Spent 6 days hunting and a friend added 3 days. Went all over the unit from south to north. Did the canyons, high points, low points, glassed over the open areas, walked thru the trees. Tried to push them out just to see one. Drove the roads to find tracks but cattle tracks were the significant majority.
Did not see a thing. Cattle were everywhere. Plenty of grass. On start of second weekend, duck hunters spoiled the telephone lake area and at same time duck hunters near recreation lakes. On last two days of the hunt there were target shooters in 3 other open locations.
Read some range management white papers and they said elk do not mix with cattle unless food is scarce. Not sure if it holds for this area but seems to.
My friend saw one bull on day 1. I did not see anything, no fresh, and very few tracks. I saw one fresh bone pile just off of telephone lake road on 11/30/18.
For a nuisance hunt, I did not see much of a nuisance . Elk must have been pushed out of the unit.
Very disappointing. Thought the nuisance hunt would be best chance for my son to finally bag one.
Conversations about life with the 17 year old was priceless.
Well...better luck next time for us.
