YouTube Elk

this video is making the rounds on email . . . a "small" herd of elk crossing the road

Troy

Never seen a herd of elk that big. Any word on what state this was in?

The poster on YOU Tube says Colorado.
dmw

300+ crossing the road one and two at a time.

Saw a "small herd" like that once before in Oregon during Deer season up above Hills Creek Res. The memory has vividly stayed with me for 30 years. If it is in Colorado I would assume its gotta be Estes Park (Rocky Mtn. National Park). I've been all over Colorado for years and it isn't normal to see herds that big anymore they are usually broke up into smaller bands except in the Park. Also I've never seen cows with neck bands on them and I saw at least 2 in that video.

That would be fun to see with the kids. Elk are interesting critters.

I see a herd of 100-180 every stinkin' year on our ranch. Elk sure are fun for about 4 weeks during the rut, before and after that they are just a pain. Repairing fence, dealing with trespassers, not grazing areas so they can have sanctuary, cleaning poop off the deck......



Hard to change the water some days in fear of being gored. hahaha This is a small part of the stinkin' things.



Finally, they are always peeing in the water when the bathe....

Decent sized herd. I've seen several that were at least that big over towards South Park and down by Trinidad. Funny how there wasn't any decent bulls in it, only saw one small raghorn. Always good to see a bunch of cows and calfs. Indicates a healthy herd.

Couldn't be Wyoming. Wolves done et 'em all.

I noticed that there is one with a radio collar on its neck that crosses at the 1:14 mark. I wonder what that is all about. I know that they radio collar them on the heards in Kentucky but I guess they could do that to track thier migration just about anywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Saw a "small herd" like that once before in Oregon during Deer season up above Hills Creek Res. The memory has vividly stayed with me for 30 years. If it is in Colorado I would assume its gotta be Estes Park (Rocky Mtn. National Park). I've been all over Colorado for years and it isn't normal to see herds that big anymore they are usually broke up into smaller bands except in the Park. Also I've never seen cows with neck bands on them and I saw at least 2 in that video.

I live 5 minutes from Hills Creek Reservoir, and I can tell you there are no big herds like this up there now. The biggest I have seen up around Hills Creek is probably 30 animals. There are many of these same sized herds up there.

However, there is a herd up High Prarie (North of Oakridge) that I took video and stills of two years ago, that had well over 100 head then. We counted them on the video and came up with 97 visible and there was plenty that were hidden. Virtually impossible to count all of them as they were parallel with the road, standing five or six deep and strung out over half a mile.

That herd now reportedly (by a long term resident that lives up there) has over 250 head. And NO you can't hunt them as they stay on private land 90% of the time or on private land-locked BLM land and the landowners don't allow just anybody access to hunt there.

Hey Flippy
I assumed those big herds don't exist there anymore. I grew up west of Eugene (near Crow) and hunted the Hills Creek area a lot when I was about 15 to 20 years old (28 to 33 years ago!). I don't know what its like up there now but I imagine its been logged a bunch more and the old logged off has grown back thick with christmas trees. I have some fond memories of deer and elk hunting up there and my first archery buck was taken near Diamond Peak.
The year we saw the big herd was incredible, must have been 400 or so they just kept coming out of the timber nearly single file and crossed a slide about 6-800 yards above us, watched them for at least 30 minutes and they were still trickling out when we left.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Hey Flippy
I assumed those big herds don't exist there anymore. I grew up west of Eugene (near Crow) and hunted the Hills Creek area a lot when I was about 15 to 20 years old (28 to 33 years ago!). I don't know what its like up there now but I imagine its been logged a bunch more and the old logged off has grown back thick with christmas trees. I have some fond memories of deer and elk hunting up there and my first archery buck was taken near Diamond Peak.
The year we saw the big herd was incredible, must have been 400 or so they just kept coming out of the timber nearly single file and crossed a slide about 6-800 yards above us, watched them for at least 30 minutes and they were still trickling out when we left.

You lucky bastard!!! LOL
There are plenty of smaller herds, maybe even with as much as 60+ head, but those good old days are pretty much a thing of the past...

Here is the first video I took of the herd up on High Prarie back in 2007. We counted 76 in this video.
I took another one later but I can't find it...

76 Elk

Here you are, Snellstrom. A few "abbynormal" elk that I watched for several hours over several days last week. All in Southern Colorado. I quit counting at 250. There was a separate herd a few miles away about half the size of this one. Most of this herd is out of sight in the arroyo at the bottom right.

Nice bunch and thanks for the picture. I just don't see them by the hundreds anymore.

Plainview I'd like to hear how your Moose tag worked out?

He's currently residing in my freezer along with one of the elk in that photo. It was a grueling six hour hunt.... for a slightly above average Colorado Shiras. I was quite pleased with the whole trip. Details when I get caught up.

Let's see some pictures.
I've been applying for Colorado Moose since 1986, since before they gave preference points. I am at max points and still applying every year.
Lets see your Moose.

Snellstrom,

You have a PM.

quote:

Originally posted by plainview:
Here you are, Snellstrom. A few "abbynormal" elk that I watched for several hours over several days last week. All in Southern Colorado. I quit counting at 250. There was a separate herd a few miles away about half the size of this one. Most of this herd is out of sight in the arroyo at the bottom right.

I recognize the place...it just appears to be a bit warmer than my last visit there.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Nice bunch and thanks for the picture. I just don't see them by the hundreds anymore.

Maybe this is why you don't see as many at least in Oregon...

17-year Elk Study

I posted this before, but it was a while ago.

---Mike

here's a few cool shots. A buddy sent them to me in an e-mail titled gangs in Helena Mt.

MAC,

Would that be the South Park herd that likes to hang out around thewestern side of Kenosha just off 285? I only ever see those guys on my way home from Sargents lol.

Outside of the above mentioned herd, biggest I have ever seen in the field was about 20, and I plucked a monster fat cow out of it in 08. Before that, in my area, 5-8 head was about the max I ever saw. Were we hunt is the "staging" area for the eastern part of the Gunnison valley herd as they move west for winter. More then anything we see bands of 3 or 4, and very frequently cows with their calf. It has its mixed blessings, lots of chances of bumping into them on the move, but it also means LOTS of walking lol more then glassing.

About 20 years ago, my dad had a late season cow tag for the Blue Mesa Lake area. We got into a herd of between 200-300. It was kinda sad because the hunt only lasted a couple hours. Drove all the way to CO from Oklahoma and only got to hunt the first morning, quartered up the cow in the afternoon and headed home the next morning.