Kansas Fort Riley Cow Elk Rifle

Ttannahill14 · Dec 7, 2016

My tag is for the month of December. I was going to hunt last Saturday/Sunday... I called up there because their online system for check-in and come on base wouldn't allow me to check-in. Apparently I hadn't taken my "elk safety briefing" and it can only be done in person Monday-Thursday. So hunting last weekend didn't happen.

I made it up to the Fort today... long process of getting a visitors pass, background checks, registering a firearm, and taking my elk test. Finally got it all done and finally legal to go after an elk. Had to rush back down to work and I'll be heading out first thing Saturday morning.

Elk were reintroduced onto Ft Riley in 1986 and has been very successful. Herd is around 300 and stable. Authorities don't want it any bigger from what I've been told. They give out 25 tags a year, 10 bulls, 15 cows. These are 100% free range wild elk. The public ground is approx 67,000 acres of crops, prairie, and creeks. Should be some beautiful country to hunt in. If you've never seen the Flint Hills of Kansas they are nothing like you imagine Kansas being.

Below are some pictures of my time on base today. Cool architecture for sure. Lots of hoops to jump through and boxes to check, hopefully it will all be worth it. I'll keep you updated as I hunt this weekend.

Corax · Dec 7, 2016

Good luck. I am interested to see what the Flint Hills holds.

sbhooper · Dec 7, 2016

That should be fun.

duckhunt · Dec 7, 2016

Good luck on your hunt.

Sask hunter · Dec 7, 2016

Good luck!

7mm08mo · Dec 7, 2016

Good luck the cold should be good.

kansasdad · Dec 7, 2016

I hope the elk leave the "no-go" areas and the tanks and guns let you have full access to the wildlife areas. Breathe and squeeze that trigger like you have practiced!

JohnCushman · Dec 7, 2016

Good luck!

Ttannahill14 · Dec 12, 2016

Quick update. Hunted pretty hard all weekend. Sit on food plots sunrise/sunset then hike river bottom bedding areas during the mid day is my plan. Didn't see a single elk. Saw 1 fork deer. So not the most productive weekend. There are basically 3 area's where the elk hang out according to people I've talked to... two of those three areas were closed down due to military training. So I was pretty limited on where I could hunt.

It's really weird hunting here. I hear artillery going off and machine gun fire all day long. I was thinking... that these elk/deer have probably heard more gun fire than any other elk in the world. Millions of rounds I would imagine. I don't know if this will make the animals not care about rounds going off or super nocturnal at all times... I dont know. With finding them looking like the hardest part... should I be cow calling this late in the season? Would that help at maybe locating them?

Attached some pictures.

el unit · Dec 12, 2016

What is the "elk test" Is it so you don't mistake a deer for an elk?
Good luck on your hunt- it sounds like a very unique opportunity.

Ttannahill14 · Dec 12, 2016

el unit said:
What is the "elk test" Is it so you don't mistake a deer for an elk?
Good luck on your hunt- it sounds like a very unique opportunity.

Ha it was basically so you understood the maps and the rules... like "hey don't cross this line or you might get shot or ran over by a tank."

el unit · Dec 12, 2016

Thanks Ttannahill14. Hope you get one!

JLDemo · Dec 12, 2016

Good luck! I still have to get back home (south central KS) to fill some doe tags and here you are elk hunting, a tiny bit jealous! The only sign that would have me worried would be "unexploded UXO's," I have a fear of stepping on one and being stuck their standing on it like that fella in Behind Enemy Lines. Terrible. But anyways, hope you fill your tag. Can you set up trail cams?

Southwind · Dec 12, 2016

Been a long time since I have been on those trails, keep after them!

Elkhunter24 · Dec 12, 2016

Good luck!

Ttannahill14 · Dec 15, 2016

Found some friends of a friend of a friend who have been hunting this area for 30+ years and are going to come hunt with me Saturday and hopefully point me in the right direction.

Has anyone checked the weather this weekend??? Supposed to be 3 degrees with 40 mph gusts for a windchill of -20. Should be fun. Time to earn it.

Southwind · Dec 15, 2016

el unit said:
What is the "elk test" Is it so you don't mistake a deer for an elk?
Good luck on your hunt- it sounds like a very unique opportunity.

Believe it or not there has been more than one instance of a deer archery hunter "mistaking" an elk for a deer there. I haven't heard of one in quite a while but I remember it was a costly error for those who made the mistake.

Ttannahill, it is suppose to be very frosty in the single digits not including the wind chill which is predicting speeds of 30 mph plus. Be careful and best wishes I hope to check back and see some glory shots.

Ttannahill14 · Dec 17, 2016

Made it out this morning. Froze my tail off. Being out in below zero is tough.. being out in below zero up in a tree is painfully cold. Sat from 6:30-8:30. Didn't see anything. Decided to walk some creeks to try and kick something up . On drive over to my creek I wanted I see five cows about 100 yards off the road... I don't even hit the breaks and they start running the other way. I pull over and grab my rifle and hike over a ridge to see if I can see them... they're no where in site. I walked a few more creeks for a few more hours and decide to call it. Weathers getting worse... roads are slicking up. And my wife wants me home to build open shelving in our kitchens (Randy's power tool rule is totally real)

Had a buddy hunting for deer in the general area and he sent me a few pics of some cows and some small
Bulls he saw. Still weird seeing these critters in Kansas!

Southwind · Dec 17, 2016

Brutal day out there today -30 wind chills in a lot of areas. Stay after it and stay warm and safe.

sigpros · Dec 18, 2016

I'm from a small town in the flint hills. I just love it there. Wish I could get moved back. Keep it up can't wait to see some pics of you and your cow

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