FHL 449 Draw

CA_Wapiti

Member
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70
Lucked out and drew for Hunter Liggett archery either-sex Tule elk. Still can't believe it if I'm being honest. Curious to see if I could find the other 6 archers that were drawn on here (I noticed quite a few people applied for FHL on other threads).

By all means if anyone else has some wisdom or experience from the area, I'd love to hear It!




"If some animals are good at hunting and others are suitable for hunting, then the Gods must clearly smile on hunting."
 
That's awesome! It is killing me knowing they are rutting hard right now and the season doesn't open for two more months. Things happen but the experience of hunting rutting bulls is unlike anything else. Still going to keep track of their movements and try to find ?the one? and hopefully relocate him the day before season opens in October. Biggest worry right now is that all of the bigger bulls will be badly broken up. Planning on making at least two more trips up there to scout and try to fill my AO tag.

If you're local and hunt FHL frequently I'd be grateful if you wouldn't mind keeping me in the loop on the activity up there and let me know if you see any monsters! I'd be happy to give you some summer sausage or jerky for your troubles lol
 
I do get there often,I dont see near as many elk as I use to but come oct. from the top of 16 you can see much of the areas the elk are in, you wont see 25 and 29. If it was my tag I would be looking hard at 29 were they have been more and more over the last few years.
 
I'll be back up there to scout 29 in a few weeks. I was there on 4th of July weekend doing some pig hunting but didn't see any elk. Tons of deer (mostly does). I covered most of the hills back to the lake on the left side of the Tank Trail. Not sure where the elk hang out in 29 but I didn't stumble across any. Most of the good elk areas are closed so scouting can be difficult. I'll have to give 16 a try.
 
16a is generally open during that hunt and you can get on top even if it is wet. What you can see is into 16, 15, 9,12a-b the west side of 10/13 some of 24 and they sometime have 21,22 open and you can see all of that, you can also see some of 18,19 but I never see them in there. If you know your way around you can easily get to the elk you spot, that leaves 13east and the east side of 10/13, 25,29. I would not look most anywhere else, and also check with jim the bio. We found a great bull from top of 16 coming out of 12 into the back of nine and my Friends wife got it.29 is tough but at the north end is a high hill that should give you the view of the east side and the middle looking south and you may be able to see some of 25, I will see them coming from the lake and going to the lake from 25. I have seen them open the tank range but the hunt i was on ,it was not.good luck
 
Made my scouting trip last weekend and was able to find a bull I would love to harvest. Came across a few smaller bulls that were running together as well. Hopefully the big guy will be close to where I found him come opening morning!

Sorry about the poor photo quality. He was about 500 yards away.

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I came across a group of 4 in 29 last week too. Heard what sounded like a nice bull bugling over towards the public/private boundary but never ran into him
 
29 is certainly the most difficult to hunt but I personally would be in there ,but I know it well. If you were to go to the second parking area and go straight across the river and cross the meadow and follow the tank road to the south and up hill till it levels out and climb the hill on your left, you will be able to scope all the south boundary in the river and the west side were they have been hanging. I had also seen another large bull in 13 west going north on jolon rd just before argil rd,and have seen him there several times good luck
 
Well....the hunt has come and gone. I truly appreciate everyone who chipped in their knowledge of the area and what they had seen so far this season. Unfortunately, it was just not meant to be for me this year. Despite 9 days of constant sunup to sundown hunting; I was not able to connect with a bull this year.

Some of the other hunters were successful but as far as archery hunts go; FHL 449 was barely considered an archery hunt this year. With a season change due to mission conflicts, the promising rut hunt at the end of July/ beginning of August became a post-rut October struggle.

After 1-2 months of hard rutting the bulls and cows were worn out and wary from all of the activity. The larger more mature bulls had broken away from the herds and formed bachelor groups to retreat to the nasty hiding places on base. The bigger bulls that maintained control of their cows were constantly protected by 30-50+ sets of eyes, ears, and noses.

The hunt was told to be an average 30-40 yard shot which is a chip shot with a bow if you practice but this year the average shot was 100+ yards. Even though it is doable, I do not deem that a comfortable shot and with all of the things that go into play for a shot at that distance; it is a gamble.

Don?t get me wrong, I ?saw? plenty of elk and had plenty of stalks but most of which ended at getting pinned down at 130 yards and being unable to get any closer. The hunting aspect of the hunt just seemed non-existent. For those who have hunted Fort Hunter Liggett, you know that driving the roads of the open areas and searching for animals is common practice and by mot accounts, the most effective way to locate many good animals. However, for the elk hunt it just was not the enjoyable experience that was expected.

All in all, i learned more about the base and the animals which inhabit it on this trip than I could have in years of hunting FHL due to the time spent scouring every inch of it in an effort to locate a huntable/stalkable bull. I was able to fill a pig tag the end of the second evening and my wife was able to fill her G-8 tag but unfortunately, a true gift of a tag went unpunched this year, not for a lack of trying. I'll be putting in once I'm eligible again and hoping for a chance at redemption.

For those of you who have the muzzleloader tag feel free to PM me and I'll put you on some big bulls. I can't say it will be a ?slam dunk? but your odds are greatly increased given the weapon you're allowed to use.

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Sorry you werent able to fill your bull tag. Sounds like you had fun anyway. Congrats on the pig. Killing anything with a bow is a trophy.

Steve

Cancer doesn't discriminate...don't take your good health for granted because it can be gone in a heartbeat. Please go back and read the last line. This time really understand what it says.
 

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