Elk opening weekend

[skifrk]

#4545

Well after having a crazy week at work last week. Which included pushing back the start of leaving to hunt. I headed out on Saturday morning. Got yup to the unit I was wanting to hunt and found since I had scouted early in the summer they had closed a large chunk to logging to remove pine beetle kill trees.

So time to improvise I found a different campsite and pitched the tent and then got ready for Sunday morning by poring over the map to figure out new spots to try in the area. I headed out Sunday morning to go up and over a ridge to drop into a big bowl shaped area with a small creek in it. As I was getting to head down I heard a few cow calls so I was smiling. The next thing to do since some of the timber was so open was to form a plan of attack. I want back up over the ridge and went around on the backside about 150yds north so when I dropped back over the ridge I was right above the elk. I heard them calling again and moved slowly down the slope in the timber to try and find them. As I was nearing the herd of cows planning on taking one. I heard the sweet elixir I love to hear of a big herd bull doing his grunt/bugle.

So I admit I got greedy and switched plans. I took the pack off and tried to belly crawl down on him, but no luck for a cow off to my right saw me crawling or something because she spooked and sent the whole herd of 20 running.

Oh well time to back out and try somewhere else for the afternoon so I don’t push them to hard in hopes they will be there in the morning again.

So on Monday went go up and try the same herd in the morning again. This time thinking I had a good plan until I was about 7/8 of the way down and another hunter who had sneaked in behind me and decided he should show the elk how great of a caller he was and ran the herd off on me. Oh well better luck next time had to back out and head home then.

For anyone else hunting elk have they also been hearing bugles and seeing the herds already gathering like this?

[Todd Smith]

#32489

Not yet, I don’t leave till the 9th… 😀

[Nate Bailey]

#33651

skifrk wrote: Well after having a crazy week at work last week. Which included pushing back the start of leaving to hunt. I headed out on Saturday morning. Got yup to the unit I was wanting to hunt and found since I had scouted early in the summer they had closed a large chunk to logging to remove pine beetle kill trees.

So time to improvise I found a different campsite and pitched the tent and then got ready for Sunday morning by poring over the map to figure out new spots to try in the area. I headed out Sunday morning to go up and over a ridge to drop into a big bowl shaped area with a small creek in it. As I was getting to head down I heard a few cow calls so I was smiling. The next thing to do since some of the timber was so open was to form a plan of attack. I want back up over the ridge and went around on the backside about 150yds north so when I dropped back over the ridge I was right above the elk. I heard them calling again and moved slowly down the slope in the timber to try and find them. As I was nearing the herd of cows planning on taking one. I heard the sweet elixir I love to hear of a big herd bull doing his grunt/bugle.

So I admit I got greedy and switched plans. I took the pack off and tried to belly crawl down on him, but no luck for a cow off to my right saw me crawling or something because she spooked and sent the whole herd of 20 running.

Oh well time to back out and try somewhere else for the afternoon so I don’t push them to hard in hopes they will be there in the morning again.

So on Monday went go up and try the same herd in the morning again. This time thinking I had a good plan until I was about 7/8 of the way down and another hunter who had sneaked in behind me and decided he should show the elk how great of a caller he was and ran the herd off on me. Oh well better luck next time had to back out and head home then.

For anyone else hunting elk have they also been hearing bugles and seeing the herds already gathering like this?

I haven’t been out yet, but all the reports I am getting from around Oregon is that they are bugling already:shock:

[wildschwein]

#34147

Sounds like you had some fun!

Keep us posted on how the season goes.

[wahoo]

#38943

some cow calls and some wallows being used . All in all pretty slow and real smokey . Lots of chickens

[wildschwein]

#38964

Last night I almost hit a good 5×5 with my truck. He was busy chasing the three cows that had run across the road before him and wasn’t concerned about me at all.

Good looking animal, fat and sleek. Hope he makes it through the rut alright.

[Author]

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