Paul in Idaho
Well-known member
I have the B elk tag for Idaho's Sawtooth zone this year. Yesterday, deer season opened there so I hunted the area I have been planning to hunt elk in. I used to hunt here during late November muzzleloader seasons. It has been a few years since I hunted this spot, so I wanted to see how it looks before committing my year's elk hunt to it. I saw 6 doe muleys, and nothing else.
My spot is quite steep, and there are no trails. The only way to travel is right on the knife-edge ridge lines. Between 4,000 and 5,000 feet elevation, I saw quite a few elk tracks. They ranged from very old to within the past week. I thought that was promising, but then I started to realize I was seeing only very old manure - nothing close to fresh. At the upper end of my hunt, I found 2 little elk antler sheds on the ridgeline.
I hunted the south-facing finger ridges, hoping to find a buck. I found several places where animals had been digging up mushrooms, but there was no bare dirt to show tracks.
My theory at this point is that my spot is a wintering area. The tracks are likely being made by elk traveling for water. A few might be living in the north-facing side, but they're safe there - the thick brush is way over my head and it's too steep to walk, much less pack meat out of.
Do you think I am correct, or is there something else I should consider?
My spot is quite steep, and there are no trails. The only way to travel is right on the knife-edge ridge lines. Between 4,000 and 5,000 feet elevation, I saw quite a few elk tracks. They ranged from very old to within the past week. I thought that was promising, but then I started to realize I was seeing only very old manure - nothing close to fresh. At the upper end of my hunt, I found 2 little elk antler sheds on the ridgeline.
I hunted the south-facing finger ridges, hoping to find a buck. I found several places where animals had been digging up mushrooms, but there was no bare dirt to show tracks.
My theory at this point is that my spot is a wintering area. The tracks are likely being made by elk traveling for water. A few might be living in the north-facing side, but they're safe there - the thick brush is way over my head and it's too steep to walk, much less pack meat out of.
Do you think I am correct, or is there something else I should consider?