The Dead Hole

[Swede]

Ever had a great spot that went dead on you? I have had several. For several years I could go to one tree stand and kill several bulls. Then everything changed. It was not gradual either. It went from hot to cold in one year. I have had to change locations several time, now I just moved to a different unit altogether. The cause of my areas going cold were likely hunters, cattle and sometimes logging. There may have been some other reasons, but those are the culprits that come to mind first. Logging can improve an area by bringing in good forage, but removing all cover in an area can ruin it for elk.

[Tigger]

Yeah, I have a spot that one year was alive with elk and the next year it was void of elk. Nothing had changed that I could discern. I think they move for a lot of reasons....some forage is better or worse in a particular area one year to the next. Maybe a predator (2 or 4 legged) spooked them out of an area and they found something to their liking in the new spot. Maybe the elk get better cell phone reception in their new area.

[IdahoD]

Had that happen to me and kinda gave up on the area for a year. Went back in on a whim one morning a year later and it was an elk rut fiesta and I ended up killing a bull. Haha.

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[Swede]

Missing a year is not really that significant. Missing 25 years is. I have a number of places that are hot and cold. But I had one my son named "Old Faithful" because it was so reliable. That is a place that has been dead about 25 years now. I can't say for sure just what the problem is as it is not the cattle, predators or any of the other likely culprits.

[Roosiebull]

yeah, plenty of times for me too.... it's generally pretty apparent why, and has helped me find new areas knowing they didn't vanish... some spots I never found the spot I was looking for within that zone.... like they actually moved a ways, or maybe I just missed them