Starkey experimental bow hunt

Hokkaido

Active Member
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109
Well, I've decided that after being in the race for 13 years it's time to pull out. With point creep it'll be another ten years before I'll be able to draw Weneha. So when I saw that the starkey bow dates had moved a bit closer to the rut I figured it was a good time as any to pull in the pits and retire from this silly game we call preference points. I put in with a buddy and we average out at 8 and are cautiously optimistic.

I was hoping that someone might share a bit of knowledge about hunting the unit as I've never been there and since I'm stationed overseas scouting will be a bit tough. I am looking to get away from other folks and planning to bivy every night. No camper etc for us, gonna use mountain bikes and go where they are bugling. Any advice or experiences would be sincerely appreciated.
 
My son hunted a cow in there about 10 years ago. That is my only experience I have with it. What I can tell you is it is bigger in there then a map would make it look like. We hunted hard to turn up elk. The bulls were easier to get to then the cows. At that point they was shooting a lot of cows. Not sure what the numbers of animals are now. There is a canyon off to the North west side that we found most of the elk. And I think that area is the farthest from the roads too. If you draw let me know and I will take a trip up there and make a run around to see what it looks like.

DZ
 
It will be interesting to see if you guys draw with 8 points with the better dates. I have hunted there with both the rifle and the bow. If you draw I can give you what I learned about hunting there. It can be a good hunt for 280-320 bulls with some bigger ones as well.
 
Thanks guys. I have spoke with someone at the station there and he said for the most part guys only make day trips into the north part. I have really been looking hard at the NW corner, but I guess were just gonna end up going wherever they are bugling. The guy said that time of year most of the elk will be south of meadow creek in places like bear creek and other canyons and so will most of the hunters. He said the very south end of the unit gets overlooked and that where the elk group up in the north part is mostly too thick to bow hunt and 90% of the bulls harvested are within 1/2 mile of a green dot road. But anyway it should be a fun hunt, can only hope for cool weather, and that we draw of course.

DZ thanks for that. Just a waiting game now I guess.
Trees, a 300ish bull would do me fine. Just looking for a good fun hunt, not interested in setting records.
 
They told us the same thing so we hiked straight west out of the check in station and went all the way to the West fence. Saw several bulls but not one cow. After three days of hunting we found them a couple canyons off the road. My son 16 at the time put a 300 win mag bullet right behind the shoulder on a cow about 30 min before dark. She went up out of the canyon we was in and stopped faced straight away from us and just stood there. My son went after her and I stayed put to watch. He got about 30 yards from her but could not get a shot. She took off running. We followed her tracks till it was to dark. The good part was she was headed back towards our rig. At first daylight we was back on the trail. We found her still alive 50 yards from the road. When we cut her open we couldn't believe what she had done with one lung being completely destroyed and the heart majorly bruised. The shot was on an angle and only hit one lung. So we got lucky and didn't have to pack her out of one of those canyons. Good luck.

DZ
 
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