elk and sheep ??

[elkohalic]

I just got off the phone with my dad, he said that he watched them move in over 3000 sheep into the area we had planned on hunting, He talked to one of the sheep herders and said they will be there till October. I'm wondering how this is going to affect the elk. Will they move to another area around the mountain, live with the sheep or just hang around? I have hunted elk where there are a few sheep and they seem to tolerate them but with this many sheep I'm thinking about scouting another area.
A wilderness area to boot!!! Some wilderness?!?!?!

[Charkbait]

had sheep issues last year, but once we found elk there were ALOT of them all together, made the hunt very exciting each day. Elk stayed clear of the sheep...

In this case the road and sheep were high and the elk consolidated low.

[easeup]

all I know is that I have never found elk where there were lots of sheep.

[caperoll/Scott]

Elk and sheep dont mix well. A few years ago I was hunting in an area that normslly has a lot of elk in it. The Sheep moved in and the Elk moved out.

[Swede]

I agree that elk and sheep and cattle don't mix well. That can be to your advantage in places. Since the elk are moved out, they will be more concentrated somewhere else. Your challenge is to find out where they will be when you are hunting.

[>>>---WW---->]

X2 what Swede said. It all boils down to knowing your territory. And if you can speak a little Mex, most of the herders will tell you where the elk are. Especially if you happen to offer them a 1/2 pint. LOL! Just don't let the rancher catch you giving hooch to their herders. But Hey! Turn about is fair play right? He messed up your hunt so you can mess up his herder. Besides, the herder appreciates it.

[elkohalic]

X2 what Swede said. It all boils down to knowing your territory. And if you can speak a little Mex, most of the herders will tell you where the elk are. Especially if you happen to offer them a 1/2 pint. LOL! Just don't let the rancher catch you giving hooch to their herders. But Hey! Turn about is fair play right? He messed up your hunt so you can mess up his herder. Besides, the herder appreciates it.

Donde estan los alces --- My daughter tells me that this means "where are the elk" in spanish ! I will be practicing that every time I target shoot LOL. This is a totally new area for me but I have been looking at the areal maps so much that can almost close my eyes and see it. Great info everyone! Thanks a million!! Great now I have to add a pint to my already heavy pack! hehe

[>>>---WW---->]

Ha! I have that phrase written down and in my wallet all the time just in case I forget. Whats in your wallet? LOL!

[JohnFitzgerald]

Sorry to hear about your hunting spot elkohalic. That sucks!

[Liv2Hunt]

Agreed. Sheep are grazing ruminants like elk, however they can graze the grass down much lower. This causes forage quality to go by the wayside and thus the elk move out to find feed.

Its funny you guys talk give the tip to talk to the herders. A buddy and I who both speak enough Spanish to get by would take a couple 12 packs for the truck when scouting. These were there for the sole reason of trading the herders for all the sheds they found that summer. Man did it work like a charm, we would head home with a pickup load of sheds that cost us a few brews.

[elkohalic]

Sorry to hear about your hunting spot elkohalic. That sucks!

Thanks John,
Dads checking out another area this coming week. Its only a couple miles from where we originally planned on hunting. I have no doubts that we will get into the elk. I can almost taste the crisp mountain air and smell the aspens. It's guna be a long 5 weeks till opening day !!!

[Lefty]

Sheep and sheep herders push everything out
Mixed with sheep dogs not much wants to hang around. Ive noticed it takes about 4 weeks for anything to move back

[easeup]

X2 what Swede said. It all boils down to knowing your territory. And if you can speak a little Mex, most of the herders will tell you where the elk are. Especially if you happen to offer them a 1/2 pint. LOL! Just don't let the rancher catch you giving hooch to their herders. But Hey! Turn about is fair play right? He messed up your hunt so you can mess up his herder. Besides, the herder appreciates it.

I have found this works pretty good also. It is pretty funny me trying to point and gesture about what the herder responds with too. I rip out the donde esta alce OK< but then the herder in kind lets out a string of whatever I have not got a clue spanish. then the pointing and waving begins.