Hey guys, sorry have been busy with work and dealing with a family emergency but I did make it back for the last 3 days of the season and unfortunately the weather turned really warm and the days were even warmer. So I did not see a lot this time around while hunting on the east side but on Sunday, from the asphalt, I did find a small herd of 4 cows, a bull, and a calf. After I spotted them, I did not have really any cover to make a direct stalk on them so I had to swing way wide and use the topography of the land to come in from the side. By the time I got close to the area they were feeding in, they were already heading up in the junipers to bed down for the day which was around 7:45. I did have one cow broadside but when I ranged her, it was 700 yards which was outside of my comfort zone so I passed.
Since they never saw me I decided not to pressure them and let them go bed down for the day and made plans for the last morning. When I came back to the area before light, I got into position to glass the area they were in but unfortunately never showed. The worst part was the last day was the warmest morning of all and nothing, not even deer were moving. I did get up into some new country though and did find some fresh elk tracks but could never locate them, even with a cow call.
Thanks again for everyone’s help and I learned where I should have been opening morning, well where I think I should have been.
I will put in for this tag once again and knowing what I know now, hopefully will have a better chance of bagging one.
On a side note, is the late season cow tag a better option? Besides being very cold and the snowfall, do the elk have a tendency to come down lower?
