Elk hunt in the Morning
08-30-2009, 02:05 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Elk hunt in the Morning
We have an open elk season going on right now... cows only... in the unit I normally hunt. The season started Aug 1 and goes to Sept 15 - but there are some problems.... It is hot really hot - so hot and dry I really have not got to excited about heading out. I have made it out a couple of times but i was packing my Tikka WinMag because it was so dry and tender I worried about shooting a ML out there.
We got a little bit of rain yesterday and some more again early this morning... so I gathered up a couple of ML's and headed to the rock pit to verify their POI. The first gun I wanted to shoot was the Knight Extreme 50 cal. It is/was sighted in with the Lehigh .458/277 grain, in a MMP Orange saboat, 120 grains of T7-2f. I am really anxious to try this new to me projectile - I have done my research and have shot the bullet quite a bit so I am more than confident it will do the job.
I set up 3 clay pigeons @ 100 yards - popped a couple of caps ran a windex patch and loaded up for the first clay bird. Got all three - one shot each... The gun is ready
One of the rules is that you must be within 1 mile of a cultivated farm field and you can not be on USFS lands... I have a spot we hunt late in the year (December) that I have been going to. I think it provides me an opportunity to ambush a group moving from water back to the termal cover in the south. I just have to pick the right day. I am working on the thought that a few resident elk that remain in this area most of the year. There are two large trianlges of area that I can observe from two different ground stands - certainly can not move to them - way to noise.
I figure I can hunt from daylight to about 8:00am... can not go much after that as it would be to hot to win the battle with the yellow jackets... I have to have it skinned and halved, and out to the truck by 10. If I make that time line I have a chance to win the bug battle & not get any meat spoilage (bone sour)
Here is an aerial photo of the area...
We got a little bit of rain yesterday and some more again early this morning... so I gathered up a couple of ML's and headed to the rock pit to verify their POI. The first gun I wanted to shoot was the Knight Extreme 50 cal. It is/was sighted in with the Lehigh .458/277 grain, in a MMP Orange saboat, 120 grains of T7-2f. I am really anxious to try this new to me projectile - I have done my research and have shot the bullet quite a bit so I am more than confident it will do the job.
I set up 3 clay pigeons @ 100 yards - popped a couple of caps ran a windex patch and loaded up for the first clay bird. Got all three - one shot each... The gun is ready
One of the rules is that you must be within 1 mile of a cultivated farm field and you can not be on USFS lands... I have a spot we hunt late in the year (December) that I have been going to. I think it provides me an opportunity to ambush a group moving from water back to the termal cover in the south. I just have to pick the right day. I am working on the thought that a few resident elk that remain in this area most of the year. There are two large trianlges of area that I can observe from two different ground stands - certainly can not move to them - way to noise.
I figure I can hunt from daylight to about 8:00am... can not go much after that as it would be to hot to win the battle with the yellow jackets... I have to have it skinned and halved, and out to the truck by 10. If I make that time line I have a chance to win the bug battle & not get any meat spoilage (bone sour)
Here is an aerial photo of the area...
08-31-2009, 05:44 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Report..
2 groups of whitetail did exactly what i was hoping some elk would do... no such luck.
Did not hear any either. But as I as walking my way in it was evident that a lot of the low brush had been browsed. Could not distinguish enough sign to be sure they were in the area. It did rain pretty decent last might early... but then it cleared off and the Moon did its thing...
Got another spot that i will try Wednesday....
Darn come to think about did not even see or hear any Turkeys...
2 groups of whitetail did exactly what i was hoping some elk would do... no such luck.
Did not hear any either. But as I as walking my way in it was evident that a lot of the low brush had been browsed. Could not distinguish enough sign to be sure they were in the area. It did rain pretty decent last might early... but then it cleared off and the Moon did its thing...
Got another spot that i will try Wednesday....
Darn come to think about did not even see or hear any Turkeys...
Last edited by sabotloader; 08-31-2009 at 06:57 PM.
09-01-2009, 08:22 PM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Andy
It is called a 'Green Field' elk hunt.... we are suppose to be keeping the elk out of the farmers fields around here. Cow elk around here are pretty domesticated as they are not hunted that much. + plus the 'green fields' like grain fields are a great place to browse but then the farmer can file a claim and collect money from the Idah Fish and Game for crop damage...
It is called a 'Green Field' elk hunt.... we are suppose to be keeping the elk out of the farmers fields around here. Cow elk around here are pretty domesticated as they are not hunted that much. + plus the 'green fields' like grain fields are a great place to browse but then the farmer can file a claim and collect money from the Idah Fish and Game for crop damage...