Archery Elk in the Gravelly Range of SW Montana

[BWALKER77]

Unfortunately this is true of nearly all general tag units in Montana.

This.
Altgough the Gravelies south to the Idaho border is absolutely over ran with people.

 

[JLS]

At some point, Montana will need to look in the mirror and consider the number of archers and how to reconcile issues that arise from the hunter pressure. Maybe it’s limiting NR archers in the same way Idaho does. Can’t make it too complex though, otherwise it’ll disrupt the 11 week algorithm FWP uses for season settings.

 

[BWALKER77]

At some point, Montana will need to look in the mirror and consider the number of archers and how to reconcile issues that arise from the hunter pressure. Maybe it’s limiting NR archers in the same way Idaho does. Can’t make it too complex though, otherwise it’ll disrupt the 11 week algorithm FWP uses for

Montana needs to limit opportunities across the board IMO, but especially Archery.

 

[Redside]

Hard to say. LOTS of hunters = much higher probability of bear encounter. I'm guessing your resident population of griz in that neck of the woods is 15 on the high side. I don't see this as a significant impact on elk herds, given the narrow window that bears prey on calves.

Without hard numbers, it's pretty hard to attach a level of significance to the population when you are talking elk numbers in the thousands.

Apparently there was around 20 there last year in one small area when all those cows died.

Chowing-down grizzlies close Teepee Creek and Lobo Mesa areas in Gravellys

A popular hunting spot in the Gravelly Mountain Range in the Madison District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has been closed indefinitely due to a high number of grizzly bears

mtstandard.com

 

[Nameless Range]

Guys, guys, guys...The Gravellies are over objective. Translation - too many elk.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=93166

 

[JLS]

Guys, guys, guys...The Gravellies are over objective. Translation - too many elk.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=93166

Your link is why I'm continually baffled with the extraneous biological factors hunters devote their mental energy to.

 

[BRI]

I believe we have a HT'er on the Elk Management Revision Committee. Maybe optimistic but hopefully there's some good to come from that.

FWP selects committee for elk management plan re-write

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has selected its 14-member public advisory committee as the state updates its elk management plan.

helenair.com

 

[BWALKER77]

Guys, guys, guys...The Gravellies are over objective. Translation - too many elk.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=93166

Oh brother.. the thing is people, especially NR read this and think the area is flush with elk. It isn't.

 

[IEATELK]

......... Does anyone have info on the gravellys for an archery elk hunt?

 

[SBAHunts]

Guys, guys, guys...The Gravellies are over objective. Translation - too many elk.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=93166

so are the griz- how do we change this??

 

[MTLabrador]

so are the griz- how do we change this??

We’re not going to. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho will not issue enough grizzly tags to have any real impact on the population.

 

[BigRon]

All,

My father and I were in the Gravelly Range this week for archery elk. We camped up at the Clover Meadows dispersed campground on Gravelly Range Rd.

We were very perplexed at the amount of country we covered and only found (via some distant bugling) ~ 2-3 elk at the bottom of the deep canyon where the Monument fire burned in 2018. Never laid eyes on a single elk when we were there. Only saw one camp that had successfully harvested a good bull.

Wondering if others have had or are having this experience in the Gravelly/Snowcrest Range area?

Also wondering if others observed a high volume of hunters in the Gravelly Range during opening week that might have pushed elk out or turned call shy?

I did observe a bunch of grazing pressure from cattle that were still on at least 1/4 of the Gravelly Range. I had the Gravelly Range area on my list as a possible spot for rifle season but am now unsure of its productivity this season.

What are thoughts from others on this?

Bow hunted early in September in the GR and had the same experience. No elk, old sign. While dry, but plenty of water found for elk. Lots of cattle everywhere. I saw no grizz or sign but did talk with a fella from Minnesota who saw 4 adults together, my guess 2 sows w/adult cubs. Talked to a hand who rides over cattle all summer there and he said he hadn't seen an elk since late July. He thought wolves have pushed them out as they have his cattle?? So, my take away; too early, too many cattle, but the population is not as substantial as advertised.

 

[Carnage2011]

Some of these comments are spot on and some are hilarious . I know the area very very well. Have only been there one day this fall due to other hunts and it took exactly 6 hours for my hunting partner to shoot a good bull. Seen about 300 elk and plenty of bulls, but only one mature bull.

 

[JLS]

I saw no grizz or sign but did talk with a fella from Minnesota who saw 4 adults together, my guess 2 sows w/adult cubs. Talked to a hand who rides over cattle all summer there and he said he hadn't seen an elk since late July. He thought wolves have pushed them out as they have his cattle?? So, my take away; too early, too many cattle, but the population is not as substantial as advertised.

Not directed at you specifically, but it's amazing the excuses folks come up with in their minds for not finding elk. Wolves haven't pushed elk out of the Gravellies. That's absolutely ridiculous. The grazing allotment up the Ruby is one of the most productive I've ever seen. Unless stocking rates have been drastically increased, I highly doubt there are too many cattle.

There is absolutely no reason to consider this area above objective unless there is long term rangeland damage potential.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Not directed at you specifically, but it's amazing the excuses folks come up with in their minds for not finding elk. Wolves haven't pushed elk out of the Gravellies. That's absolutely ridiculous. The grazing allotment up the Ruby is one of the most productive I've ever seen. Unless stocking rates have been drastically increased, I highly doubt there are too many cattle.

There is absolutely no reason to consider this area above objective unless there is long term rangeland damage potential.

You don’t know what you are talking about. I drove nearly a hundred miles of roads on opening weekend a couple years ago and didn’t see an elk.
Wolves and bears done ate all of them.
Plus, the unit does have too many elk. Our legislators done said so.

 

[406dn]

Several years ago I drew a cow moose tag in the Gravellies. I hunted for a time in the West Fork of the Madison area. I was AMAZED at how many cows were in the drainage. The ranch hands I talked with said there were a dozen or so different Grizzlies in the drainage, take that for what it's worth. Sadly, the forest service had closed the access into the area I really wanted to hunt, due to a logging project.

I never saw bear sign, one small group of elk and one cow moose that was hanging out in an eighty or so acre set of beaver ponds. She never got close to the edge of that water hole while I was there. That kept her safe from me and I suspect other animals wishing her harm.

Before I had horses, I hunted down there most years. Many good memories, but now I rather hunt places that don't have roads just about everywhere.

 

[2ski]

I don't get about the roads everywhere comments. Thats some big country and sure there are roads, but plenty of area to get off the road.

My question is how many of those roads are still usable come the end of Oct. And rifle season. 9500 feet high? I was up a few weeks ago driving around. I wonder when the snow starts to fly and gets too deep up there. Didn't see many hunters. Didn't see many campsites in use.

End of June I was up there down lower on the Madison side. Saw the biggest bear poop ever. It was not small. And within a day old. Right by a closed road.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

At some point, Montana will need to look in the mirror and consider the number of archers and how to reconcile issues that arise from the hunter pressure. Maybe it’s limiting NR archers in the same way Idaho does. Can’t make it too complex though, otherwise it’ll disrupt the 11 week algorithm FWP uses for season settings.

I hunted the gravelly range when I lived in Bozeman. Archery season 2014, it is the most crowded, high pressure place I’ve encountered and I’ve been hunting OTC CO units for the last 4 years.

The west needs to come to terms with the resident problem.

You can’t triple, quadruple, etc the population of your state in a few decades and not reconcile the fact that there are now a ton more resident hunters.

It’s not a non-resident issue, sure social media, Randy effect, whatever there are more-ish NR. In MT those NR numbers are capped.

What about residents. 1 million people have moved to CO since I left for college. Assume 10% are hunters, that’s 100,000 folks that get cheap tags and are on the other side of the allocation split.

MT, WY, NM, ID... it’s the same.

Sure ban the dudes from Wisconsin who make the pilgrimage to hunt elk, tell the Texans not to put their money into the local economy by hiring guides, outfitters, booking hotel rooms.

Cut off our nose, meanwhile the woods will continue to become ever more crowded as freshly minted residents spill into them every fall unfettered.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I hunted the gravelly range when I lived in Bozeman. Archery season 2014, it is the most crowded, high pressure place I’ve encountered and I’ve been hunting OTC CO units for the last 4 years.

The west needs to come to terms with the resident problem.

You can’t triple, quadruple, etc the population of your state in a few decades and not reconcile the fact that there are now a ton more resident hunters.

It’s not a non-resident issue, sure social media, Randy effect, whatever there are more-ish NR. In MT those NR numbers are capped.

What about residents. 1 million people have moved to CO since I left for college. Assume 10% are hunters, that’s 100,000 folks that get cheap tags and are on the other side of the allocation split.

MT, WY, NM, ID... it’s the same.

Sure ban the dudes from Wisconsin who make the pilgrimage to hunt elk, tell the Texans not to put their money into the local economy by hiring guides, outfitters, booking hotel rooms.

Cut off our nose, meanwhile the woods will continue to become ever more crowded as freshly minted residents spill into them every fall unfettered.

I just moved to Bozeman this summer. Can you give me your honey holes where you found elk? I heard the Bridgers are a good place to rifle hunt.
Planning on driving the Gravely Ridge Rd opening morning, getting lunch in Ennis and then hitting it again on the evening.
Think me or any of the other 20 dozen residents doing the same thing will kill a bull? I am holding out for a 320” or better.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Can you give me your honey holes where you found elk? I heard the Bridgers are a good place to rifle hunt.

I live nearby and just want to help this hunter out, so you can tell me. I'd never hunt em.