Elk hunt was a bust.

NMframed

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 11, 2020
Messages
204
Location
New Mexico
I did read something a while back about predators in some units having an impact on populations, not sure the units though. I just thought of something else, the fires could be displacing some people from units, so that could be a factor this year as well. Still, i heard that the CBA had some concerns about decisions by the CPW on licensing. For those getting into elk i would be curious if it was a draw unit or otc. No need to list the unit, but just curious draw vs otc. Draw should be better i bet.
We were in an OTC unit
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2020
Messages
96
Spent some time not too far north of there Sept 4-14 never heard a bugle saw 1 cow the whole trip. Got about a foot of snow and seen quite a bit of fresh elk sign but just couldn’t seem to catch up with em. Ran into less people than years past but also least amount of activity I’ve ever seen so guess it comes with the territory
 

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reaperukon

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
Messages
186
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So much for a fall hunt in the uintas. Went from bugle city the week before to couldn’t buy a bugle in two days. I feel tour pain.


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Joined
Jun 29, 2020
Messages
330
Do you guys think the elk herd is down b/c Colorado purposely reduced the herd?

This may be unfair; But gut impression is that a bunch of farmers were griping about crop deprivation so they started issuing too many either sex tags during rifle season

We had trips back into the same units back in the early to middle 2000s where the entire group would tag out with fairly nice bulls or in the alternative several of us would shoot very nice herd bulls with lots of mass.

Those days seem long gone now.
Purposeful herd reduction was done in at least a few units, due to complaints about agriculture or property damage. I have also herd that those were “overdone” but the impact not realized for a few years.
 

Rytanfos

FNG
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
10
Location
TX
Slim Jim pan fried Grouse is good, slice up a slim Jim and they're greasy enough to coat the pan and put your grouse breasts in there and cook it in the Slim Jim flavor.
just joined this group. This tip made it worth it
 

FlyGuy

WKR
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
2,087
Location
The Woodlands, TX
It seems that the snow really shut down the rut activity. We talked to several locals who were saying the bugling was incredible the week preceding the storm, but it turned off cold when that snow dumped. I don't know why it does that, I always figured the cooler temps would get the elk more fired up? But it has been my experience that it does just the opposite. even a light 1 - 3" of snow that won't stick seems to shut them down for a day or two. We arrived to Southern CO on the 10th just after the storm had cleared out and didn't hear a single bugle for 6 days. Elk activity was down way lower in elevation than we had e-scouted for and it really surprised us. I know that's not enough snow to push elk down low but I'll be damned if it didn't. Our hunt ended up going from hopeless to fantastic, writing it up in another thread now for anyone interested to hear about it.
 
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