Timmy: If I run into a big patch of morels this spring, I'll dehydrate you a bag and send them out. From time to time, I stumble into some good shrooms. My elk shed hunt: I left home at 5 a.m., and got in the woods at 8:00 on Friday morning. In sum, I hit four separate areas, and was on elk all day. No sheds, but I was in some mega-sheddy looking areas. I have absolutely no doubt that, had I been in there earlier, I'd have found something. I counted at least a half dozen bulls still carrying, and saw probably forty elk, total. It was funny. This place was like an elk carnival. There were tame elk kinda just standing around the yards, and practically every camp had some kind of elk-themed thing going - i.e. pictures of mammoth bulls spraypainted on the side, wooden bull silhouettes in the yard, etc... I racked-up 13.3 miles, probably 80% of which was outside the central elk viewing area in areas that were less likely to have been pounded by other shedders. I did do a short walk on 311, right outside the viewing area, just to complete the tour and see what a really high elk density would look like. I called in 3 nice toms, too. The elk rubs were SICK! Unreal, the power of these animals. I fooled around with this little porcupine for a bit. Here's a look from a ridge on GL 311. Tons of elk in this area, but boot prints everywhere from shed hunters. A few observations: This area is virtually devoid of whitetails. Given the amount of camps, there is no way that the scant deer population could possibly satisfy that kind of hunter saturation. I did a whitetail shed hunt in Warren County yesterday, while I was in town. Same story again. Abyssmally low deer density. Deer hunters should really lay off the does in areas where the population is hurting like that. I know I have, and I told the guys at our camp that if they kill a doe, I'll fill their boots with quikrete next year. Back to the elk shed hunt, the woodlots that I was in were much smaller than I'd anticipated. There are a lot of roads, ATV trails and camp sites that you simply don't see on Google Earth. Like everywhere else in this state, it seems like ATV abuse is rampant. In all honesty, the high timber canopy in the "big woods" wasn't the best habitat. Like whitetails, elk are edge dwellers, and the best "edges" were in the yards along camps. Lots of new growth vegetation in those areas. If I were a betting man, I'd reckon a lot of elk sheds get scooped right out of the back yards of the cabins. Some landowners are "getting it," and they're following the game commission's lead by hinge-cutting their land to make it more attractive and increase its carrying capacity. I tip my cap to those guys. PGC has done an awesome job in cutting and creating prime habitat around the viewing areas. I'd like to see them do more in other areas, though. I was on one of the most gorgeous trout streams I've ever seen. I almost came back on Saturday, just to fish it, but I already had plans to fish elsewhere with my pops. The people in the area are fantastic. Several landowners let me cut through their land to get into areas that I'd targeted. Great people. The elk range is larger than I'd originally thought. The lottery system has really allowed the PGC to properly manage the harvest, and the elk are flourishing. There is a noticeable difference in elk behavior between the center of the elk carnival and once you get out of town. The elk downtown are virtually tame. About 1/2 mi. from one of the viewing areas, I walked up on a herd of six, and they didn't spook at all. Conversely, I got into a few elk maybe 8 miles out of town, and I pushed them 2 ridges over. They did not like the human presence, which was good to see. I tip my cap to the PGC for their efforts on this. There is a legitimate wild elk population that's slowly spreading through northcentral PA. In an area where they've failed to maintain a solid whitetail density, they have replaced it with a well-managed trophy elk population. Kudos, fellas. I think they're planning on shooting 17 bulls and about 35 cows this year, which means that they're really allowing this population to grow. Good times.
Well gentlemen... We gave it hell... But now, focus has turned to monarch gobblers and getting ready for fall, 2011. My homeboy and I planted our first foodplot on our property this past weekend, and I got two mineral sites up and activated with a fresh batch of the King's special home brew. With any luck, I'll get a few four-year olds all jacked-up on calcium and phosphate, and we'll see if we can't grow a few 150's. As for the shed contest, we'll get 'em next year. It's been an honor and a privilege, and I hope we all tag booners next fall. Well... Everybody except Dan. After the buck he shot, I hope that schmuck gets skunked for the next 10 years. Haha. Danno, I hope you're feeling better. Good luck with the morels. Leave a couple for seed... I still think you're a wuss, but that's beside the point. As always bro, all the best to you and yours. Stay in touch bro. Ryan, I hope the wife and baby are happy and healthy. You'll pick a bushel of sheds next year, I know it. Maybe we'll be teamed-up again. And good luck in Ohio. Fletch, you had a whale of a shed season, and I hope all your hard work pays off. I have a feeling that it will. Grizz, you picked up a couple stud sheds that I know you'll be dialing in on this fall. Good luck and stay in touch. If I EVER draw an elk tag in Kentucky, I'll be ringing your phone. I keep putting in, but the sun just doesn't want to shine on this monkey's ass.
