Elk in the morning - maybe?

[sabotloader]

We have an open elk season going on right now... cows only... in the unit I normally hunt. The season started Aug 1 and goes to Sept 15 - but there are some problems.... It is hot really hot - so hot and dry I really have not got to excited about heading out. I have made it out a couple of times but i was packing my Tikka WinMag because it was so dry and tender I worried about shooting a ML out there.

We got a little bit of rain yesterday and some more again early this morning... so I gathered up a couple of ML's and headed to the rock pit to verify their POI. The first gun I wanted to shoot was the Knight Extreme 50 cal. It is/was sighted in with the Lehigh .458/277 grain, in a MMP Orange saboat, 120 grains of T7-2f. I am really anxious to try this new to me projectile - I have done my research and have shot the bullet quite a bit so I am more than confident it will do the job.

I set up 3 clay pigeons @ 100 yards - popped a couple of caps ran a windex patch and loaded up for the first clay bird. Got all three - one shot each... The gun is ready

One of the rules is that you must be within 1 mile of a cultivated farm field and you can not be on USFS lands... I have a spot we hunt late in the year (December) that I have been going to. I think it provides me an opportunity to ambush a group moving from water back to the termal cover in the south. I just have to pick the right day. I am working on the thought that a few resident elk that remain in this area most of the year. There are two large trianlges of area that I can observe from two different ground stands - certainly can not move to them - way to noise.

I figure I can hunt from daylight to about 8:00am... can not go much after that as it would be to hot to win the battle with the yellow jackets... I have to have it skinned and halved, and out to the truck by 10. If I make that time line I have a chance to win the bug battle & not get any meat spoilage (bone sour)

Here is an aerial photo of the area...

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[UtahRob]

Sounds and looks like a good setup !!!!

 

[squirrelhawker]

Good luck if you go!!

Those yellow jackets get real nasty around here this time of year too. I was watching some the other day catching flys off of dog $hit... :lol: Talk about hard up for food.. :lol:

 

[UtahRob]

SEE ANYTHING ????

 

[sabotloader]

Rob

The whitetail did exactly what i was hoping some elk would do... no such luck.

Did not hear any either. But as I as walking my way in it was evident that a lot of the low brush had been browsed. Could not distinguish enough sign to be sure they were in the area. It did rain pretty decent last might early... but then it cleared off and the Moon did its thing...

Got another spot that i will try Wednesday....

Darn come to think about did not even see or here any Turkeys...

 

[Underclocked]

But you got out there! Better luck next time.

 

[UtahRob]

I am dieing to get out ,

We have muzzy deer season in a few weeks and I need to get out and do some pre scouting . I wish we had some whitetail down here , the Mule deer herds are very low and the winter grounds are almost covered with homes , so the mule deer really don't have a chance . White tail are hardier than the mule deer .

 

[cayuga]

good luck with that elk

 

[Bucker]

hunting

Getting that meat out? I would be best friends w/ that farmer and his tractor, It would be out quick. I have found most land owners let you run a vehicle across fields that have been picked or alongside fence rows to pick up big game. We use quads for pick and delivery (delivery of the old guys w/ no legs anymore) only. Deer are used to them and it doesn't seem to inhibit movement if you are in and out quickly, it is when you shut the machine off that they gpo beserk. Godd Luck my friend!

 

[hjbuys]

UtahRob:
Long live the mule deer! I agree that the odds are against them with the decimation of their winter grounds, but I would hate to see them squeezed out of No. UT by whitetails. I wish the state would put a moritoriam on hunting muleys until their numbers recover. As for the whitetail, when I lived in IA, the farmers called them "field rats".