# Archery Elk opener ... Any luck?



## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

Did anyone have any luck over the weekend?

I went out Saturday and Sunday... Despite hitting a few great spots, I didn't see a single thing!!!! Just fresh beds and scat. No elk. I'm now rethinking my strategy and questioning my skills haha


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

It's a little early to be questioning yourself.

If you're seeing fresh beds and crap, then you're in the right area. Just keep at it...


It is hot and dry. Keep that in mind.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I didn't see any elk..... yet. 
But I had my grandson with me on his first archery hunt. So we focused on deer. He had a blast. He is hooked. Brought him home last night. 
I did get permission and the gate code to a spot that I like for elk. So next 2 days that is where I will be. Have killed a couple of bulls in there the last few years.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

We woke up at 3:00. Hiked a few miles into a water hole in the dark.









My son fell asleep before light and woke up at 9:30. Nothing came in, but it was a great, peaceful morning watching the woods come alive.

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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

PBH said:


> It's a little early to be questioning yourself.
> 
> If you're seeing fresh beds and crap, then you're in the right area. Just keep at it...
> 
> It is hot and dry. Keep that in mind.


I know it's early and one of the toughest times (or so they say) to locate them. I had a great time, but it's a always a little demoralizing when you don't see anything. It reminded me of the third day of opening shotgun weekend in Illinois when all the deer are scared and hiding and don't want to move!!

I sat over a couple of primo water holes and a wallow, but it just wasn't in the cards this weekend.

LUCKILY, my wife's archery tag hasn't come yet, so I got to endure the slowness for her. Hopefully my luck will come back when she gets out with bow in hand. 
Here was my bright spot if the weekend... The kids and my wife went out with me yesterday afternoon to glass a field and the kids has cow pee scent wafers pinned to the bottom backside of their shirt. So they had a real good time dangling them and watching it in their shadow &#128514;


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## scartinez (Apr 22, 2008)

Nothing for us either. Just some fresh scat but no animals to be seen. Still have plenty time though.


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## flyfisher20 (Aug 5, 2011)

I didn't go out this weekend. I imagine the elk are much like me and prefer to stay in shady, cool locations and not exert any energy in this blistering heat. Praying for some cooler weather to move in over the next few weeks for both the elk's and my own sake.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Saw a couple dozen and had five cows come in but holding out for antler.
Good luck everybody!


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Man, with this heat coming all week long, I'd sure be sitting a waterhole morning and night if I had a tag. Good luck all!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

MWScott72 said:


> Man, with this heat coming all week long, I'd sure be sitting IN a waterhole morning and night if I had a tag. Good luck all!


Fixed it for you.


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## tmitty (Jun 22, 2020)

Was able to get out for the evening on Saturday. Ran into a cool group of dudes packing out a velvet 5 point at the trailhead. They had been watching a bachelor herd all morning and then intercepted them on their way to water. They were nice enough to give me some pointers and waypoints to check out. I hiked a 6 mile loop to pick up a camera, bumped 2 cows and then a really nice 6 point at 60 yards, watched him run into the sunset, still kicking myself over that one. 

I have a LE bull tag. I'm planning on focusing most of my time hunting the last 1 1/2 weeks of the season. I will be getting out for weekends and the occasional weekday evening before then. Obviously this weather sucks, but how much rutting action can I expect between now and Sept 11? I'd rather call in an average sized bull and shoot it than sit on water and kill a giant. Nothing against the latter, just not the experience I would prefer.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

I agree on not sitting on water. I would much rather still hunt the entire time.but everything was so dry and crunchy and noisy over the weekend with not enough wind to muffle footsteps in addition to constantly swirling breezes, still hunting felt like it was impossible!

So I sat some water part of the time. Not as much fun in my opinion


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Had a spike come in opening morning on the Manti, pulled my **** shot from a kneeling position and shot 2 inches in front. Been getting into elk everyday, Witt several in bow range, just no shot opportunity other than the bull. 

The heat has them pretty well nocturnal, last night they didn’t come out until 8:30 then this morning they bedded at 6:40. It’s gotta be the heat and not pressure as I was the only one in this deep a$$ hole the entire weekend


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

One of our group put a unicorn on the ground Saturday night. It was by itself. The only sighting of the weekend except on private.

This hot weather puts a premium on getting anything down taken care of.

tmitty, IMO you will start to see bulls rounding up cows around labor day but the last week of your hunt is as close to prime as you are going to get. And it starts to wear on you getting that close to the wire. Have fun.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

tmitty said:


> Was able to get out for the evening on Saturday. Ran into a cool group of dudes packing out a velvet 5 point at the trailhead. They had been watching a bachelor herd all morning and then intercepted them on their way to water. They were nice enough to give me some pointers and waypoints to check out. I hiked a 6 mile loop to pick up a camera, bumped 2 cows and then a really nice 6 point at 60 yards, watched him run into the sunset, still kicking myself over that one.
> 
> I have a LE bull tag. I'm planning on focusing most of my time hunting the last 1 1/2 weeks of the season. I will be getting out for weekends and the occasional weekday evening before then. Obviously this weather sucks, but *how much rutting action can I expect between now and Sept 11*? I'd rather call in an average sized bull and shoot it than sit on water and kill a giant. Nothing against the latter, just not the experience I would prefer.


I probably wouldn't expect a ton, at least until you get past the first week of September. I hunt Wyoming and prime time for the rut is around the middle of September. I'm sure there is variance by region though.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Here in UT I find the best time for rutting elk is weeks 2,3 in Sept. Often they are still quite vocal in the first week of Oct. as well.

Muzzloader season has the best hunt dates IMO.

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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Ray said:


> Had a spike come in opening morning on the Manti, pulled my **** shot from a kneeling position and shot 2 inches in front. Been getting into elk everyday, Witt several in bow range, just no shot opportunity other than the bull.
> 
> The heat has them pretty well nocturnal, last night they didn't come out until 8:30 then this morning they bedded at 6:40. It's gotta be the heat and not pressure as I was the only one in this deep a$$ hole the entire weekend


Edit: spike was at 46 yards


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## Wasatch Wings (Sep 29, 2015)

We went out all Saturday. I had two of my kids with me (ages 11 and 9) and although they did amazing, we were a little more noisy than normal. We busted one right off the road on our way to where we planned to sit. 

It was so hot we went and sat on water all evening but nothing came in. 

My uncle decided to hunt a few miles up higher and saw a half dozen cows, two spikes, a raghorn, and two five points. He said he’s waiting for a 6 or better if he’s going to hunt that far up. He shot a spike up there last year and it was a Beast of a hike to get him out!


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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

Didn’t see or hear a thing. I checked out the wrong side of skyline dr. Tons of people deer hunting up there. Not a soul but myself elk hunting that I know of. Found a couple water spots to maybe check out later. I’m actually interested in a couple WIA spots and checked out one this weekend that I think will be real beneficial closer to winter but I may keep checking it out off and on until then. Some SITLA land I may check out a couple hours this week also. I won’t be able to get out and actually hunt for the next three weeks though which really sucks. 


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

Got close twice on cow elk but no shots fired. Will be back on the mountain Thursday-Monday to try again


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

Wasatch Wings said:


> We went out all Saturday. I had two of my kids with me (ages 11 and 9) and although they did amazing, we were a little more noisy than normal. We busted one right off the road on our way to where we planned to sit.
> 
> It was so hot we went and sat on water all evening but nothing came in.
> 
> My uncle decided to hunt a few miles up higher and saw a half dozen cows, two spikes, a raghorn, and two five points. He said he's waiting for a 6 or better if he's going to hunt that far up. He shot a spike up there last year and it was a Beast of a hike to get him out!


I sure wouldn't pass up a 5 point! Or even a spike, but that's just me.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

Just got back yesterday after spending the last 4 days in the manti.


- Saturday was a freaking goat rodeo. It felt just like rifle season with bows. 

- Sunday I left the area I was working trying to glass and hunt areas on the edge of the pressure zone. Only there was no pressure zone. The mountains were solid camps and hunters on almost every ridge, slope, and draw.

- Monday i headed back to my old area since a fair number of hunters left for the weekend. By this time I had patterned a couple of cows, and made myself a blind to ambush them as they came through again. They are probably the only two elk left in the area.

-Tuesday, never saw the cow elk, but did have a coyote come into my setup. Didn't shoot him because I was hoping for elk, had I known the elk wouldn't come through again, i'd have tried to put an arrow into him.


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

just this little guy


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

cdbright said:


> just this little guy


You STUD!! Good work on that wonderful deer!!


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Lone_Hunter said:


> Just got back yesterday after spending the last 4 days in the manti.
> 
> - Saturday was a freaking goat rodeo. It felt just like rifle season with bows.
> 
> ...


Sad to hear. Utah is turning into Colorado. I blame it all on Randy Newburgh.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Nice work, cdbright.


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

Nice Buck! cdbright.


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## Bradthorup (May 27, 2018)

Cdbright. Awesome job getting it done.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Steve G said:


> Sad to hear. Utah is turning into Colorado. I blame it all on Randy Newburgh.


Well, look at the bright side. Here in the west we have millions of acres we can hunt without much in the way of permission required. Not so east of the Rockies. If you're not involved in the effort to keep our lands public, you'll have even less land to hunt along with more people in the future.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

MWScott72 said:


> Steve G said:
> 
> 
> > Sad to hear. Utah is turning into Colorado. I blame it all on Randy Newburgh.
> ...


Agreed! I want less people in the mountains and Randy Newberg, Meateater etc contribute to there being more. But they do more than anyone to protect where we play. So I've gotta give them huge props! Besides ... I like them both


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

You’ll never hear me complain about the works of Newberg and Rinella. Those two would fight to the bitter end to protect our way of life.

I saw a few extra people on the mountain roads this year but not by much. Funny thing is, I hunted this deep hole for three days on the Manti, 15 hours a day and I didn’t run into or see a single soul. Get where people aren’t.


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