matechakeric
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so far this fall compared to past years? notice much of a difference?
How are the crowds out there in the woods?
- Thread starter matechakeric
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Lilhowie83
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The last couple months I have been out scouting for my elk hunt that starts in Friday and I have been surprised at how few people that I have seen. Even this last month when the archery hunt as been going on I have only seen a handful of other people.
matechakeric
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i love reading that. hoping the 2020 crowds were the culmination of 5 perfect storms of factors
MThuntr
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Hit and miss. I've seen a lot more guys in some places and less in others. Last week a campground I was at early on was just 3 people but on Saturday when I returned there were 5 camps with generators and kids...I'm assuming this was because in the 7 days temps went from freezing to 80 degrees.
With warmer temps during Sept I've also seen way more hiker and Van lifers camped in places that generally have nobody. Overall, I'd say we're still at the 2020 numbers just more distributed as people are finding hole-in-the-wall spots instead of hitting campgrounds.
With warmer temps during Sept I've also seen way more hiker and Van lifers camped in places that generally have nobody. Overall, I'd say we're still at the 2020 numbers just more distributed as people are finding hole-in-the-wall spots instead of hitting campgrounds.
Nameless Range
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I think rifle season is gonna be pretty shocking in MT
matechakeric
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as long as the majority of them go to Montana, Idaho, and Colorado...
MTelkHuntress
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Hit or miss where I have been as well. I've never met a nonresident hunter before and this year I met 15....not sure why they picked a unit with such low elk numbers when they could have gone anywhere, but nice people (much nicer than the locals have been which was interesting). Tons of people driving around the dirt roads though.
matechakeric
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were you able to hike away from the crowds and find some seclusion?
diamond hitch
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The peak of the rut has passed. I'm seeing people in the easy spots, families in razors racing and about the normal ding dongs parked. Elk? Scattered in singles and pairs and moving. Ever play battleship where the ships move between players. Prepare to dig in and cover ground cause they are.
MTelkHuntress
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I was. It was really nice to make a plan with the other hunters and stay out of each other's way.
Wallydeuce
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I hunted a unit that I had been to in 2017. Far more people this year. That doesn't bother me much because I can out hunt most of them. What did bother me was the lack of consideration for others. Driving up to a scarce water source 30 minutes before the end of shooting light, slamming doors and pounding on their hoochie mommas. One guy even set up camp ON the only public spring in two miles. Ignorance? Dunno. It was certainly not how I was taught.
MTLabrador
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Actually it’s been nice this year. I’ve seen other hunters on the roads and at trailheads, but only ran into one guy actually out hiking on a trail I was walking down. I hiked out with him and we tried to kill a blue grouse on the way, nice guy.
Bullshot
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Back from CO OTC archery, a tag I had sworn I had given up on. Hunted several areas. Plenty of people at campsites and trailheads. Not a single in-woods encounter with another hunter and plenty of elk still living in the mountains.
It was fairly crowded but most hunters gave space and showed good etiquette. A father and older daughter were super aggressive and blew everything up in a major block of public land within a unit with limited public lands. They charged into the middle of the best stuff and called hundreds of times over an hour period while skylined above awesome elk habitat with fresh bull sign. Two different occasions they came charging down mountains to my bull call. I knew his call and their little bull/cow routine very well after watching and listening to them for an hour. I'll admit I messed with them the second time it happened. Also, there were bunches of archery deer hunters in the mix at the same time. Regardless, I had a great hunt.
texwest44
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MT is nuts right now anywhere within 60 miles of a town - I almost stepped on a couple of sitting archery elk hunters a couple weeks ago. The animals were pretty active up high on the mountains but the valley bottoms were absolutely packed with people; I didn't see a deer or elk in anyone's camps or trucks. Same last weekend too, but I didn't go out much. Opening of rifle season is setting up to be a flat out Oklahoma land rush. I'm trying to scrape every bit of luck I have together to get a pronghorn in a couple of weeks so I might be able to skip the deer/elk season craziness.
Side note, I also saw what might have been the largest red squirrel in America. At first I thought it was a fox squirrel and was about to shoot it but saw its bright white belly and got a closer look, and it was just a mutant red squirrel. Thing was twice the size of a regular one. Thought that was pretty cool.
Side note, I also saw what might have been the largest red squirrel in America. At first I thought it was a fox squirrel and was about to shoot it but saw its bright white belly and got a closer look, and it was just a mutant red squirrel. Thing was twice the size of a regular one. Thought that was pretty cool.
Hunted Wyoming general elk tag a couple weeks ago where, in my previous trips combined, I have seen 2 other hunters total, just passing through. This year we ran into guys every single day. I think we figured there were 12+ guys hunting our little mountain over the course of the week. All of them were Wyoming residents and all were very friendly. It didn’t matter much, elk were everywhere.
I've been in a general area that I haven't been in since 2019, I remember more people then than now. More tents especially.
Though going in last night, there was a large wall tent set up where nothing was setup 3 days earlier. I think they moved in for rifle opener in 2 weeks. First week or so of rifle will be interesting, I"ll probably try it once to check, then maybe focus on antelope for a copule weeks.
Weather is also most likely contributing. Most people I've talked to say it's been silent, it's also been 85+ even at 9000 feet. Elk may still be high which is almost unreachable in this area without horses. In 4 days in there, I"ve worked elk twice, not gotten a response twice. The elk I have gotten answers from were not agressive and went the other way, one, with at least 2 cows, led me on a 2 hour chase before going silent.
Though going in last night, there was a large wall tent set up where nothing was setup 3 days earlier. I think they moved in for rifle opener in 2 weeks. First week or so of rifle will be interesting, I"ll probably try it once to check, then maybe focus on antelope for a copule weeks.
Weather is also most likely contributing. Most people I've talked to say it's been silent, it's also been 85+ even at 9000 feet. Elk may still be high which is almost unreachable in this area without horses. In 4 days in there, I"ve worked elk twice, not gotten a response twice. The elk I have gotten answers from were not agressive and went the other way, one, with at least 2 cows, led me on a 2 hour chase before going silent.
