I have seen a few killed and been elk hunting some. Not a lot, but some. From what I can tell, they are tougher due to size more than anything else. One thing I would say is, don't get "Americanitis" as I call it. Don't shoot an elk and sit there and watch like a one shot kill is a trophy. If you can, at all, shoot it till it stops. Nothing wrong with that.

Ivan,
Your showing a lack of experience in that your stating all elk hunting is the same everywhere, apparant to me is that your in a geographical cornor..and have only hunted in Colorado, where elk hunting is about as easy as it gets, and yes I have hunted there about as much as anyone, but not in some years.

If an elk runs after a hit where I hunt them in the very steep and deep sidehills of black timber in Idaho then he will make the bottom of the divide before he dies with a lighter caliber of hard bullet, and thats a 3 day pack job on your back just to the horses and I do take the going away shot, because that is what we get where I hunt, so again your lack of knowledge is pronounced.

How many elk did you hunt back in the early 40s and 50s in Colorado is my next question? and I assure you that the elk we used to kill out in the open sidehills every morning and evening, head for the Idaho black timber swampy sidehills at the first shot and stay there until New Years eve..The last time I hunted in Colorado the elk went straight to the top and that was a long haul, the bottom was full of red shirted hunters driveing them into the harder areas to reach.

quote:

Originally posted by Ivan:
Elk are harder to hunt now? You have to be kidding me. They're like gophers in CO.

Nothing like wasting as much meat as possible. Good for you.

Love how everyones elk hunting units are the most rugged in the west. LMFAO

And where exactly are "The Green Fields" if I may ask?

Ivan,

Please by all means, you're welcome to join us in camp anytime you want. Then you can show me all these "elk like gophers" that apparently I can't in the area I have hunted, fished and camped for the last 20 years. I've had 4 YEAR stretches of not so much as seeing elk. Maybe you hunt in an area ripe with elk, but we all aren't blessed with that. I hunt here cause its where the family hunts, nuff said, and its where I will always be every November. NO ONE in my camp, in the last 15 years, has EVER shot anything under 200 yards. Consider yourself very lucky to harvest animals you speak of in other threads at close distances with smaller calibers. I'd have the same opinions as you do, if I hunted where you do. But I don't, and most other people don't either. All I ask is you respect that. It ain't your tags being filled, you're negative attitude just makes you look like a bitter old man, sorry. And saying I waste all the meat I can? Please, whats a few DOZEN at MOST, pounds of meat compared to the other 200lbs I normall get after processing when I choose "best cuts" and don't ask for every single scrap? Losing a couple meals worth of meat is in spades a better deal for ME, thats ME, not anyone else, then having to ask my family to stop their hunting to spend a day or two trying to get MY animal out.

My area, goes from nasty thick timber you can't see more then 50 yards to sudden cliff country where shots can be 400 yards in an instant. We have no "herds" to speak of, elk here are in small bands, 12 is the most I've ever seen. The majority of elk we have put down have been singles, pairs or groups smaller then 10 that are on their way to the other side of the basin for the winter herds. We also don't have any of the "outdoor life" cover shot meadows that I've run across. Is it the toughest country around? No, but I sure as hell want that animal down where I see it, so shoulders are broken.

Mr. Atkinson is right! I have killed Elk with a light for caliber bullet from my .243, BUT of course a hit to the brain with about anything can be pretty effective. The Elk went straight down and never moved after that. Having said that, today I use larger calibers capable of penetrating a lot of meat and bone to eventualy reach a vital organ. Most oppertunities IF they come at all, will come very suddenly, and usually be at the south end of the north bound animal. And before you ask what one is doing taking such a shot, remember the season where I live last only 5 days. I also hunt in very thick timber where shots may be in feet rather than yards, and a small, fast light bullet may blow up without penetrating. You need to use an adequate cartridge and be ready at all times. With a 475 gr. hard cast from my .45-70, or a 300 gr. from a .375, I can take shots I would not consider with something lighter. At the high cost of todays hunts, why would anyone want to use a caliber that should be used only for the picture perfect shot at an Elk standing broadside in an open pasture. Bottom line; Elk if hit in the vitals are easy to kill; it's being able to reach the vitals with the vast majority of shots realisticly offered when hunting Elk that make the larger bullets much more practical.

DW,

Rocky Mountain or Roosevelt?

Roosevelt. I only have to travel for about 15 minutes to Roosevelt hunting country, but much more for Rocky Mountain.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Ivan,
How many elk did you hunt back in the early 40s and 50s in Colorado is my next question? and I assure you that the elk we used to kill out in the open sidehills every morning and evening, head for the Idaho black timber swampy sidehills at the first shot and stay there until New Years eve..The last time I hunted in Colorado the elk went straight to the top and that was a long haul, the bottom was full of red shirted hunters driveing them into the harder areas to reach.

quote:

Originally posted by Aktkinson:

I was raised in West Texas around Marfa, Alpine and Marathon. I ranched there of several years and I know everyone...

Ray Atkinson

Also at age 70ish... in the 40's you would have been what 10-12. I'm guessing you were not setting the standard for elk hunting.

I grew up in SW Montana on a ranch homesteaded by family in the 1860's. My family ran an elk outfitting business for 40 years, and all of us are fairly rabid elk hunters at heart. We've taken our fair share of elk and help lots of friends and family do the same.

Also I think you mentioned in yet another tread that you used to hunt elk with a 270, and just recently switched to a 338 in the last 10 years or so. How many elk have you shot in the timber with that 338? I'm guessing not many.

Seems as Ivan has a chip on his shoulders. OR maybe just limited experience in the same hunting area. I have hunted Elk in only four states, but have enough experience to know conditions can vary a LOT! I would feel very comfortable hunting them with my .243 and a 140 gr. TSX bullet if I were in some of the semi open fields of say, Montana, or Colorado for example. And yes, the west coast can be some of most rugged country to hunt. The terrain can be literaly straight up and down with visability nearly zero! If your hunting here in good Elk country and you have a nice open shot, it means you have probably crossed over into private property. Mr. Atkinson knows of what he speaks. Ivan you lost me with your comment stating your lack of knowledge when it comes to the heavier calibers and not taking bad angled shots. If I lived in country where the easy shots presented themselves, I would take them much more often. Casting stones at others with different experiences that ARE valid is childish and shows imaturity. I do not claim to know it all, and after 43 years of hunting, I learn something new on about every hunt. I've dropped very large game with small light varmint bullets, then turned around and had a 180 grain Nosler partition stop in the shoulder of a very small Blacktail from only 20 yards away, as it continued to stare me down. (The bullet lay in the meat on the outside of the shoulder blade, and it took a second shot to the head to put it down for good). It constantly amazes me that hunters become so sure that their beliefs are gosphel, that THEY think they are the only ones that know anything about hunting. Even though another hunter with vast experience can have completely different results. Sorry to hammer on you Ivan, but as the saying goes: your mileage may vary!

If bowhunters can kill one, then nearly any real weapon can that is .243 or bigger...

Pardon the slap at my stick and string friends.. In reality, shoot the biggest caliber and bullet that you can shoot well and accurately. That goes for every animal you may want to hunt. A bigger hole in the right place usually means a quicker death and less distance traveled than a smaller hole in the right place. Any hole in the wrong place will result in a long follow up.

Elk are smart and tough. I have taken 6 (Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma) all fair chase and in public areas. All went down quickly usually with two shots.

Ivan,
I suppose I have to address your post, although I have no clue what its all about, mostly arguementive it seems to me....

Yes, I was raised in West Texas and from the age of about 12 years old my dad, uncles, brother and cousins made a yearly journey to Colorado with two truck loads of broke mules, hunted until everyone killed out to the man, then packed out to Chimney Rock store and waiting there were many packers to bid on our mules, we sold all the mules and headed home. Spent the rest of the year breaking new mules to sell in Colorado and pay for the hunt.

My dad and I both used a 25-35s there to shoot our elk until we got in a bit of trouble for it so we went to the 250 Savage..Later I used a 30-30 then a 270 and other calibers..

I have been using the .338 ever since I came to Idaho and it is the best of the bunch..I don't know where you got your quote but it was not from one of my posts as to "recently" as I have lived and hunted elk in Idaho for 25 years.

The bottom line is you have an agenda to prove your opinnion is the only opinnion with validity and it is not...

Your not nessicarily wrong in your posting, your just not listening to anyone else, and there is more than one way to skin a cat and all elk hunting is not the same as some profess and I guarentee you there is no state that is as rough or stright up and down as Idaho short of perhaps Alaska..

In all fairness everyone should keep in mind that bow hunts and most muzzle loader hunts are in the rut, that makes a big big difference in success rates. Some states have rifle hunts during the rut and that makes elk very easy to hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Vinny:In reality, shoot the biggest caliber and bullet that you can shoot well and accurately. That goes for every animal you may want to hunt. A bigger hole in the right place usually means a quicker death and less distance traveled than a smaller hole in the right place. Any hole in the wrong place will result in a long follow up.

:

Words to hunt by! Well said, Vinny!