Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
I drew a tag for zone 3 in PA for a cow elk. This is the Dents Run / Hicks Run area. Any advice on locations to start would be great.
Thanks
Thanks
Help with PA elk - zone 3
- Thread starter Clem Bronkoski
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C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
Congratulations. I know this area well. Hunted, biked, hiked, and drove this area growing up. I can try to answer your questions the best I can.
Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
Thanks Matt but I have a few maps including a topo map. Google earth is also good. I've been plotting some likely areas and putting them in my GPS unit. My leg work starts in October. I did make one visit to get familiar with the roads.
rs3579
Well-Known Member
Hi. We're you successful this year? I drew a zone 4 cow tag this year also. I got one at noon the 1st day. Awesome hunting experience.
Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
RS both you and I must have shot ours at close to the same time. I shot mine about 12:15. That storm in the morning must have had them hunkered down. I had a blast. I had shot what I believe the lead cow coming down the mountain followed by he last year's calf. When my friend and I walked up to her and looked up the side of the mountain there were a ton of elk up there. We stopped counting after 30 including 2 bulging bulls. I have animal ring tones on my phone and one of them is an elk. I found it and started bugling back at him. Boy was he getting mad. But the herd bull wouldn't come down I guess because of the other bull up there close. Fortunately my cow was only about 200 yards and up hill from the road. We got her dragged to the road where there was a high bank and I was able to back my pick up against the bank and drag her right in.
She tipped the scales at almost 350 lbs. That was pretty hard dragging for two old farts in there upper 60s!
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Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
I got to know this area too. I put a lot of miles on my truck and my boot soles before the hunt. Ended up running into an older gentleman who used to guide there and he drove me around to some good spots. I was very thankful for him. I guess the good Lord knew I could use the help. He was my angel in disguise!
rs3579
Well-Known Member
Congratulations. That storm definitely had them hunkered down. I saw 3 bulls before I found a group of 4 cows. Mine ended up about 80yds off a road also, weight was 350 at the scale. We drove within 15' of the elk. There were 4 of use to help. Definitely a great experience and it tastes fantastic. I was scouting every weekend in October with my sons/ friends. I had a good knowledge of the zone. Plenty of elk around. I told 2 other hunters where I got mine and they also were successful in the same field as I was. I tell everyone I know to apply for this hunt. Especially zone 4 because of the knowledge we have of the zone. I have a camp that was 1/2 hour north of the hunt zone. Everything worked out great. Good luck in the future hunting.
C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
Congratulations.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
I can sit on our porch and watch the same vehicles drive by numerous times thruout the day.
This is the way the vast majority of (hunting) is done there, even by the so called outfitters.
Lets be honest here guys, this is more of an Elk shoot than an Elk hunt.
This is the way the vast majority of (hunting) is done there, even by the so called outfitters.
Lets be honest here guys, this is more of an Elk shoot than an Elk hunt.
Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
Maybe so for a lot of tag holders but my friend and I put a lot of boot leather down on the ground before and during the hunt. That first morning with the snow followed by sleet and the wind gusts, we looked like snowmen. I had about 1/2" of the stuff on the brim of my hat. We had tried to get to the areas away from the roads as much as possible. I just got lucky that I intercepted and had shot mine on the way back to the vehicle as they were coming down the mountain. Ten minutes sooner or later and we wouldn't have saw them.
I've been on 3 western elk hunts and although not as high, the mountains in NCPA are just as rugged as the ones in ID and WY where I hunted.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Well you shoot them where you find them. And in Pa, most of them are found where they can be seen from a road.
Our camp is about 1 mile west of Driftwood, 50 years ago it was unheard of to see an Elk in that area. Today it wouldnt be uncommon for a dozen or more to be eating grass in our yard and other yards in the area. 50 years ago you might also count 50 deer on the 18 mile trip to Bennezete right along the roads.
Today you will likely see no deer, but could very possibly count 50 elk on that same trip.
The elk season in PA works for one reason, that being that the game commission turns its back on them being shot from well traveled roads and within saftey zones of homes and camps.
As for the steep rugged ridges, thats the attraction for many of us who hunt there, as It makes for great long range glassing and shooting for deer.
But ask any of the many who hunt that way there about the number of elk they see. The answer will be very few if any for the most part.
You want to see elk? drive around till you find a place with nice grass and thats where they will be.
And thats where the (outfitters) will be also.
Our camp is about 1 mile west of Driftwood, 50 years ago it was unheard of to see an Elk in that area. Today it wouldnt be uncommon for a dozen or more to be eating grass in our yard and other yards in the area. 50 years ago you might also count 50 deer on the 18 mile trip to Bennezete right along the roads.
Today you will likely see no deer, but could very possibly count 50 elk on that same trip.
The elk season in PA works for one reason, that being that the game commission turns its back on them being shot from well traveled roads and within saftey zones of homes and camps.
As for the steep rugged ridges, thats the attraction for many of us who hunt there, as It makes for great long range glassing and shooting for deer.
But ask any of the many who hunt that way there about the number of elk they see. The answer will be very few if any for the most part.
You want to see elk? drive around till you find a place with nice grass and thats where they will be.
And thats where the (outfitters) will be also.
Clem Bronkoski
Well-Known Member
Yes and quite a bit especially in Elk and Cameron counties. Also in Clinton, Centre and Clearfield counties.
There are several viewing areas where you can see them in the St. Marys and Bennezette area. Check it out. During the season when I was permitted to hunt I only hunted 1/2 day (including during a miserable snow squall) and saw a lot of elk. After I shot mine we stopped counting after 30 as the herd meandered across the hillside above us.
And Yobuck during that morning's hunt we saw about a dozen deer including 2 buck. One respectable and one bruiser. We also saw a flock of turkey. In fact we saw turkey every time we went up there scouting.
And driving to my zone on Rt 555 West of Driftwood we saw lots of both elk and deer along the highway.
As for hunting near cabins and/or houses I could have shot one out of a herd in a safety zone at 9:00 in the morning. But as tempting as it was I won't break a game law. Especially with me being a Hunter Trapper Education Instructor.
