What A Year For Elk

[802flyfish]

 

[FREAK]

This turned sour fast. Still it has been a good fall for hunting elk. More family and friends with elk, and for all the critics, they are on public land, miles away from any private ground…



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what unit?

 

[The Hedgehog]

What number unit ?

 

[Sheltowee]

This turned sour fast. Still it has been a good fall for hunting elk. More family and friends with elk, and for all the critics, they are on public land, miles away from any private ground…

Hunted public most of my life, also hunted a good bit of private that I worked hard enough to secure permission on. The most difficult, highest hunting pressure I've ever encountered was on a timber company lease in Alabama where a bunch of retirees hunted 8 days a week for three months every year. Never understood the "I only hunt public land" virtue signaling and snobbery. You do you, @shrapnel

 

[BuzzH]

But why comment something like " I've got no real big interest in busting them along a road or in wheat stubble. Different strokes for different folks." It seems like a passive aggressive jab at the way he may or may not have harvested them. He shared his success, it doesn't seem like he is seeking a discussion on what's happening on public land in MT.

Because elk hunting used to be an entire different experience in Montana. There was no reason to hunt wheat stubble and private for a couple reasons.

1. There weren't that many elk on private and when they got on private the first person that knocked on the door got permission to hunt.

2. The hunting on public land was exceptional.

So, when some dude that has access to some great private wants to brag about how great the elk hunting is in their Montana fish bowl/ private wheat field it's a misrepresentation of what's happened here.

If shrapnel is such a bad ass elk hunter, ask him to hunt Mineral, Missoula, or Sanders county on public for elk. The report back would be much different.

 

[The Hedgehog]

People are so much nicer on the 24hourcampfire forum.

 

[rjthehunter]

Because elk hunting used to be an entire different experience in Montana. There was no reason to hunt wheat stubble and private for a couple reasons.

1. There weren't that many elk on private and when they got on private the first person that knocked on the door got permission to hunt.

2. The hunting on public land was exceptional.

So, when some dude that has access to some great private wants to brag about how great the elk hunting is in their Montana fish bowl/ private wheat field it's a misrepresentation of what's happened here.

If shrapnel is such a bad ass elk hunter, ask him to hunt Mineral, Missoula, or Sanders county on public for elk. The report back would be much different.

Again, I guess I saw the post in a different light than most of you did. I didn't' see any bragging or a self declared badass elk hunter. I saw someone sharing his successful hunting season.

So. Let me understand fully. Lets say I have a rancher who has invited me out to hunt on their 60k acre ranch. I should tell him no because there aren't as many elk on the public land? It's not fair to hunt the private land elk because everyone isn't allowed to hunt it? Interesting...

You people all call sheep hunters snobby, but MT public land elk hunters are barking up the wrong tree. Save your breath and type a letter to game and fish. I wouldn't say this is the place to complain.

Taking your anger out on someone who had a successful season is quite juvenile. Life isn't fair, and not everyone has access to private land (or good public land). Complain to the government, not the guys who secure private land to hunt.

 

[The Hedgehog]

So. Let me understand fully. Lets say I have a rancher who has invited me out to hunt on their 60k acre ranch. I should tell him no because there aren't as many elk on the public land? It's not fair to hunt the private land elk because everyone isn't allowed to hunt it? Heck no - You'd be an even bigger idiot.

You people all call sheep hunters snobby Who calls sheep hunters snobby?, but MT public land elk hunters are barking up the wrong tree. Save your breath and type a letter to game and fish. Who hasn't? I wouldn't say this is the place to complain.

Taking your anger out on someone who had a successful season is quite juvenile. Life isn't fair, and not everyone has access to private land (or good public land). Complain to the government, not the guys who secure private land to hunt.

Who's complaing and angry? I'm just saying the God Bless Montana for great elk hunting is BULLSH1T! The devil is in the details. I love Shrapnel's pictures.

The moose hunting in MT sucks too,,

 

[The Hedgehog]

Sig worthy

 

[rjthehunter]

Who's complaing and angry? I'm just saying the God Bless Montana for great elk hunting is BULLSH1T! The devil is in the details. I love Shrapnel's pictures.

The moose hunting in MT sucks. Wait - Keep your comments to yourself.

My apologies, Movi said sheep hunters have the biggest ego, back when he was complaining about bowhunters on a different thread. It looks like there's great elk hunting in Montana, just not on public land unfortunately...

I have no opinion on moose hunting in MT!

 

[KB_]

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

So, how many bulls did you end up killing?

 

[hank4elk]

Glad I've never posted a private land tag filled post...or a whole elk in the truck, from public lands with a draw tag.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

There's about 15 years of backstory most of you are missing, mostly from a different forum.
Either way congrats on the success, lots of good eating there for the winter.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

That’s only a minute of the “hunt”

Such a tease. One cannot understand the full Montana hunting experience from such a short trailer.

 

[Big Fin]

Christ sakes. Whatever backstory exists among folks from other forums or other places, take it there. I don't want it on this forum.

Hunt Talk is for people to post stories of their hunts, whether public/private/guided/unguided, and to share information among those interested in conservation/access advocacy. One of the ideas of how we moderate this site is to get away from the bullshit that litters a lot of other forums and social media. If someone posts their hunt stories and pics, no matter where they hunted or how they hunted, that's up to them. If you don't like it, don't say anything and move on to a different topic.

I'm on the road and I don't have any interest in this kind of crap. I surely don't host this site to read the bullshit this thread has turned into.

Post away, @shrapnel. Congrats to the hunters on their elk.

 

[The Hedgehog]

 

[BuzzH]

Again, I guess I saw the post in a different light than most of you did. I didn't' see any bragging or a self declared badass elk hunter. I saw someone sharing his successful hunting season.

So. Let me understand fully. Lets say I have a rancher who has invited me out to hunt on their 60k acre ranch. I should tell him no because there aren't as many elk on the public land? It's not fair to hunt the private land elk because everyone isn't allowed to hunt it? Interesting...

You people all call sheep hunters snobby, but MT public land elk hunters are barking up the wrong tree. Save your breath and type a letter to game and fish. I wouldn't say this is the place to complain.

Taking your anger out on someone who had a successful season is quite juvenile. Life isn't fair, and not everyone has access to private land (or good public land). Complain to the government, not the guys who secure private land to hunt.

I don't see how pointing out how elk hunting has changed and gone to shit on public land in Montana is taking anger out on anyone. If you have private access, great, but that doesn't tell the story about elk hunting for everyone and everywhere else.

Also fair to note that most everyone you're accusing of being "juvenile" has been attending meetings, fighting crap legislation, and actively working to make things better with public land elk hunting in Montana for a decade or two. I think when a handful of private land elk hunters make sweeping comments about how "great" elk hunting in Montana is, they have some pretty dark rose colored glasses strapped on. Many don't lift a finger to address the issues plaguing a vast majority of Montana's elk management problems.

It's just simple facts, not sure why that would sore anyone up? Read the harvest statistics, read the population reports. Talk to anyone that's hunted elk in Montana for a couple three, four decades.

For the record, when what's happened with elk in Montana is pointed out with the facts, those that have private access tell everyone else they're wrong.

 

[steveshuntn1]

I haven't had this much luck elk hunting that I can remember. It seems like every time I have taken someone, we find elk and we end up getting at least one, sometimes more.

So do you just take anyone?

 

[FREAK]

I though this thread was pretty par for the coarse as far as HT goes. Maybe I’m just used to the Montana Mule Deer threads where people really get rowdy…