When Moose are Present during an Elk Hunt

[Sigma]

When hunting Wyoming for Elk last year during the later part of the season, we ran into Moose several times at short range. I even jumped a big Moose bull at about 20 yards in the rain, so I think we were doing something right.

There was not a single Elk to be found however.

Question: Will Elk choose to move to a different area when Moose are present, or do they get along well mixed in with the Moose? That is, if you see Moose and you're hunting for Elk, is it reasonable to conclude that Elk are there as well, or should you move to a different location?

Regards

 

[2rocky]

Elk are where you find 'em...

We followed bugles one morning and ran into a bull with a cow on the way. Never saw those elk, but we think they were there...

Ran into this guy about 200 yds from where we saw a pair of mule deer, so moose & mule deer DO coexist.

Found a moose shed near an active elk wallow last year.

I haven't seen any evidence that they actively avoid one another...They have dissimilar diets so no overlap there.

I'll be watching this topic to hear other folks opinions...

 

[db 183]

When I shot my bull in Wyoming back in 2003. We jumped moose and mule deer every day. The elk are there. You just have to find them.

 

[suavegato]

Not really an answer to your question but related... On the ranch I hunt in Eastern Oregon there is a definate correlation between cattle & Elk. They DO NOT GET ALONG. We make sure that the cattle ranchers lease gets them off of the property BEFORE elk season rolls around. The deer (mule & whitetail) don't seem to mind though... I too will be intersted to hear if Mosse & Elk "get along"?

 

[soupr]

When I was elk hunting in Idaho in 06 I first ran into three moose at 30 yards. Scared the begeezus out of me. Not expecting or even thinking of moose were around. But later in the day I did see elk in the close vicinity of the moose. Saw lots of mulies also. I believe if there antlered there near each other.

 

[BOWUNTR]

Interesting question. Two years ago I was hunting a primo 10,000ft basin in Colorado. Perfect elk habitat. It was loaded with moose and had sheep and mulies in the upper alpine areas. In three days I didn't see any elk. By the presence of the moose and other critters it was obvious nobody had disturbed the area. No elk. I keep wondering why. Ed F

 

[Sigma]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BOWUNTR @ Aug 14 2008, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Perfect elk habitat. It was loaded with moose and had sheep and mulies in the upper alpine areas. In three days I didn't see any elk.[/b]

Something similar happened to us in Wyoming. In addition to moose, we saw sheep and mulies in the upper areas but not one elk. Wonder if Wildlifebranch has an answer for that?

 

[tmoniz]

On several Elk hunts in Wyo we would jump Moose in the timbered areas. Seem they were always in the timber and thick stuff and never in the open areas. We would push Elk in the timbered areas as well as mule deer.
In the early AM and late afternoons the Elk were primarily in the wide open valleys and basins.
I jumped a very large bull moose in the timber one morning and then not more than 75 yards away from him I spotted a spike bull Elk.
Interesting question.

T

 

[BrandonA]

I'm also interested in the answer... On my families ranch up in Idaho we have herds of elk that pass through the property but never stay because we have Cows on the Ranch usually... But where we don't keep cows the Elk will stay for awhile. The Moose also don't seem to mind and even joined the cows one year and even protected the cows from the humans lol...

 

[rodngun]

An area I have hunted quite a few times in Montana had both elk and moose. A small bull moose used the same wallow that my partner killed his bull elk on about an hour before he took the shot. We had also seen a cow and calf moose near a small herd of elk in the same drainage about 200 yards apart. I don't believe they spook the elk out of the country.

One thing I do believe is when you have a lot of elk, the mule deer vacate the area. An area I used to hunt in Oregon either had a lot of deer, or a lot of elk, but never both at the same time. Probably the deer don't like all the noise the elk make.