MRI

[welka]

Not a 4 letter word, but wondering how many use it as a beneficial 3 letter word. M ost R ecent I nformation. Its a natural tendency to go back to locations/holes/etc where we had success in the past. But when those favorite places are not as hot and we have seen some potential in other areas, it can be hard to decide which areas to select. No scientific info to back this statement up, but as I look back over the past hunts, I would bet that I should have went with MRI more often. I fully realize this is not a black/white type of response (have no desired outcome for this post and have no idea where it will go), but just curious to see what others have experienced/think.

[cnelk]

I have a spot where I have called in and killed 4 elk over the years.
I have shot from an area of less then 50 yds of each one.
No wallows, trails or other attractants, just an area where there are elk.
It is about a 4 mile hike to get there. Depending on the wind it can be a longer hike.

Are there always elk there?
No

Is it a place I go to all the time?
No

I hunt in area that encompasses about 100 sq miles.
I go here and there until I find elk.

I have good spots that I havent been to in years.
I have spots I go to just because I like going there.

I think this reply is what you were looking for?

[Swede]

I have places that look hot (MRI) at the first of the season and I go there. Sometimes they prove out, sometimes not. After I have determined they are not going to be productive, because the elk are now gone, I go to places that will produce if I just hang in there based on long term information, LTI. It is interesting that over the years I have taken about half of my elk at MRI spots, and half at LTI places I fall back to.

[easeup]

ha ha....the MRI is one thing I dont think I ever have.

[ElkNut1]

Welka, woulda, shoulda coulda!!! I agree with your assessment bud 100%. Problem is, it's always after the fact sorta like your experience! (grin) Your post had me shaking my head yes & grinning at the same time! Thanks.

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

Depends on where you are and how good the spot is. Welka you know a spot where there will be elk every year. I guess I can't speak for 20 years down the road but as long as there are elk living in that area they will be there. Maybe a little to the left, maybe a little to the right, but in close proximity.

One thing to consider on this subject is grazing. The outfitter in the area I hunt is a goldmine of information. He told me there is a sheepherder in the area all summer until the end of August. They guy blows with the wind and you never know where him and the sheep will be at the point in time where they bail out. The outfitters says the location of the elk is very dependant on that. They will NOT be where he finished off his grazing season.

If I was talking about gun season I'd say it's very weather related but as long as there is no disturbance by humans or wolves they'll be in the same spots for early gun too. They'll also stage in the same spots year after year before the weather forces them downhill.

If I hadn't been in an area for years would I be looking for some MRI? Absolutely. But by recent I'd mean the last couple winters, any new human activity in the area like camps etc. which may cause me to consider some adjustments. But I'd still check my honey holes as plan A and as long as nothing major has changed I'd be pretty confident.

One thing I would not do is have high hopes for a particular spot based on some encounters with a single bull. I have a past client who has called or texted for years asking if anyone has killed "Ol Leroy" a monster bull he had a couple crazy encounters with. First of all they don't live forever. Plus they can and do change there habits somewhat as they get older. Besides... making any long term conclusions or plans based on the secret lair of one bull is like having all your chips on 1 number. Just not smart. Lots of folks think that if that bull is kiled or dies that the spot is so good another bull will move and and stake a claim to it. Not true either. I know some places that became a ghost town after a particular bulled moved on.

I hate to answer a question with a question but could you tell me what type of MRI you think a hunter might be looking for other than paying attention to population trends in the past year or 3?

[Indian Summer]

One more thing... If I get to an area I did have high hopes for and they just weren't there I sure wouldn't beat a dead horse. Your time is valuable so if there's no real fresh sign after a good look I wouldn't sit there with my fingers crossed. I'd be outta there.

[sreekers]

I have killed 5 elk off of the same mountain. 20 years of hunting it has provided me with plenty of opportunity to figure out where they hang out.

When i can't find them, the spotter comes out and i pack in to the best vantage points in the unit. I don't spend much time chasing down where people say they are seeing them anymore.

[kevin_t]

In my local area, which I do a lot of scouting in and can watch them move year around, they tend to be very close to the same area every year unless there is a reason not to (for instance really dry year and no water in a drainage). Hunters and such move them a little, but not much. I met one guy who has taken 4 bulls in 5 years, within about 100 yard area. I think those bulls need to start following a different cow , she's trouble

[welka]

Great responses so far. Especially like the coined Swede phrase "LTI". I am a flat lander who is fortunate enough to hunt in the great West each year. Unfortunately, our MRI occurs in the period of time we are hunting which is usually sub-10 days long. MRI to me can occur while walking/driving past a new area you had not planned to hunt, glassing, or a new area that you explore. It can include a bull sighting, bedding area with very fresh sign, obvious buffet that gets hit each night, and wallows that have been visited recently. It gets really interesting when you have heard bulls at both MRI and LTI spots. Its pure Murphy's law when we find ourselves saying " we should have went to the other place" at the end of the day. When you can't pre-hunt scout and have less than 10 days, here are a few learnings from the past:

- If a new spot is dead with no sign, don't waste more than 1/2 or 1 day on it. This is easier said than done if its a spot that has produced in the past for others you trust/
- If you find a hot MRI spot, be VERY careful not to wear it out. As hard as it can be, I think 3 days max is the most you should hunt it and this is if you try to be as stealthy as possible and not stink it up as much as possible. I can remember at least 2 years where we burned out a new MRI spot when we should have gave it a day or 1.5 days before going back.
- As IS mentions, be careful of the "ghost" bulls at LTI spots. We hope there will be add'l bulls there, but doesn't always work that way.
- A wallow with mud splattered all over may NOT have been hit in several days. It can trick you if you don't look for other sign (fresh droppings nearby, fresh tracks, smell, etc). Burned three days at a spot with 7 "fresh looking" wallows a couple of years ago. I would have bet big bucks that a bull would show up. Based on this post, you can guess what happened.

Good luck to all.