Elkhorn 380-20 tag

[BuzzH]

Off topic but the Breaks are also being ruined in my opinion. mtmuley

The breaks have been "being ruined" for close to 20 years and I don't think that's even up for an opinion poll...

 

[BRI]

Can you please share a pic of the bull you took the 1st time you drew the Elkhorns?

I've never applied there, usually flush my elk points every other year or so.

The elkhorns sure used to be something special. Due to the deadfall and blowdown, It would be nearly impossible to get to where I got this bull.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I cannot understand why somebody would want to kill a spike elk anywhere. Different strokes for different strokes.

 

[Moosecreek]

Impressive animal.. good work !

 

[BRI]

I cannot understand why somebody would want to kill a spike elk anywhere. Different strokes for different strokes.

I truly believe there's a number of spike hunters that wouldn't pass up an opportunity at another bull if given the chance.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

In my opinion, that's part of the problem out there. I believe there are far too many people without one of the highly coveted tags chasing and calling to bulls they can't even shoot. I get it, it's cool to see elk in the rut. Imagine you had one of the bull tags and were closing the distance on a nice bull, only to have a spike hunter come up and mess up your chance.

this happens in every district every year with piles of hunters. If you’re NOT suggesting people quit chasing elk while big time tag holders are chasing elk, what ARE you suggesting? Maybe I did miss the point, and I’d be willing to reevaluate…

Like I said, even if they couldn’t chase elk like you hope, they could still chase other game; messing up the hunt, right?

Im not trying to have a pissin match, sincerely. Just trying to understand the logic and how you could see it working in the tag holders favor… I have a ton of friends that apply for 380, they’ll have to deal with the same issue. And they know it

 

[Southern Elk]

I cannot understand why somebody would want to kill a spike elk anywhere. Different strokes for different strokes.

Or hunt where the only bull that you could shoot is a spike.

 

[BuzzH]

this happens in every district every year with piles of hunters. If you’re NOT suggesting people quit chasing elk while big time tag holders are chasing elk, what ARE you suggesting? Maybe I did miss the point, and I’d be willing to reevaluate…

Like I said, even if they couldn’t chase elk like you hope, they could still chase other game; messing up the hunt, right?

Im not trying to have a pissin match, sincerely. Just trying to understand the logic and how you could see it working in the tag holders favor… I have a ton of friends that apply for 380, they’ll have to deal with the same issue. And they know it

I think its pretty simple. In areas that are under special management, make the horrific drawing odds worth it.

Wyoming is good example of how you do it right. You don't have mountains of general tag holders hunting spikes and pushing elk all over the place during archery/rifle seasons when LQ tag holders are out there.

Montana special areas are so saturated with spike, cow, and high limited permits...they're just any other elk unit/hunt.

At that point, may as well just fling the doors open and allow general elk hunting for any elk.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Or hunt where the only bull that you could shoot is a spike.

What would be the interest in trying for a yearling bull, as opposed to a cow? Especially if the goal was some elk meat..

Some people hunt and eat squirrels too. I guess these are maybe those same folks.

 

[DFS]

At that point, may as well just fling the doors open and allow general elk hunting for any elk.

I have a bad feeling that’s where things are headed.

 

[BuzzH]

What would be the interest in trying for a yearling bull, as opposed to a cow? Especially if the goal was some elk meat..

Some people hunt and eat squirrels too. I guess these are maybe those same folks.

Spikes are a pretty small animal as well, adult cows yield more meat if you're hunting strictly for meat. But in fairness, the best eating elk I ever killed was a velvet spike in November.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Spikes are a pretty small animal as well, adult cows yield more meat if you're hunting strictly for meat. But in fairness, the best eating elk I ever killed was a velvet spike in November.

The Elkhorns are managed for trophy bulls and elk meat delicacy. Win win win.. everybody is happy.

 

[BRI]

this happens in every district every year with piles of hunters. If you’re NOT suggesting people quit chasing elk while big time tag holders are chasing elk, what ARE you suggesting? Maybe I did miss the point, and I’d be willing to reevaluate…

Like I said, even if they couldn’t chase elk like you hope, they could still chase other game; messing up the hunt, right?

It seems to me you feel I'm attacking hunter's legal right to be out there under the regulations. That's not what I'm saying. They're taking advantage of the opportunity. That opportunity comes with a cost and my opinion is that cost is the degradation of one of the best limited entry units in the state. If anything, my criticism is on the agency for allowing it to happen.

Hunter's have been able to hunt spikes and cows for many years now. 15-20 years ago, there were not nearly the amount of people hunting. Would you agree? Now add a lot more people both bow and rifle hunting resulting in increased pressure, coupled with shoulder seasons allowing hunting for nearly 6 months, cows being killed on a general tag, habitat degradation on much of the public land. Those cumulative effects have led to the decline from what it once was.

Sure there could be hunter's out there chasing other game, but I would imagine it would be a minor fraction of what's out there hunting big game now.

In my utopian world the agency would care to make the unit truly a quality experience. In my opinion, right now it isn't.

 

[Luke_with_a_lab]

Congrats on the tag. I had the tag in 2021, the same year as @BRI. Took me 14 years to draw it. Your in for a super fun hunt but Its definitely no cake walk. I would really urge you to view it as an opportunity to have one of the best adventures of your life, not stress about shooting a giant bull.

I scouted in the unit almost every weekend in the spring and summer, put trail cams all over and just familiarized myself with as many parts of the unit as I could. In retrospect the trail cams were unnecessary. If you want to just see what bulls are running around in the unit its fun but in my experience the bulls all moved some pretty impressive distances once the rut kicked in.

Archery season is a blast, spend as much time as you can then. Just don't take all your vacation time then. I ran into one guy who had the tag who took all his vacation in archery, didn't shoot a bull and then had to turn to the boom stick, only hunting weekends while having to drive from Missoula on top of it. In the end he shot a cow the last weekend, I'm pretty sure he regrets not arrowing one of the more modest bulls he had an opportunity at. If you don't get it done in archery scout hard in-between the seasons and try your best to shoot a bull opening morning of rifle, that's what I did.

Good Luck!

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Spikes are a pretty small animal as well, adult cows yield more meat if you're hunting strictly for meat. But in fairness, the best eating elk I ever killed was a velvet spike in November.

You haven't lived until you have had liver jerky from a spike elk.

 

[Irishman]

Might not be as good a unit as it used to be, but is anywhere as good as it used to be? I'm looking forward to spending time this summer and fall checking the unit out, and helping my friend who drew the permit. I wouldn't want to be holding out hope waiting on any unit getting better, too many people who hunt have moved to Montana, and that isn't going to change. You can't live in the past.

 

[8andcounting]

It's amazing to me that people would actually go bowhunt spikes here.
Seems our FWP is great at trying to ruin truly awesome areas. Sad.

It’s actually almost unbelievable

 

[rogerthat]

You haven't lived until you have had liver jerky from a spike elk.

The question I would be asking is how much longer will I live once you did

 

[rogerthat]

Even if your goal is a giant, you don’t need there to be one behind every sage brush. You just need one. It takes the right mind set and it’s not for everyone but there are a couple giant bulls in some pretty chitty general season units every year.

 

[Griztrax]

Congrats on the tag. I had the tag in 2021, the same year as @BRI. Took me 14 years to draw it. Your in for a super fun hunt but Its definitely no cake walk. I would really urge you to view it as an opportunity to have one of the best adventures of your life, not stress about shooting a giant bull.




Hey I know that trail!!! LOL. Congrats again on that great bull Luke. You certainly worked for it and proof that some great bulls still roam 380.