A friend asked me about this so here I am, asking. About a year ago on one of the hunting shows there was a story about elk hunting in one of the traditional elk hunting states. The outfitter establihed hunting blinds for hunters who have difficulties with mobility. The blinds overlooked used agricultural fields. Brain thought this may be a good hunt for his dad, but I have looked and looked on the internet, Googled it, asked Jeeve's it and have bombed. Does anybody remember that show and if so, who was the outfitter or what was the website that Brian can go to for future reference. Thank you for any help. I cannot remember which state, but it could have been Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and maybe even in Idaho. Thank you ... Tom Purdom

Could it have been on one of the fenced elk hunting properties???? It makes sense they could offer that type of hunt.

So many of the shows are filmed on those places I'm almost surprised when one depicts actual fair chase hunting.

Kyler

Elk hunting techniques vary considerably from state to state, and from one terrain to another. In Northern Arizona (IF you can get drawn), it is pretty practical to use what amounts to a blind in fair chase hunting.

Much of northern AZ is "checkerboard" property ownership. That is, each square mile alternates private ownership and BLM or National forest ownership. Almost all the private property square miles are fenced, as they raise cattle on them and do not always have grazing permits for the surrounding public land. The common fence is 4-strand barbed wire, sometimes 5-strand. Elk are creatures of habit. As they are not restricted to private or public property, they cross from one to another. Usually, they will break the top strand at some point or another...then they pretty much always cross at the same place, wherever the broken strand is.

Even when they do not have a "broken strand" point to cross at, they often cross at exactly the same point every time. They will actually come to the fence at some other point, then rather than jump it there, they follow along the fennce until they get to their preferred spot and cross it then....sometimes up to half a mile from where they actually got to the fence.

Putting a disabled hunter on a spot where he can hide within easy shot of the crossing point works well, if you can get him to sit there still enough and long enough. I have done that several times in units ranging from the Williams area to as far east as the Show Low area. One other guide I know does that in the Sitgreaves National Forest area with nearly all his clients. Matter of fact, he did that with me, when I won my very first elk hunt, at a Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Dinner some 30 years ago. Did it work? I got a nice 6x6, so I'd have to say "Yes". Years later, I did the same with Paul Marquart for his first elk. It was only a legal spike, but Paul was tickled pink, as he could not walk more than about 100 yards at the time. The crossing points aren't hard to find. Just walk the fence in mid-day when the elk are not crossing, and look for a broken top strand, with lots of elk hair tangled in the fence and underbrush on each side of the break.

In most Oregon or Idaho elk terrain I have hunted, the technique would not work at all that I can see, but it is particularly effective anywere elk habitually move up and down hill on set routes as the weather changes. That means much of AZ, N. Mex., Colo., Utah and other not too densly wooded states.

It was not a high fence operation, just a ranch with agricultural fields in which elk fed. Oh well, anyone else have any ideas?

When I first read the title of this thread I thought, "Yeah, I've felt that way before!)

Sorry I'm of no real help. Nate

Don't worry Bignate....I thought the blind hunting elk sounded pretty dangerous!!


If people kill elk out of a tree stand, why couldn't the do it out of a blind.

MG

I use blinds at waterholes every year for my archery clients and they do work. I see no reason they would not work for rifle season.

I think the Badger Creek Outfitters http://www.badgercreekoutfitter.com/ in Colorado offers something like that.