# Nebo elk



## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

There is a lot of talk about tons of elk on the Wasatch, I sure wish some would slip into the Nebo unit, I have been hunting spikes and have yet to see elk but I have only been on the west central side so far. Strange thing is the usual hot spots are empty and I have not seen more than 4 hunters instead of the usual 200.


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

I have been chasing elk on the nebo unit for two days now. Yesterday I went to a spot where I killed a cow about 15 years ago. In the past it has been pretty crowded but this year I was the only one there. I re-discovered a watering hole and suddenly realized why there are elk and other wildlife in there. I also saw more grouse than I ever had in close proximity to the watering hole. Yesterday at 9 am the bulls started going crazy and bugling like I have never heard, the problem is that the scrub oak that they are in is so thick I was never able to see anything. So I went back up today with a hootchy momma cow call and sat down by the watering hole. Right at 9 the bulls got active again and I called in a spike to within 30 feet of where I was sitting. He crept out of the woods and dropped into the watering hole so I couldn't see him. When I tried to stand up a little he made eye contact with me and was gone, I never even got a good look at him except for his antlers. After he ran off I called in a large bodied 3 point that had a another elk with him but I was never able to tell what his companion was. He got a drink and then walked off. After that the activity slowed down until about 12:00 when I called in small herd of cows, one baby almost walked right over me! All in all it was really cool to see the animals and get so close to them even though I didn't get my spike. My question is how much longer do you guys expect the elk to keep calling like they are and would it be too soon to go back up there again tomorrow? I would have to play hooky form work.

Here is one of the cows in the watering hole, sorry my phone takes bad pictures.[attachment=0:6i9c5yko]Photo0164.jpg[/attachment:6i9c5yko]


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

I think the elk will be calling a while longer and if I were you I would be back to your spot tomorrow morning, the y will be back and you will be a lot more ready. At least you have seen elk, good luck


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

You wouldn't be related to the Cowan's from Payson?


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked that I would have one mill... no, about $100 bucks. No I'm not, don't know them but I do get asked that quite a bit. When I worked for the phone co. out of Provo office I would get asked that about 3-4 times a month. I'm from Nephi. By the way I finally got into some elk, 12 cows and 3-4 different bulls. Lots of bugling from 5:30 til 8:00 when I left. Lots of fun but man I want to tag out.


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

LOL sorry I didn't mean to bring up a sore sunject. They are a large family with lots of older kids and the only time I have heard that name. It is good to hear that you have gotten into some elk.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I'd love to hear reports from spike hunters (on Nebo) as well ...
What kind of elk numbers were seen there? heard sizes?


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

I took work off and went back up to my spot today and it was a ghost town. I was only able to call in one cow to the watering hole and heard a single distant bugle.
I think that I have put to much pressure on this area and they are wise to me now. When I hiked out I took a different path and came across a few active bedding sights that had fresh signs (wet urine and hoof marks) of a large number of elk. :roll:
So I am pretty sure the ladies have figured me out but what I don't understand is what happened to all of the bull activity? Did they simple move to another location, and would it be worth it to let it cool down a bit and go up there maybe towards the end of the hunt? The bugle I heard sounded like the elk are moving even farther from any roads and would make it next to impossible for me to go in after one. Last I have only gone up in the mornings so I wonder what it would be like to get up there in the evening?

As far as numbers go I really have no idea because it is very thick and I could never see that many elk at any given time. I do know that at one point it sounded like 3 different bulls were bugling to each other while I had the 3 point and spike at the watering hole. From the sounds of the hooves crashing through the woods I would say one bull had at least 10 members in his herd but who really knows? 
If you guys have any pointers on what to do next it would be greatly appreciated. I am pretty happy with what I have found, I originally wanted to get a cow tag for the 
Nebo unit but they didn't issue any so if I ever get a nebo cow tag again I know right where to go.


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

Hey, its not a sore subject, I was always amazed at how often I was asked that question. I hope I didn't give you some bad advise by going back after elk this morning, it should not have been a problem if they didn't get to spooked. I went out and only saw one cow. ????


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

I think that they may just have days when they aren't that active, kind of like fishing. At least that is what I'm hoping.


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

Holy cow,....... I mean spike. I finally sealed the deal on a spike elk on the Nebo unit Sunday night. I cut him up and hauled most of him out that night and returned with a good hunting buddy in the morning to get the front shoulders and head. NOW for the NOT SO GOOD NEWS.

NOTE: This is my personal opinion based on what I viewed in the areas I hunted and may not reflect the conditions of the entire unit.

In past years I could easily find nice herds of elk in certain key areas where elk get pushed into during the hunts. This year there are none. I know they were pushed back into deeper country but I talked to a few hunters that went out into these areas and the report was very little to no elk. I am hoping the elk just went to another part of the unit but I believe this year was a prime example of way too many cow elk permits being sold for the last three years on the Nebo unit. During the hunt I did see six big bulls, One loner and the rest only had 4 to 6 cows. What happened to the 20 to 40 cow herds? The herd I got my spike out of had one big bull, 5 cows, and one spike, now minus one spike. I know that for every tag sold, that doesn't mean that's how many cow elk will be killed. But it does up the numbers of elk killed etc., etc.. It will be interesting to see the impact on other elk units for the next two or three years, because I feel the cow hunts have hurt the Nebo unit.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I agree with you COWAN,
The Nebo is hurting BAD!

And the impact of extremely high cow permit numbers on the Wasatch will
be felt in coming years...

The Wasatch unit is heading down the same road as the Nebo unit has traveled -)O(-


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

Good job on the spike!
I was never able to get one but I learned a lot about the terrain and the elk, I feel very confident for next year. 
I agree that there seems to be less elk up there then in times past. I also talked to a lot of hunters that had seen very little elk. I don't know if it is that the herd numbers are low or if the hunters weren't looking in the right places, maybe a little of both. 
Most of the guys I talked to had horse and would stay on the trail covering miles and miles of terrain. While they didn't see anything I got into them pretty thick the first couple of days by going off trail and staying closer to the road. Looking in places where you wouldn’t think elk would hang out. I kept getting the impression that the elk had gotten wise to where people routinely hunt and had figured out a different strategy. 
Last I saw calves almost every time I saw cows so hopefully the numbers will be on the way up if we have a good winter.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Well done on the spike. My 13 yo also shot a spike off the Nebo unit. 

My family has hunted the Nebo all my life and I have never seen this many calves on the Nebo. Crazy high numbers. The Nebo elk have certainly changed their routines and there are still many elk on the unit, just not spending as much time in the same places as they did a decade ago. You can only kill so many lead cows before the patterns change.....


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

Packout said:


> Well done on the spike. My 13 yo also shot a spike off the Nebo unit.
> 
> My family has hunted the Nebo all my life and I have never seen this many calves on the Nebo. Crazy high numbers. The Nebo elk have certainly changed their routines and there are still many elk on the unit, just not spending as much time in the same places as they did a decade ago. You can only kill so many lead cows before the patterns change.....


+958 thank you! thank you! thank you! lead cows are killed and patterns change... the Nebo unit is fine. if they elk arent in one spot they are else where.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Packout said:


> Well done on the spike. My 13 yo also shot a spike off the Nebo unit.
> 
> My family has hunted the Nebo all my life and I have never seen this many calves on the Nebo. Crazy high numbers. The Nebo elk have certainly changed their routines and there are still many elk on the unit, just not spending as much time in the same places as they did a decade ago. You can only kill so many lead cows before the patterns change.....


I'm going with Goof on this one. If he says ALL the elk on Nebo and the Wasatch are gone I've got to believe him. He does know everything about those units as none of us have EVER set foot on them.


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

Ya, I don't believe all the elk are gone off of Nebo unit but their habits and some locations have surely changed. I still stand by my stance that there have been too many cow tags issued and I do believe we will see the effects of this on other units in the next couple years. By the way I wish you all could have witnessed the shot I made on my spike. It was about a 250 - 300 yard shot thru the lungs. Classic shot------pop, wobble, wobble head up, head down,barf blood, barf blood, go to take a step and collaps on the spot, right on top of a ridge. It was a good easy haul out. The stars deffinately were aligned on this one.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Congrats on your spike, it sure is a fun hunt. I didnt fill my tag this year but I dont consider it a failure because I learned alot and and I feel very confident for next year.


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## NyteFyre22 (Oct 4, 2013)

I don't know where the elk were for the 2012 hunt, but I know where they weren't. They weren't in between strawberry and Springville. We saw hundreds of hunters, and we talked to a DWR guy who had seen two tags filled. This was opening morning. We didn't see any spike at all, although we did see at first light.


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