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Old 11-26-2018, 11:18 AM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 167
Default 2018 Late Season Elk Hunt

Hi y'all,

Heading out with a fellow AO member on Friday to crown land for our last shot at Elk this year.

I've spent most of this month hunting and scouting in 308, 304, and 305 and haven't seen much sign. Lots of deer and a handful of bull moose, but no elk. I've put lots of miles on the boots each day, waking at ungodly hours to get there well before legal light and still no dice. I've tried lots of different elevations and terrain features with no luck.

Thinking about going to 316, 412 or 414 instead on Friday, as I've hunted there in the past before, but never for Elk.

Anyone have any tips and tricks for a late season bull? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post.
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  #2  
Old 11-26-2018, 12:38 PM
bitterrootfly bitterrootfly is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: South West Alberta and K-Country
Posts: 421
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Envitro View Post
Hi y'all,

Heading out with a fellow AO member on Friday to crown land for our last shot at Elk this year.

I've spent most of this month hunting and scouting in 308, 304, and 305 and haven't seen much sign. Lots of deer and a handful of bull moose, but no elk. I've put lots of miles on the boots each day, waking at ungodly hours to get there well before legal light and still no dice. I've tried lots of different elevations and terrain features with no luck.

Thinking about going to 316, 412 or 414 instead on Friday, as I've hunted there in the past before, but never for Elk.

Anyone have any tips and tricks for a late season bull? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post.
304,305,308 are 1000 times better ek zone than 316,412,414, I’m not Ben sure if any elk have been pulled out of 412 in a couple of years. My advice would be to stick to the zone you mentioned but look for ek sanctuaries, places that are hard to access where a bull can hide from the hunting pressure during the late season post rut. IMO it would be a waste of gas to hunt this either zones for elk.
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  #3  
Old 11-26-2018, 12:41 PM
Prairiekid Prairiekid is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Rocky Mountains
Posts: 506
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I haven’t seen any elk in 316 since September, and I have only ever seen them on private land. I’m not a elk hunter so I follow them closely but haven’t seen any up there in a while


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  #4  
Old 11-26-2018, 01:48 PM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Calgary
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Thanks all!

Not sure if I was being crazy, but not having seen any at all made me thing that I was doing everything wrong LOL.

We'll give it a whirl again this week and see what we can rustle up.
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  #5  
Old 11-26-2018, 01:55 PM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 167
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One last question (maybe)...

I tried to get into the Bob Creek area and man oh man is it impossible to figure out how to get in there.

I'm on foot so I was trying to gauge the best route to get as close as possible, but no dice.

Anyone with experience in this area can help?? I tried from the north via Chimney Rock Road but that was a no-go.

I heard that there's a south staging area, but I haven't had the chance to go that far south to explore it.
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  #6  
Old 11-26-2018, 02:02 PM
graybeard graybeard is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 2,122
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Envitro View Post
Thanks all!

Not sure if I was being crazy, but not having seen any at all made me thing that I was doing everything wrong LOL.

We'll give it a whirl again this week and see what we can rustle up.
It is not you, but it's the other irresponsible jerks that preceded you, that have have ruined it.
I drove up there (316) and where I had access for the last umpteen years; is now ALL posted.

I stopped and spoke to a couple guys I knew and they all said the same;
- animals shot
- gates left open / fences cut and animals escape
- garbage strewn all over
- road signs all shot up
- windows in a combine and a tractor shot out

I am the type of guy who at the end of the season, on the land I was successful, there is 100% of the time, a bottle and a bag of sausage to say a simple thanks.

Good luck and cherish your access.....
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Last edited by graybeard; 11-26-2018 at 02:09 PM.
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  #7  
Old 11-26-2018, 03:37 PM
bitterrootfly bitterrootfly is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: South West Alberta and K-Country
Posts: 421
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Envitro View Post
One last question (maybe)...

I tried to get into the Bob Creek area and man oh man is it impossible to figure out how to get in there.

I'm on foot so I was trying to gauge the best route to get as close as possible, but no dice.

Anyone with experience in this area can help?? I tried from the north via Chimney Rock Road but that was a no-go.

I heard that there's a south staging area, but I haven't had the chance to go that far south to explore it.
I hike in through the south access once, very easy I just used google maps it took me right to the staging area, good country, a little bit busy for my taste.
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  #8  
Old 11-26-2018, 07:21 PM
Soab Soab is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 346
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Late season is a tough hunt , I can get them in bow and early rifle but also have a hard time late. They leave the timber after dark and are bedded up before light , they'll be bachelored up. Like others have said somewhere thick and out of the way good luck !!!
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  #9  
Old 11-27-2018, 08:22 AM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
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Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Soab View Post
Late season is a tough hunt , I can get them in bow and early rifle but also have a hard time late. They leave the timber after dark and are bedded up before light , they'll be bachelored up. Like others have said somewhere thick and out of the way good luck !!!
Great thank you!

If anyone has any other tips like this it'd be much appreciated
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  #10  
Old 11-27-2018, 10:08 AM
DRhunter DRhunter is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Gods Country
Posts: 670
Default 2018 Late Season Elk Hunt

Late season bull elk is definitely a challenge, it doesn’t take too long after the bullets start flying for a bull elk to seemingly dig a hole and hide out the season. I think the points above are all good. As usual, boots to the ground, find sign and then put the binocs to work. The one advantage to late season is you can see into large patches of poplars. If you are familiar with 304/305/308 I would stick to them and hope to catch a bull out in the open.

Not to hijack the thread, but I was fortunate enough this last week to harvest my first late season bull elk in one of the zones mentioned above. Spotted this lone bull first thing in the morning in the poplars. Sat and watched him until he bedded down, snuck up and around the ridge to get the wind in my face and sneak in slightly above him to 200yds. Sat and watched him until I could confirm he was legal, then waited for an opportunity for a clear shot through the trees when he got up to browse. Finally at noon it all worked out, he gave me a clear shot and the work began, as I was hunting solo. Pretty awesome and rewarding experience.


Good luck!

DR


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  #11  
Old 11-27-2018, 11:02 AM
35 whelen 35 whelen is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: GRAND PRAIRIE
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DRhunter View Post
Late season bull elk is definitely a challenge, it doesn’t take too long after the bullets start flying for a bull elk to seemingly dig a hole and hide out the season. I think the points above are all good. As usual, boots to the ground, find sign and then put the binocs to work. The one advantage to late season is you can see into large patches of poplars. If you are familiar with 304/305/308 I would stick to them and hope to catch a bull out in the open.

Not to hijack the thread, but I was fortunate enough this last week to harvest my first late season bull elk in one of the zones mentioned above. Spotted this lone bull first thing in the morning in the poplars. Sat and watched him until he bedded down, snuck up and around the ridge to get the wind in my face and sneak in slightly above him to 200yds. Sat and watched him until I could confirm he was legal, then waited for an opportunity for a clear shot through the trees when he got up to browse. Finally at noon it all worked out, he gave me a clear shot and the work began, as I was hunting solo. Pretty awesome and rewarding experience.


Good luck!

DR


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Great job nothing better than stocking up on a bull elk

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  #12  
Old 11-27-2018, 12:34 PM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
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Location: Calgary
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Wow, great info and a great story, thanks for the pic!
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  #13  
Old 11-27-2018, 01:52 PM
Envitro Envitro is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 167
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One more question... to bugle/grunt or not? More as a locator than anything else. Will it even work this time of year?
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  #14  
Old 11-27-2018, 01:57 PM
35 whelen 35 whelen is offline
 
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Location: GRAND PRAIRIE
Posts: 5,720
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Elk talk all year long just have to understand what they're saying and try to imitate it. Don't hunt much in November for Elk but I would try some cow calls

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