Coastal Elk 1st Season

Rip'N'Lips · 10-13-2002, 03:45 PM

So what is everyone's plan for next weekend? With the weather we are having I am seriously contemplating hunting the spike only season... I have been out hunting 3 times and haven't yet seen a deer or more importantly an elk. Our normal hunting spot was clearcut over the summer so I am now at a loss.

We normally hunt the upper Trask drainages and usually see elk although our success is pretty low. Any thoughts? I plan to go out every night this week in search of a new spot to hunt. Anyone know of any closed gates? I want to cut down on the yahoo's....

Thanks,

Rip'N'Lips

pdxkevin · 10-13-2002, 05:26 PM

I'm in the same boat.

I went out yesterday for deer (had to work today :depressed: ) I was out in the Stimpson land just west of Gales Creek. They had the main gates open and a couple out back were locked.

I want to get out and search for some new place this week if possible. Either way I am looking forward to being back in the woods. :grin:

Danderson · 10-13-2002, 09:24 PM

I have choosen the 2nd season for the first time in years. I have always believed that during the second season You will get a big wind storm driving the elk out to the clearcuts and would you know it in 1988 we had just that. I was the first one in with my father during the morning cut three trees off the road to get back to the big clearcut we had seen elk in before, we drove to the bottom of the clearcut and it was empty by are eyes so we got out and started loading the guns and messing around it was still farly dark the sun was just starting to creep up. Moments later the hillside came alive, as I scoped the hillside I spotted a very nice 5x6 bull around 250 yds straight uphill as I was getting ready to make the shot I heard my father say Holy Sh** I Lowered my gun and looked over he was looking at the hill and then boom boom boom dropped three quick shots off before I even knew what was happening, the hillside looked like an ant farm it was moving in all direction I asked what the hell are you doing my 5x6 is now plum out of sight and my father says look at the top bye the timber he is still there. I scoped the top ridge had to be 650-700 yds straight up hill there he stood a true 7x7 bull the biggest bodied elk I had ever seen and he was looking right down at us not moving a muscle I touched off my clip of three and he didn't even budge bye this time my dad had three more flying and I reloaded and threw three more at it two we had 12 shots and that bull din't move a muscle as the hill turned back into brush and briers and the elk dissapeared back into the woods this monster decides it is time to move on and dissapeared into the woods also. After my dad touched off his last three rounds for a total of 15 shots fired we looked at each other and said no one will ever beleive this one we both were shooting 338 win mag. 225 gr. bullets and we couldn't hit nothing although this was a long straight up hill shot I watched my father drop a nice 4x5 on the same clearing the year before at a farther distance straight uphill with wind so I knew the shot could be made. I have never again since that day seen a Bull elk during the second season or the first season for that fact I have not hunted the second season since 1992. But this year I'am going to give it a chance for I have the feeling that the big wind storm will be apon us and blow 110-125 like it did at windy gap in 1988. I hunt Blackrock and for years me and my father were the only ones I would see up in are area. Now the area is growed up and the population has grown so last year I gave the trask a chance and saw lots of animals in peoples trucks but nothing for me on the ground I enjoy elk hunting more and more each year but getting an animal would be a nice bonus :smile:

PS sorry for the long story just got a feeling that first season trask will be dry and not very good and the big winds will blow and the spike only hunt will be a success :smile:

Flying Roast Beef · 10-14-2002, 03:57 AM

At 700 yards? Critter probably didn't even know he was being shot at. That's way too far to shoot. My opinion.

WildHawg · 10-14-2002, 05:46 AM

Shots like that are the reason many animals are wounded and lost each year. Just because the big boy "just stood there", doesn't mean he wasn't hit.
It is EVERY hunters responsibility to go investigate and look for blood ANYTIME they shoot at ANY animal--even if it's 650-700 yards "straight uphill". Better yet, bring a rangefinder, and don't shoot at anything that isn't already wounded at that kind of range. Yes, the shot is makeable, if you are lucky and practice at that king of range consistently. Do you even know your guns ballistic tables?? I doubt it. Do yourself, and all of us a favor, put a hunt on next time your faced with such a shot, or take the 5x5 next time...bet you wish you had!

mudsucker · 10-14-2002, 06:44 AM

Gotfish
I'm with WildHaug on this, ALWAYS go and look for blood when you shoot at an animal, NO EXCEPTIONS. I have shot deer at long ranges before and would again but that is a little to far for elk no matter what you are shooting with. Long range shooting requires a lot of long range practice and knowing what your bullit is doing at thoughs ranges and what the wind is doing to it.

[ 10-14-2002, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: mudsucker ]

kodiakfisher · 10-14-2002, 07:50 AM

Stories like that one is were "Portland" hunters get there name from. Even in the Marines the farthest distance that we are trained to shoot at is 500 meters. Anything beyond that distance is just a waste of ammo. From the sounds of your story is was a waste of ammo for you also. You will be hard pressed to find anyone that will agree with you that it is ethical to be shooting at that distance. Now if you could explain to me in great detail the Mil. Dot system used by the military along with in depth detail about the load and balistics you used along with the accurate method you used to estimate the range along with the rifle you used to justify such a long shot I would be willing to change my position on whether or not that was ethical shooting. Since your dad suprised you with his shoots so quickly I doubt that significantly accurate methods of range estimation were used ("scoped" doesn't count) This makes knowing your ballistics, and your highly accurate rifle useless at that kind of range.

I use topo maps and UTM grid system for range estimation. I have a 8" drop at 300 yds 22" at 400 yds. Last year I had over 50 elk walk at between 450m and 500m and would have been very easy to stop with a cow call. I never fired my gun. I can estimate the 22" in my scope with enough confidence to take that shot only out to 400m. A shot at 400m would only be taken at Elk because of an 8 to 10 inch kill zone. This setup only allows a 10% mistake in range estimation. 10% I think most people would consider pretty good. At 700m 10% is 70m this is too much of a varience.

Just an FYI a 225 gr 338 win mag drop anywhere from 47" to 54" at 500m at the 650m to 700m that you claim your drop was probably near 100" or 8 feet! Now lets take a look at your equipment experience and range estimation methods and decide if taking a shoot when having to hold high 8 feet is ethical. Please just think about it next time. There are others that would like to take away our hunting rights and these stories are the type they use to make us out to be the bad guys and are used to make others think we don't care about the resource. I believe you care you might have made a bad decision in the heat of the moment.

Myles · 10-14-2002, 08:26 AM

Back to the original question. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]
I took a fellow ifisher out yesterday to where I archery hunt in the wilson/Trask unit and there was absolutely no fresh sign. I really was pretty surprised, I thought that they would be in and out of there as usual but they hadn't been around.

There is a small creek that begins there and it was dry, a seep down the side of the hill was barely trickling three weeks ago, so it could be dry too.
You'll have to find a place with water. Yesterday where we were it was close to 70 deg., last year on opening day it was snowing/sleeting. It's a tough year for the animals and hunters.
I don't have any specific areas to tell you about but I think you may have to go into a deep dark hole to find them. Take a frying pan with you. :grin:
You may have to eat it there if you can't carry it out.
good luck
myles

Danderson · 10-14-2002, 09:34 PM

After spending over three hours in the clearing looking around at the beds they made and were he was standing there wasn't a trace of blood we looked high and low for him that day with no success and making a 700-800 yd shot is not out of reach with high caliber gun in the marines they can shoot at 500 meters with little accuracy in the Army I was trained to shoot 650 meters with high accuracy lol....Making that shot at that big bull when I was 14 years old...I assure you the last thing on my mind was distance. Now I would definitly not take that shot. Finding a wounded animal or a dead animal rotting with an arrow inside him really does frustrate me to no end so I took that as a learning experience from my father. Don't shoot after you spent all night drinking and watching a wind storm :smile:
But seriously we ranged the bull the previous year at around 760yds uphill shot and after watching this bull for an hour he made the shot and dropped him instantly. I have hit many animals at over 600 yds with my 338 including a large moose in montana I have never had a animal run after I hit it with that rifle. So would I take a shot like that again No..but I still feel confident that the rifle if I scored a hit would leave the animal down and not running off wounded

corrirod · 10-14-2002, 10:44 PM

Just glad I wasn't on the other side of the hill!

15 shots.......that's not hunting, that's war!

I guess we know why the regs won't allow assault rifles w/magazines to be used.

MarlinMark · 10-15-2002, 05:16 AM

One shot, one kill.

Mark

kodiakfisher · 10-15-2002, 07:28 AM

Okay the Marine and Army comment was funny!

Yes at age 14 you tend to take your cues from your father so in this case you being 14 you get a woods pass to continue hunting. If you do it again we would have to revoke your woods pass.

The only open question is IF you hit the animal. I believe that IF you hit them they would go down as you indicate they have in the pass. So the question is you or your dad couldn't shoot accurately at that distance at the time. You say you can shoot that distance accurately now. Just because you can does it mean you should.

I will be hunting the spike only season in the Mt. Emily area from the 23-27 I'll have a new guy with me. He has really done his homework to get ready for elk season. Practice shooting, getting physically fit so I'm looking forward to it.

Kodiakfisher

springer_97011 · 10-15-2002, 08:02 AM

gotfish? have you ever heard of a archer missing 15 shots at an animal? dont think so .its people like you that wound 4 animals just to get one. its kinda hard to find the rifle hunters wounded because that is the last season except in a few places.

kodiak, have you hunted emily before? i archery hunt up there yearly and this was by far the lowest number i have seen in years.there are grouse everywhere. its like 2000 elk under mo uo there for some reason.if you hunt up there often i would like to trade some info with you and curious how it goes.

[ 10-15-2002, 11:41 AM: Message edited by: springer_97011 ]

Flying Roast Beef · 10-15-2002, 08:16 AM

Got fish, for what it's worth, I didn't mean to start a rampage here. I still think it's a terrible shot to take. One thing you might do just for the sake of doing it is buy a ballistics program. I handload so I like to know what different loads will be likely to do and if it's even worth the effort to push a little further etc. (don't push the pressures too far). Then, just for fun, go hunt ground squirrels in the summer. It's lots of fun, the farmers love you, and it's an excellent opportunity for some off the bench practice. For even more fun, try coyotes!

[ 10-15-2002, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: Flying Roast Beef ]

Tacklebuster · 10-15-2002, 08:30 AM

Back to the ORIGINAL question

The 2cnd season will be much better in my humble opinion this year. Correct me if I'm wrong but I am under the impression that it is visable antler this year for the trask in the 2cnd season. Anyway, see ya in the woods....

Rip'N'Lips · 10-15-2002, 09:54 AM

Kodiakfisher-

Just curious, but where is Mt. Emily..., I don't want to hunt there, just don't have any idea where it is...

Thanks,

Rip'N'Lips

[ 10-15-2002, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Rip'N'Lips ]

kodiakfisher · 10-15-2002, 10:26 AM

Mt. Emily is just outside of La Grande on the Northwest side.

Depending on what I see this year I may archery hunt up there next year. I've hunted the Mt. Emily area with some great friends three times before. We haven't done very well. There are only a few elk and they get run around pretty hard. I'm thinking that archery season may be the ticket.

ZZZZZzzzz I know you're lurking in here somewhere

Kodiakfisher :grin:

[ 10-15-2002, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: kodiakfisher ]

springer_97011 · 10-15-2002, 10:39 AM

kodiakfisher, archery pressure was higher then ever up there this year. animal numbers were low only got into 2 herds and a few stray cows.most of the habitat that was used the last 20 years is destroyd by heavy windfall from the pine beetles.this was the wetest year i have ever seen over there.the grass was 4 ft tall and still green the first week of archery.i talked to a few locales and they said the lack of animals could be that the amout of snow this year was so much and stayed so long.i was told they had 5 ft on the ground in the valley.also the bear population has been really increasing which odfw says is really hurting calve ratio's.if you want to share info my email is springer_97011@yahoo.com.i bowhunt over there for at least a week a year and would like to trade some info on spots.im only after the big bull if i draw the tag or a cow for meat if i dont so i have nothing to hold back but i would like info on other areas of the unit .i hunt the area around grandveiw and green mountian.

fishuntr2 · 10-15-2002, 01:47 PM

Tacklebuster, I think the 1 elk season in the wilson/trask is any bull. The 2 season is spike only.

Gus Orviston · 10-15-2002, 03:17 PM

assuming some basics such as ballistic tip, and velocity you are dropping 100" when you are leaving my charts. KKKKrrrrraaaaaa..........p

The engergy left in that bullet is so far below the expansion point for that bullet that it would have done much damage ....

got to stop now,blood pressure rising, breathing getting short...must think soft cuddly thoughts...here kitty kitty

willametteriveroutlaw · 10-15-2002, 03:59 PM

Down side, its hot and dry. Upside alot of bulls in the cascades are still rutting. I will hopefully be posting some up close pictures of the Monster i have been scouting the last while. :grin: :grin: :grin:

DRUNK COWBOY · 10-15-2002, 04:25 PM

Ya, the bulls are still rutting

Danderson · 10-15-2002, 09:52 PM

THE WOODS ARE SAFE!!!!! I have officially gave up hunting until I read ever freakin peice of paper about shooting drop radius and Re-Take my BRM class from Ft. Benning Ga. hehe

I have not discharged my weapon since 1988 at an elk. If you read my post you would see I have never seen another bull probably because all my stray bullets wiped out every other bull around there :/

Anyways I'am still not sure how the hell I started that story off this thread maybe I was having Second Season Flashbacks...Took some bad Stuff in the Army it is possable. Once I saw whale jump a fence chasing a pink elephant across a road. Anyways I will save that one for another day.

At 14 you think Father knows best...err not always. Learned a hard lesson that year damn barrels heat up quick on those 338's still got the mark on my hand it says RUG.. missing the ER. My Dad is one of those guys that scared me back in the 80's heavy drinker the whole works...10 years clean and sober now and Has'nt hunted since 1991 reliezed that he was an idiot and he would end up killing someone at some point with his theroy on hunting. But I did see him make a hell of a shot at the bull. One shot One kill that day and the freakin OK corrall the next year.

Anyways Good luck with Elk Hunting to all :smile:

No hard feelings I hope from you Big Time serious go out and walk 500 miles and stalk that deer like you having a War Movie flashback people were not too affended from my Road hunt bullet flinging storie. I was voted most likely to get banned from a 2nd Season Elk hunting Post in college...Damn it all makes sense now

Good luck I-fisherman and Women With your I-Hunt

pdxkevin · 10-15-2002, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by springer_97011:
have you ever heard of a archer missing 15 shots at an animal?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I believe they are called 'vegetarians' at that point.

kodiakfisher · 10-16-2002, 08:09 AM

Got Fish.... stick around you've got a good sense of humor. This is just our way of initiating people onto ifish

. I think it's just our way of saying we care

. You did take a beating for that one story but look at it from our point given the information most of us assumed the worst. Just think the next person that mentiones a less than ethical situation you can chime right in you've earned it for sure.

Glad to hear you put down the rifle probably fewer friendly fire deaths this way. You Army guys are always knocking each other off anytime there is a war to go fight. Probably the governments version of natural selection. :grin: The Marines there are so few of us that we are federally protected nobody is allowed to shoot us

Don't give hunting up take what you've learned and pass it on to a child/teenager.

Kodiakfisher