September Elk

[WapitiTalk1]

Is anybody still undecided on where or with who they are hunting archery elk this Elktember?

[Pop-r]

ME! Tryin to think outside the box. May still hit my regular haunt's too. Not sure. Will be somewhere tho!

[wawhitey]

I'm pretty much positive about where I'm hunting but I did put up cameras in a couple new spots 2 mountains over and have elk showing up on them already, so my plans may change depending

[zpd307]

rory, I have spent too much time and energy scoping out the new spot..... the august scouting trip will tell me how excited I will be when I get there during hunting season.....

[ElkNut1]

I'd have a tough time not visiting areas that have proven successful over the years, they just have an aura about them that keep drawing me to them! (grin) With that said my son & I are looking into 2-3 areas we've never hunted elk in so yes in that respect we are undecided on which to try out or even both of them. These areas are steep & deep & would require a 3rd person so an entire elk can be packed out on that trip in & out, we'll see!

ElkNut1

[elk.addict]

I've got my trail camera up at my usual hunting area, but the plan is to place 3 more cameras where I suspect I'll find elk too. I'm trying to find a closer place to hunt; last year we packed meat for a season total of nearly 50 miles. That's a lot of work!
As for who: I have 2 friends coming out the later part of September, but looks like I'll be hitting it solo for the first few weeks.

[twinkieman]

We went to a new area last year, while the hunting was good, we are going back to our original haunts.

[Brendan]

I'm new at this this year, and am planning on heading west solo unless something changes or I link up with someone. Undecided on where I'm going, but I've got almost all the gear ready, vacation time saved, and am training now...

[WapitiTalk1]

I'm new at this this year, and am planning on heading west solo unless something changes or I link up with someone. Undecided on where I'm going, but I've got almost all the gear ready, vacation time saved, and am training now...

Have you decided on which state? I seem to remember you were looking at CO or perhaps MT?

[Wyhunter]

Bighorn Mts with a couple buddies

[easeup]

Heading up to co in just a few weeks to look at some new country for me. OTC of course. I am pumped up too.

[Swede]

I am still considering a new area. I also am waiting to see if I hit it big with the elk tag lottery.

[ishy]

Have a couple of options at different ends of the state. Leaning towards the long one trip as its easier on the family, than the local million little trips.

[8seconds]

Not me; i'm all over it like a cheap suit!

[Indian Summer]

To a degree I play it by ear. In Montana I always bounce around between 2 or 3 spots. But they aren't that different or far apart. I don't like to stomp the same places twice unless I am actually getting close to connecting. Wyoming is always an interesting game to play. There are several units in a 100 mile area that have different season dates. I'll hunt the opener in one spot and stick with it for awhile, then I'll run just 20 miles down the road and hunt the opener in another area that I really like. If nothing pans out there I'll head south to hunt another area where it is either sex elk so I can try to make sure I fill the freezer. BUT... this week I got good news. Bouncing around like that obviously means some down time. My bud in Jackson told me that after they did the spring elk counts things looked so good that they decided to make my first area either sex in bow and gun. Gun starts September 23! Then my #2 spot is either sex for the first three days of gun. I had planned to run south to grocery shop if I came up empty there but it's 75 miles and waaaaay up the mountain dragging a horse trailer which can mean a white knuckle drive. So now it's nice to know that I can just go back to spot #1 to finish up if necessary. Since I will have hunted it already I'll have a good idea of the elevation the elk are hanging at and even where a few herds are camped out. Life just got a lot easier!

[LckyTylr]

Paul, I'll happily be your 3rd person on that new Steep and Deep spot.

I'm giving up on my Unit 23 spot from the last 3 seasons, it's apparently been "discovered" by the masses . . . I just can't bring myself to hunt with that much competition.

I'm looking for greener pastures this year as well. Hunting Archery Solo again . . . probably skipping Rifle season this year altogether.

[zpd307]

tyler, you looking for a new spot? what dates are you looking at? we are heading out there sept 7th, or a day or two earlier depending how my work schedule plays out.

[Brendan]

I'm new at this this year, and am planning on heading west solo unless something changes or I link up with someone. Undecided on where I'm going, but I've got almost all the gear ready, vacation time saved, and am training now...

Have you decided on which state? I seem to remember you were looking at CO or perhaps MT?

Not yet, still working on that now - hoping to make the final call within the next week or so so I can get on with my detailed planning.

[scrubs]

Hey Phantom, did your area go to pay to access? or do you hunt the East side?

[WapitiTalk1]

Hey Phantom, did your area go to pay to access? or do you hunt the East side?

Only the wetside for me Brett for a long weekend in the early season and no, my areas are not affected by the recent changes for access fees. I don't spend much of my hunting dollars in WA as the season stinks so bad. I spend the last two weeks of Elktember in either MT or ID for my rutting elk fix

[scrubs]

Hey Phantom, did your area go to pay to access? or do you hunt the East side?

Only the wetside for me Brett for a long weekend in the early season and no, my areas are not affected by the recent changes for access fees. I don't spend much of my hunting dollars in WA as the season stinks so bad. I spend the last two weeks of Elktember in either MT or ID for my rutting elk fix

Glad you weren`t affected. Stink is the appropriate word for sure. With all of the pay to access stuff and the hoof rot, sure much of an incentive... I think alot more will be heading out of state. I have a real hard time stomaching giving wdfw any money.......

[LckyTylr]

tyler, you looking for a new spot? what dates are you looking at? we are heading out there sept 7th, or a day or two earlier depending how my work schedule plays out.

Yeah, I'm abandoning the area I have hunted for 3 of my 5 elk hunting years. I first stumbled into that area 3 years ago half way through the season because a fire kicked me out of the unit I was in. I really liked the spot. The next year, there were a few more people. I was really starting to figure out where the hidey holes were and how the elk used them. It was getting fun . . . and then I watched the lightning strike that set the whole unit ablaze . . . and once again, I was kicked out. I returned there this last year, and so did the masses. It seems as though "my spot" had been discovered. It was like World War III. I still can't believe how quickly word got around that it was a good spot . . . and who was talking anyways!?!?! Frustrating, but that's the way it goes.

So yes, I'm throwing caution to the wind and setting my sights on a new spot. All of this while I have a 2-1/2 year old Son and a 4 month old Daughter . . . and a Wyoming Tag in my pocket. I know that my Idaho season is going to suffer a lot this year, but I'm going to try and explore some new country.

This last Saturday, after plotting a torturous course on Google Earth, went on a scouting trip. The first 2 miles was on a nice trail along side a creek, so the uphill slope was mild. The 2nd two miles was up up and up (gained 3,560 ft). I didn't see any elk, but saw some fresh tracks and smelled elk urine. I don't think that all of the elk are back up that high yet (over 8,000 ft). Maybe they are, but I got the feeling that they were still working their way up into their summer areas. I heard my first Mt Lion . . . whew . . . chilling. Never did see it, but by the sounds of it, within 100 yards.

All of this to say . . . I'm looking for new country in Idaho this year.

[ElkNut1]

Tyler, thanks for offering your help! I was just mentioning that we were planning on heading into some new deep country in response to this thread, wasn't really looking for another hunter, sorry if it sounded like that! (grin) I'm sure you would be a great asset as you seem to be a hard worker at finding some good elk country! Thanks!

ElkNut1