27 Elk

[wetmule]

Just curious about the success on the bull hunt last year ? With 14 bonus points I drew a muzz elk tag last year in 27. The success of that hunt was 36% with nine bulls taken out of 25 hunters. Neither myself or my hunting partner took a bull on the hunt. We both had numerous opportunities and called in lots of 330-350 class bulls and had a really good hunt, but we both elected not to shoot looking for that next level up of bigger bulls. The success rate of most early bull hunts generally run anywhere from 70%-95% respectively and many of the archery bull hunts had much better success rates than this hunt. Either the majority of the hunters on this hunt were like us and elected not to burn a cap looking for something better or the conditions during the hunt were not conducive to finding big elk or perhaps something else unknown is going on with the elk in the unit. I do know that in both 1 and 27 you have to weed through alot of bulls to find a jumbo, but I know they are there. Anyone with more knowledge of the unit than me have any theories as to why the success rate was down.

[111]

Sounds like you guys did well, I would have probably taken a 350 on that hunt. But burning 14 points on that hunt I see why you were looking for the next size up. I'm guessing the rut had either slowed down in the area, or the bulls had a little education from the archery hunters that were in there the two weeks prior to your hunt.

[.270]

didn't get to hunt in 27 last year. my oldest boy helped a friend get a nice 6x7 on the late hunt, from an ugly canyon off the rim. did get to hunt a friend during the early rifle hunt in u1 tho. didn't seem like the cows were really very hot to me. the guy we were with shot a 360 bull. it was one of 14 bulls after one cow. seems to me like the rut is sorta drawn out anymore and you don't get those 8-10 days of extremely hot elk like it seemed to be in years past. and the really big bulls are completely nocturnal. never make a peep after the east horizon starts to show a little light. never saw a really big bull in the early hunt, but did see a couple real thugs on the late hunt in u1. didn't get em tho. one that a guy i know missed was shot a couple days later by some flatlander and it would probably net over 370. really a good one. 27 has some really big bulls. usually ya see em about 3 miles away in a snowy canyon in november. they don't seem to show up during the rut except at night. Lark.

[wetmule]

Thanks 270, I figured you might have an idea or two since that is your neck-o-the-woods. Sounds like you did pretty good in 1. It did warm up right after the archery hunt and all the bulls not just the big ones were pretty nocturnal at least early in the hunt. They were screaming in the dark and as soon as the sun came up they were flat done for the first 3 days of the hunt, it got better as the hunt progressed. No regrets and no complaints here, I've hunted Unit 1 a fair amount but this hunt was the second time for me in 27 and the first with my own tag. I absolutely love that place and won't hesitate to apply again. As far as I'm concerned 1 & 27 are the prettiest units in the state. You guys can have all the 400 inch bulls you want in units 8,9 & 10 I'd rather hunt that country in the east no matter what size bulls it has. Saw several huge black bears lots of turkeys and of course lots of elk. Didn't see any of those transplanted hybrid poodle dogs. I still find it a little strange that only nine bulls were taken, even in a down year with as many elk as they have up there I woulda thunk it would have been at least 50% success that time of year. Thanks

[Muley62]

Kevin, do you know how many were residents vs. NR's last year? That does seem really low unless hunters were holding out like yourself. I am applying for unit 10 this year but after this, I may be a 1/27 convert as well. When you have a choice between sleeping under a cedar tree in 95 degrees or in the pines with frost on the grass...well I see your point.

[coueshunter]

Kevin, I dont know much about 27 but it did seem like generally in unit 1 that the big bulls were bedded down before first light and there were tons of smaller bulls running around. I only hunted a few days during archery but only saw one big bull in all the bull encounters. Glad you had a great hunt and I couldnt agree more about sleeping under the stars/trees/temperatures the mountains have to offer............Allen.......

[JVS]

I'm going on a rant...don't care if anyone has an opinion, but I'm tired of the tags in unit 1 and 27 decreasing every year. Look at the ridiculous number of antlerless tags. You've got to be kidding me. Is that a political move by the G&F to satisfy the USFWS? Are they really selling out our elk to the wolves...oh wait, I mean dogs? That is what it looks like to me.

 

Now, as far the bulls and low success rates...I'd hate to blame that on the wolves, but that is the only explanation I have. Anything to blame the wolves. Hey .270. ya got my back here or are the little green aliens on the prowl again?

[KGAINES]

"little green aliens on the prowl again"

They are probably half breeds too.

[DesertDiesel]

I had an archery tag in 27 last year. The wasn't much of a rut from what I could see/hear. Temps were real high. As for the dogs, they screwed up one chance for me. I had a bull talking to me and closing in until the dogs started going nuts. The bull got quiet and haulled arse out off there.

[.270]

green aliens? only aliens i ever seen in 27 wuz sorta brown lookin'. and the tags are decreasing? i don't pay much attention to the cow tags, but haven't the bull tags increased a little lately? they went way up in u1. i do know this, per the usfw info, there aren't enough deer and elk in 27 to support the number of wolf/dogs that they want to have there. but that's a different story. i think that moving both the early hunts and the late bull back a week will improve the hunting, especially in u27. it will really improve the u1 archery and early rifle hunt. don't know if it's weather patterns or just the way o' the season, but the rut seems to be a little later and stretched out a little longer than it was some years back. i know last october it was still hot during the early hunt in u1. whatever the deal is, i'll take any bull tag they wanna give me in either one o' them units. Lark.