wow love that country! Hunted montana last year for the first time for analope and cant wait To get back there for elk! Its totaly true what they say once your there you never want to leave! I will live there someday!
Nothing yesterday morning. My partner and I went into my usual spot and the elk were silent! yesterday we opted to try a new spot that sporadically held elk but was piled thick with deer. After several close stalks on doe's we finally found a small group of cows. We snuck onto their hillside and I sent him ahead of me approx. 100 yards. I set up and started doing some very whiny lost calf sounds. Worked like a charm! The cows got on a line that would take them just under 30 yards below my partner. All except the wind. It swirled moments before the shot and the elk were gone. I am heading back in there this morning to look for them again or try to lay down a doe.
Had several close calls on some does yesterday. Nothing quite offered the shot I wanted, however. Elk season is slowly fading away and there is not much I can do about it. I do have a one week period I get to hunt in a restricted unit starting the 20th of this month. Main focus now is slowly switching over towards deer. Mostly does at this point as my Mule Deer hunt will not be until sometime in November.
Sitting in my glassing spot now. Fairly warm today, about 60*. Deer should be moving pretty soon as will I. Hoping to get a few good stalks in tonight. Saw a very wide, heavy, palmated buck the other day. Hope he gives me a shot. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Ended up being a great night. Saw.several smaller bucks in the 100" range. Even saw two sparring for about 5 minutes. Located a herd of elk that I will be hunting in a week. Had two does walk below me on a trail at about 60 yards. I was content with just watching them andet them go without a stalk attempt. On the way out I had a very nice 5x5 spook out into a pasture and stop broadside at about 30 yards. Very symetrical and pushing 130". Too dark to see my pins! Next time. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Heading to visit my mom this weekend. Will do some easy hunts in my old areas and plan on taking my wife with me, should be fun! Last night I worked on a new decoy. She is not pretty but should help with spot and stalk situations. I will hopefully be able to do some testing Saturday. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Pouring rain and is to continue through tomorrow. Looks like a Wednesday hunt is planned. General archery ended yesterday but I am still able to hunt does until bucks are open again on the 20th. Unless my elk hunt pans out next week I will be eating tag soup this year! May take my wife out with her rifle to try for one. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Here is the general layout of the land I will be on for next weeks elk hunt. It will run from the 20th through the 23rd. That makes for two full days and two afternoons of hunting time. I believe I have the elk patterned at this point. The map below illustrates the area, outlined in red. The orange box represents where the elk are typically bedded. The blue box represents where they are feeding, and the green line is the trail the elk take from food to bed. The elk seem to be in the feeding area until 8-8:30 am and will not head back until 6:30-7 pm. I am planning on setting up in the wooded area just to the NE of the feeding area. I will be going back into this area in the next few days to do some further scouting. Last report I had from a friend was 75 confirmed elk. No large bulls so I will take a cow if the shot is presented.
Have not tried the decoy, hoping to on Wednesday. Bino harness works great! Still have a few kinks to work out but is already working perfect. Congrats on the doe!
