hear some unit 15 tags are selling for $7500 and 16a $12000. I dont know how much more it can go up.

[TWP]

NM landowner tags are off the chart this year, I hear some unit 15 tags are selling for $7500 and 16a $12000. I dont know how much more it can go up.

Wow!!!! Have fun with that! I'd do a brown bear or two mountain goat hunts for that $12,000.

[Pernell]

Wow!!!! Have fun with that! I'd do a brown bear or two mountain goat hunts for that $12,000.

Or add a little to it and go on a Yukon moose hunt. I hope the brokers that are selling these tags get screwed when no one pays that kind of money for them! This is like the market, what goes up must go down! i hope

[Kolpin10]

NM landowner tags are off the chart this year, I hear some unit 15 tags are selling for $7500 and 16a $12000. I dont know how much more it can go up.

With western hunting getting more popular and publicized the priced have been going up steady for the last few years. Go back and look at the number of nonresident hunters putting in for the draws 10 years ago compared to now it is not hard to see why it takes longer to draw, or why the landowner tags are in higher demand. It is only going to get worse.

[TWP]

With western hunting getting more popular and publicized the priced have been going up steady for the last few years. Go back and look at the number of nonresident hunters putting in for the draws 10 years ago compared to now it is not hard to see why it takes longer to draw, or why the landowner tags are in higher demand. It is only going to get worse.

That is true, so many people think they have to hunt the Gila, or 9A in AZ, or the Paunt or Henry's in Utah for mule deer. Thankfully there are lots of tags that are easy draw or OTC all over the west.

On the flip side, when there is such a great demand for tags out west and higher prices, not necessarily landowners, there is more money to help ensure the future of the renewable resource. Game has to carry it's own weight, otherwise the land will be used for higher and better use.

[Pernell]

That is true, so many people think they have to hunt the Gila, or 9A in AZ, or the Paunt or Henry's in Utah for mule deer. Thankfully there are lots of tags that are easy draw or OTC all over the west.

On the flip side, when there is such a great demand for tags out west and higher prices, not necessarily landowners, there is more money to help ensure the future of the renewable resource. Game has to carry it's own weight, otherwise the land will be used for higher and better use.

I would love to find a sleeper unit in NM but I think that's impossible. Tag brokers have driven up the prices, making it hard for a working man to afford one.