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<blockquote data-quote="billcaldwell" data-source="post: 1798523" data-attributes="member: 59683"><p>I think the elk are getting wolf smart(er). Now they stay pretty close to rough, steep, nasty terrain where the wolves can't travel well. We hunt in Idaho, and before the Canadian wolf introduction in 1995, we hunted in Bear Valley. I would keep a running total of the number of elk I saw, and I would usually see 400 to 600 elk in the month long season. As soon as they released the wolves, the elk numbers plummeted. 1998 was our last year in Bear Valley, and that year I counted 32 elk..........no bulls, no calves, and the cows we did see were running with their mouths open. I believe the elk numbers are still only about 5 percent of the population during the good times. We still travel through Bear Valley on our way to fish for trout at Deadwood Reservoir in late October. We see occasional elk tracks in the snow, but there are always wolf tracks following them. My youngest son killed a black wolf there in 2009, the first year they could be legally hunted.</p><p></p><p>Now we hunt in rough, steep, nasty terrain, and our group of hunters usually get 2 or 3 bulls every year. That's among 6 or seven hunters. The elk have changed their habits because of the wolves. They used to have their escape routes pretty well figured, until the wolves entered the equation. Now their escape routes have a much larger selection of rough, steep, and nasty. A bunch of elk can blow through a huge area of dead-fall like the wind. But wolves get hung up. That's why the elk numbers in Bear Valley plummeted. The whole valley was pretty high, above 4500 feet, but it is mostly gentle rolling meadows with timber thickets scattered throughout.</p><p></p><p>For me, elk hunting is a passion that I enjoy every year. We just get over the counter tags and get after it. Knowing the country is probably the most important thing. Close friends and family put in a lot of work to make hunting season a very special time.My wife is holding out for a big bull, but I'll shoot any legal bull. luckily, both of our two sons have become excellent hunters and usually pass on younger bulls. I just had a new 338 Norma built, and I can't wait to hunt with it next fall. It's a 500 yard grouse gun, and a 1200 yard elk rifle.</p><p></p><p>I guess my point is, wolves suck, but we still kill as many elk as we always have. It's just harder, and takes more work. So get a tag, and get after it!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="billcaldwell, post: 1798523, member: 59683"] I think the elk are getting wolf smart(er). Now they stay pretty close to rough, steep, nasty terrain where the wolves can't travel well. We hunt in Idaho, and before the Canadian wolf introduction in 1995, we hunted in Bear Valley. I would keep a running total of the number of elk I saw, and I would usually see 400 to 600 elk in the month long season. As soon as they released the wolves, the elk numbers plummeted. 1998 was our last year in Bear Valley, and that year I counted 32 elk..........no bulls, no calves, and the cows we did see were running with their mouths open. I believe the elk numbers are still only about 5 percent of the population during the good times. We still travel through Bear Valley on our way to fish for trout at Deadwood Reservoir in late October. We see occasional elk tracks in the snow, but there are always wolf tracks following them. My youngest son killed a black wolf there in 2009, the first year they could be legally hunted. Now we hunt in rough, steep, nasty terrain, and our group of hunters usually get 2 or 3 bulls every year. That's among 6 or seven hunters. The elk have changed their habits because of the wolves. They used to have their escape routes pretty well figured, until the wolves entered the equation. Now their escape routes have a much larger selection of rough, steep, and nasty. A bunch of elk can blow through a huge area of dead-fall like the wind. But wolves get hung up. That's why the elk numbers in Bear Valley plummeted. The whole valley was pretty high, above 4500 feet, but it is mostly gentle rolling meadows with timber thickets scattered throughout. For me, elk hunting is a passion that I enjoy every year. We just get over the counter tags and get after it. Knowing the country is probably the most important thing. Close friends and family put in a lot of work to make hunting season a very special time.My wife is holding out for a big bull, but I'll shoot any legal bull. luckily, both of our two sons have become excellent hunters and usually pass on younger bulls. I just had a new 338 Norma built, and I can't wait to hunt with it next fall. It's a 500 yard grouse gun, and a 1200 yard elk rifle. I guess my point is, wolves suck, but we still kill as many elk as we always have. It's just harder, and takes more work. So get a tag, and get after it! [/QUOTE]
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