Another busted hunt. Anyone care to help

[katghoti]

Once again I got shafted on the hunt. Last year, my "buddy" had a sweet spot for spikes that he was going to take me to. So I bought the tag, got my gear together and my son and I started to make plans. Come to find out, he never bought a tag and wasn't going on the hunt. (We are no longer friends, this was the icing on the cake for us). We made a futile effort to find a spike (we did see a huge 300+ bull on skyline drive), and my son's first time to go elk hunting ended in a frustrating waste of time. We went out for only one day. It was neat to see the elk, but it didn't help the situation, my mood was bad, and my son was frustrated.

Fast forward to this year. My close friend and I bought any bull tags and planned on going to Monte Cristo. We had planned a week and he was going to show me some spots that have produced elk for him in the past. I need to fill my freezer this year and I don't care if I get a "monster" I just need the meat. However, if a monster does show itself, I am not above taking it . So once again, I bought my tag, I have scheduled my vacation, and got my oldest son excited to go out. Well, much to the dismay of both my friend and I, he has been called up and is heading to Afghanistan the middle of September. I wish him luck and told him to keep his head down since things are heating up over there. This time, when I go out, there won't be a storm cloud raining on the fun times, but I will be thinking of him while he serves his country. He told me about some spots around dairy ridge, but we haven't got into the specifics and I won't see him again until just before he leaves due to our opposite schedules.

So now, I need some help. I have my any bull and plan to hit the Monte Cristo area since it is closer to home. I am looking for anything with antlers to fill my freezer. Can someone help a stranded hunter out? PM is fine or email, I have a full week to hunt and want to make the best of it. I know it isn't a slam-dunk guarantee to get an elk, but that is why they call it hunting not killing.

Thanks.

 

[AndymanSavage]

Does your buddy not have an email account? If he had a good spot he can probably give you better directions than anyone else here can......also, try using the search function on the forums, there have been a lot of good tips and general areas given out this year....

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http://andymansavage.blogspot.com/

 

[katghoti]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, he does have email, but right now there are more pressing things on his plate than to give me spots, directions, etc. He has processing, family matters to take care of, and getting ready to leave. Like I said, I won't get to see him until I say goodbye when he takes off.

The only thing I got from doing a search was to avoid Monte Cristo, so now I am not sure if that is the right spot. I am familiar with Monte and have deer hunted a lot up there, but I have not gone for elk.

Anyway, like I said, any help would be appreciated, I have topo maps of the area.

 

[Elkhunter96]

I have killed a few elk up there. It is very hit or miss in that area. A lot of private land, but I would suggest doing some scouting on one of the few public spots, Lightening Ridge and Dairy ridge. It is not a secret area and the elk mostly stay on deseret, but a few bulls will come off there.

In my opinion, if you are just trying to fill your freezer, pay the $5-$10 fee to change your tag to a spike only tag and hit one of the units that has plenty of elk. A few days hunting/scouting and you may be able to fill it.

 

[bucklover]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-11 AT 08:32AM (MST)[p]I guess I'm not getting this. Last year you totally relied on someone else. Then you were "totally frustrated after one whole day" of hunting. Now, this year you put yourself in the position to be totally reliant on another friend, to take you to where the elk are. I don't know if your "friends" knew you were planning on bringing your son along. I know he's your son, but to someone else, he is probably just another hunter to deal with and watch out for. Now, it's pretty much time to head out and "hunt" again this year, and you finally get around to ask others for places to go. I would think that if you were truly interested in hunting elk, that the homework would have started a long time ago. Tell us about all those scouting trips you have been on, and people talked to on the ground. Finding elk hunting spots takes years of finding, studying the elk habits for that area, keeping track of how other hunters pressure that spot, so you can place yourself in the best location. You need to keep track of how the elk react to weather changes, and domestic livestock that are rotated through on different years. There are so many other factors that only time can teach you. You can't just "go" hunting for one day, cold turkey, and expect success, unless you get real lucky. In my experience, lucky hunters are more than lucky. They have earned their luck the hard way by putting in years, not days of work. Sorry this sounds so critical, but you kind of set yourself up. My advice is to contact a game warden in the area you plan to "hunt". Get some good general information, and go spend some time there "before" the hunt. Then go do your best! Get on Google Earth and study the terrain of that and other areas. Try to add at least one more area to your knowledge base every year, until, before you know it, you too, will have your own spots to hunt. There really are very few "secret spots" in this day and age. Good spots only stay "good" for a few years, even when those that know about them keep their mouths shut. Shots fired do more than attract bears, they attract other hunters. Good luck in your hunting and learning to be a "hunter". Those who love hunting, hunt all year, not just opening day.

 

[caelkhnter]

I have to agree in large part with Bucklover.

Your hunt last year should not have been nearly as bad as you indicate. It was, in fact an opportunity to have some valuable and important time with your son to get out and learn about a unit and hunting. Yes I can understand some disappointment in having it not go as originally planned, but you still had an opportunity to get out in the woods and begin the process of learing an area, on your own with your son. In my experieince that is a good thing. Something to build on together for future hunts.

In addition, it would have taught your son how to do it on his own, rather than have to rely on others. If you were not fortunate to harvest, well that is just part of hunting, another valuable lesson for your son to learn.

At the end of the day, I think you are making something much more negative than it should be. Just my 2 cents.

 

[katghoti]

Wow Mr. Bucklover that is quite a post isn't it? Let me explain something to you. I was going with people experienced in the area to learn the area to hunt so I can establish some areas to view. I don't have the luxery you appear to have to hunt 365 since I have a job and family to support, so I thought it would be nice to have someone who knows the area go out and learn from. As for the way you keep post "hunt" in quotes, nice dig there buddy. From your post it appears you were born with a natural hunting instinct that we weren't graced with so maybe we can all worship you on your high horse and one day strive to be like you.

Give me a break and if you don't have something constructive to say, shut up! If you read my post you would see that my friend was called to serve in the war. When we planned the hunt and bought the tags, he wasn't in the rotation to go until next year, but life happens and he was pushed up in rotation, so that is why I am now asking for some help. As for my son going, yes he knew, he was taking his kid as well. What a better way to teach them than to take them out. We can't all have kids born with an instict to hunt as I am sure your kids will be. He wasn't a guide, this was a hunting trip with friends who wanted to spend time together in the mountains with their kids. Maybe I should be hard-core, hunt solo, and leave them at home. What would that teach them? Also, it was a good way to learn an area I am not familiar with so I can come back again and again to hunt in the spot. So yea, I was "relying" on a friend to help and giving some good advice about the area. I don't need a lecture on how to hunt or your advice on what went wrong.

I was asking for some tips so I don't wonder around Monte Cristo in areas that aren't as productive. I wasn't asking for someone's "honey hole" or to do my scouting for me, just some general tips on areas that may be more productive, then I could take my topo maps and go look at the area before I move out and scout some. This is the reason I quit coming to the board, but I thought that with the situation I might get a nudge in the right direction, apparently this is a board to lecture people who don't "hunt 365" about how they need to stay off the mountain.

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-11 AT 09:56AM (MST)[p]
bucklover---I wasn't going to say anything on this situation until reading the reply this guy just posted. I now have to agree with you on this particular situation. A guy comes on here and it appears all he is doing is making excuses instead of trying to help himself. In the time it took him to berate you I could have done a Google Earth and found some good topography if I already knew the area somewhat that he's talking about. Maybe the first guy wanted to go hunt and not babysit---end of relationship. Then the guy goes out with his son and they see elk and quit after ONE day because they are discouraged---WTH is that all about! Now he says this buddy has "no time" to help him either and it's a month before he ships out. I would think a friend could spare 15 minutes in the next 4-5 weeks to give him the tips. Cripes, I have been corresponding with one guy before he left for the sandbox, while he was in route, and every few days while he's been over there and he's just a website friend. Then the OP says he knows an area well and I take that to mean it's not far from where he lives, but he hasn't even taken any time to scout since last Fall and that "one day" hunt. IMHO, maybe this guy should forget about hunting and just buy meat in the grocery because he doesn't appear to be passionate enough to do much of anything for himself and that's the kind of people I basically don't really feel sorry for if they can't put any more into the hunt than typing "HELP ME"! Now he can come back on here and tell me off and waste more of his "valuable" time when he should be doing as you suggested in both your posts. Before he does, know I've only been on this site for 9 months and have helped a lot of people on all facets of hunting Wyoming and I live 1300 miles from there! To me the research and bookwork are as much fun and sometimes seem even more fun than when the hunt finally arrives.

 

[bucklover]

Those that know me, know I'm too short to have a "high horse". Sorry if you took what I said in such a negative way. I can assure you, I don't "hunt" 365 days a year, but I do think about it almost every day. I raised my kids, and I took them hunting as often as I could. I still can't afford to go scouting like I'd like to, but that doesn't stop me from studying the areas I want to learn more about, as I stated, "Google". But, "you" need to at least put a few days of before season time into the area you plan to hunt. Pick the general area, and call that area's game warden. Maybe there is someone on here willing to share some info. Once you decide where you want to go, get up there, and try to visualize where the pressure will come from by learning where the roads are, and place yourself accordingly. Let me assure you, that I have spent many days, "wandering around", learning where to go and what to do. That's pretty much what hunting is. As caelknter stated, enjoy the experience and add to your knowledge. None of us can just go up there and shoot an elk. That deck of cards just gets shuffled too many times to guarantee anything.

 

[GotBowAz]

+1 TopGun and bucklover?

Katghoti, how long ago did you buy the tag, how many miles or hours are you from the hunt area? If you even live in the State it sounds to me like your looking for a cheap easy handout. I don't mean to be offensive but if you want help form these great people on this site then at the very least try to help yourself. Get a Topo map, look on Google earth and find some locations in your hunt area and GO CHECK THEM OUT! Once you have done something, anything remotely close to that I am sure someone will PM you and help you with some good info. But if your not going to at least give it an honest try then why should anyone jump in to help you?? As for your first hunt, Im with TopGun, you saw elk and you still only hunted one day??? Unbelievable!!! You didn't even put forth any effort in the least. Good luck to you.


GBA

 

[gznokes]

In the future all replies to bucklover should start out like that one

"Wow Mr Bucklover, that is quite a post!"

For some reason that just got me laughing!


Good luck to all.

 

[Zeke]

The best advice I can offer is; QUIT RELYING ON OTHER PEOPLE TO PROVEIDE A "HUNT" FOR YOU!

It's OK to ask for help, even on here, but the last thing I'd talk about is the crappy time I had while hunting with my son!

just my 2 cents,
Zeke

 

[bucklover]

Zeke, it might be "just your two cents" but what you said is worth a life time of treasure. Hunting with family and friends, is probably the number one thing that makes those of us that love hunting, "love hunting". Even when you see diddly squat, time shared, makes every trip memorable.

 

[wybighorn]

A very enjoyable post. Thanks for the laughs.

 

[wybighorn]

Maybe I enjoyed it because I'm at a workshop for my work... yet I still find myself on MM!

 

[Zeke]

Bucklover,
I think our new friend Katghoti failed to look at the OTC bull tag success percentages as well. I've been very "lucky " with OTC elk success and still only kill about every other year.... and put in about 7 days per year in doing do. If his "friends" have better success than that I don't blame him for being angry.

My knowledge is limited and on that area and I couldn't help Katghoti even if I wanted. I did have to pipe off about the attitude though.

Some of my most memorable hunts were with my son on OTC elk hunts. Lots of hunting, hiking, stalking, talking, sharing, bonding and a little shooting and packing meat.

We still laugh about the time he missed an elk at -3 yards with his bow. I watched the whole thing and when the elk ran away, then stopped to look back I expected it to tip over. Not so, it turned and walked away. The arrow was clean! We cussed and then we laughed! Good times, good times.

I enjoyed many similar episodes with my father until his passing in 1989, Sept 10th to be exact. A year later, to the day, I killed a bighorn sheep in Colorado.

Zeke

 

[patientlywaiting]

Zeke, very well said.

 

[bucklover]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-11 AT 02:59PM (MST)[p]You know, some times, if not most of the time, when we screw up, for whatever reason, those are a memories that provide future laughs, story telling, and dreams to pursue on future hunts. The discussion that's been going on above got me to thinking. The only guarantee we have in hunting is that, when we think we have something figured out, the odds are very high that someone else has gotten something else figured out for the same area. And chances are very high that whatever they figured out is going to totally sabotage the thing you thought you had figured out. So, in the future, when you figure something out for the area you're hunting, please PM me your location and the techniques, strategies, game plan, etc. That way I can move into your area and keep an eye on things, while you're doing your thing. I promise to keep all Honey Holes top secret, and only share them when someone asks. When we stop laughing at life, then what's the point of living? Good Luck to all you "Hunters" out there and may God bless you and your families during this upcoming hunting season with safety and good fortune. Sincerely, "Mr". Bucklover. All my friends can just call me bucklover.

 

[caelkhnter]

I have often said that it is important for us fellow hunters to endeavor to restrain from bashing each other, because such conduct oftentimes provides fuel to the anti-hunting groups. I think this thread is a good example of how important it is for us, as a group, to recongnize how we share common goals and interests. Even though we may have substantially different views of how we go about our hunting opportunites, there are very important common interests which we all share and which are important to keep in mind when we engage in such debates. There are enough unsubstantianted bad things said about fellow hunters in an attempt to support the ever present anti-hunting crowds, to keep in mind we should not add fuel to the fire. All in all, a very good exchange of thoughts and ideas in this thread.