Why does everyone say to find elk, go to...

[QuackNSmack]

The deepest, darkest, most isolate canyons that have the essentials like meadows, wallows, water and saddles, but then the largest, denses heard is located in the Flat Tops...which by research are flat and don't seem to have a whole lot of steep rugged terrain? Just curious why that is. Everywhere else in the state hold elk and is the opposite it seems like for topography than this area, yet this are is known for large bulls and tons of elk...am I missing something?

 

[hks95134]

The only hunt-able elk herd that I know of is at Fort Hunter Liggett. They hike back and forth every day from the top of the ridge on the east end of the old closed impact area #12 to the pond east southeast of it, then back up to the top of the ridge again. The whole herd consists of two dozen cows and one monster bull having 14 or more antler points. He drives the younger males away, and these then hang out around the pond, or follow the scent of water to the river same as the pigs there do.

If you can draw an elk tag there, hunt that area.

 

[jimmmb]

I don't know where Flat Tops is, but to me the general idea is that you have to work harder/hike farther than everybody else. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Elk will be in more steep and rugged terrain, just farther away from roads, trails, etc.

 

[RoosterKiller]

They say that for the people who are not seeing elk where they are looking.This is usally in areas where tags are easy to come by and the hunting pressure is greater. This pressure tends to drive the elk into more isolated ares not frequented by the average road hunter.This by no means applies to all scenarios.

 

[easymoney]

IMHO, over the years, hunting by man and civilization growth have driven the elk from the traditional areas where they lived and flourished to less populated and less ideal places. My experience shows me that elk regardless of the state spend the days laying in those thick nasty trees or canyons in the cool shade and come out onto the meadows and parks only at night to feed.They do prefer flat spots to lie, so when scouting looking for benches is always good. Sure in places like Yellowstone NP or FHL you can drive around and see them out in the open all day long. And I agree with all here that if you want to be successful, especially after opening day, you must get away from the roads, trails and campgrounds and look into those canyons or dark trees during the day. Elk move around a lot and if you want to see any you must as well.
Since the re-establishment of the tule elk herds in CA, their numbers have really grown especially the last ten years, just ask any rancher.
hks95134, There are several hunt able herds in places other than FHL. The la Panza zone is quite large, running from the coast over to HWY 5 and from Monterey county down to HWY 166 in SB county, yet there are still only 6 bull tags. I have ranchers ask me to "come out and kill some of them" all it takes is that little piece of tyvek... I have been putting for over 30 years and have never been drawn in CA.

 

[Aught-SixGuy]

I have hunted the Flat Tops a few times and while they are flat on top, they are not flat everywhere else. It is steep, nasty, rugged country and there are tons of elk there. The biggest bulls know that most hunters will not venture into those nasty canyons so they take refuge there. Don't fool yourself. The Flat Tops are anything but flat...

 

[slanttop357]

Drive up 395 you can see massive amounts of bull elk hell they even built a spacial place to park and watch them.

 

[jerryt]

I know of 4 or 5 heards in CA that don't even go seek shade. It's a 110 degrees out and they are laying out in the middle of no mans land. In Colorado I've killed them in the sage, hay fields, rivers, junipers, oak brush and the deepest darkest timber canyons around. They go anywhere.

 

[CaliDuckPro]

The only hunt-able elk herd that I know of is at Fort Hunter Liggett. They hike back and forth every day from the top of the ridge on the east end of the old closed impact area #12 to the pond east southeast of it, then back up to the top of the ridge again. The whole herd consists of two dozen cows and one monster bull having 14 or more antler points. He drives the younger males away, and these then hang out around the pond, or follow the scent of water to the river same as the pigs there do.

If you can draw an elk tag there, hunt that area.

Do you just make this crap up? The only huntable elk herd? Really? I'm assuming you're only referring to CA... Which still doesn't make it any less of an asinine statement.

 

[jackrabbit]

Ouch!!

 

[Bubblehide]

Like any animal we hunt, they will seek cover where they can. The mule deer prefers wide open expanses where it can see any danger coming from great distances. Blacktail deer prefer dense cover, where with one or two steps, you can no longer see them. Elk are no different. Tule elk tend to live in habitats that provide some size-able open spaces, and they utilize it much like mule deer, when it comes to predators, human or not. Roosevelt and rocky mountain tend to prefer thicker habitat. However, that does not mean that they will not utilize open areas, even expanses. I've seen plenty of elk that utilize desert type habitat, perhaps not for long, but they use it; and come hunting season, if that is the place where they can get away from the hunting pressure, that's where some will be.

But getting back to the OP's question. I once hunted 3rd season for elk in colorado, Keep in mind that the elk went through archery season, a muzzle loader season, and two previous rifle seasons. As such, they were well pressured for some time prior to my opening day. But there were a few days of relief prior to opening day. I was lucky, I got my elk opening day, my partner should have gotten his as he was supposed to shoot first at one of the herd below us. The elk sensed something was up and began to display nervous behavior. I signaled my partner to take his shot. Being in a different position, I had my selection of a few out of the herd. Well they elk suddenly decided to make their escape and neither of us got a shot off. But, being younger and faster, I ran to a spot I knew would provide me a shot, if I was fast enough. The rest of the hunt was filled with trying to find the elk again. Well no one was finding them, as it turned out. So I turned my partner to "The deepest, darkest, most isolate canyons", we began to run into elk again. However, hunting them in this stuff is not an easy task, and my partner was getting worn out. My point at this point, is that the elk went where they felt they would be safe, and they were. You just simply could not approach them un-noticed, either the dead falls would give you away, or the thick vegetation you had to go through; but it was always something.

Once again, I changed stratigies to something that would not take the effort of those thick hide-e-holes, but still provide that type of cover and comfort for the elk, while not exceeding my partners physical abilities, or limitations, however you wish to look at it. We started hunting the thick steep canyons of the dirt roads that everybody just drove past. The thick tree cover made them nice and dark. Yet, you could still move around fairly quietly under the canopy of the thick trees. But, before we got to doing any moving around under this dark cover of the trees, we needed to allow some time for our eyes to adjust. Well, long story short, we blew the first few stalks. But, by 1:00pm we had his elk down; a single animal bedded in the darkness of the dense tall tree cover above a nice meadow area.

So in short, if your hunting elk that generally summer at elevation, and are use to thick timber stands, they tend to go there when the pressure gets unbearable, while others may travel miles and miles to a desert basin where hunters seldom venture. The bottom line is that the animals are where you find them. But if they haven't packed their bags and set sail to lands unknown, you need to find the places that are un-pressured, be it thick stands of timber, steep thick canyons, or open expanses; or a combination of these.

 

[hks95134]

Bubbehide damm you're good at this.

Me ... I just follow the big tracks ... after I roadhunt and scout all day and all night long.

 

[hks95134]

Do you just make this crap up? The only huntable elk herd? Really? I'm assuming you're only referring to CA... Which still doesn't make it any less of an asinine statement.

Cali Duck Pro, I imagine that you are indeed a duck pro, if not a duck yourself. Semper Fi do or die oorah.

 

[Bubblehide]

Cali Duck Pro, I imagine that you are indeed a duck pro, if not a duck yourself. Semper Fi do or die oorah.

"Don't run to your death". As I previously stated, you should try to embrace the spirit of this forum. But then "The only easy day was yesterday".