My dad and I went elk hunting for a "depredation" cow elk hunt yesterday. I say "depredation" because the elk now live in the farm fields most of the year to stay away from the wolves and so they have a 2 month long cow elk hunt that is within a mile of farm fields.
At first light I spotted a big herd (150 or so) in a hay field. We watched them for quite a while and they moved into the creek bottom to bed down. So I sent my dad down to try and spook them up towards me :mrgreen: . They got nervous but didn't leave the creek bottom. Something spooked them and the headed away before running into some ranchers moving cattle. That spooked them somewhat back towards me. I sat on a knob overlooking the whole draw and could see just about every move they made. They really didn't know where to go but it seemed like they calmed down and they were cow calling for a while until I hear a wire on the fence about 100yds to my left go cling. I knew that sound ( a hoof hitting barb wire) and immediately turned to my left to see a few cows headed up through the sage brush. Dad and I slid around the hill to see about a dozen cows and calves making a escape. A few rounds down range and two cow were flat on the real estate at about 10:30am. It was pushing 80* already, which was really weird to be hunting in that kind of heat, but we had them packed up and to the butcher by 12:30. My buddy took me to this place and this is the third year I've been done hunting on the first day (knock on wood). Not a bad day hunting. Now I have to wait until October to go deer hunting
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At first light I spotted a big herd (150 or so) in a hay field. We watched them for quite a while and they moved into the creek bottom to bed down. So I sent my dad down to try and spook them up towards me :mrgreen: . They got nervous but didn't leave the creek bottom. Something spooked them and the headed away before running into some ranchers moving cattle. That spooked them somewhat back towards me. I sat on a knob overlooking the whole draw and could see just about every move they made. They really didn't know where to go but it seemed like they calmed down and they were cow calling for a while until I hear a wire on the fence about 100yds to my left go cling. I knew that sound ( a hoof hitting barb wire) and immediately turned to my left to see a few cows headed up through the sage brush. Dad and I slid around the hill to see about a dozen cows and calves making a escape. A few rounds down range and two cow were flat on the real estate at about 10:30am. It was pushing 80* already, which was really weird to be hunting in that kind of heat, but we had them packed up and to the butcher by 12:30. My buddy took me to this place and this is the third year I've been done hunting on the first day (knock on wood). Not a bad day hunting. Now I have to wait until October to go deer hunting
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