Finally the ELK TAG is MINE!

[Kenster-Boy]

I drew from N. Northern California (in other words WAY above SF city). It is in the "famous" old growth redwoods. It will be quite the experience because there isn't any other places in the world to hunt in the redwoods. It is called the BIG LAGOON ANTLERLESS hunt. They really don't offer many tags for elk in california because they were transplanted here not too many years ago and they finally have a huntable population in a couple of spots. It should be a lot of fun although the success rate is REALLY low for my area.(around 15-20%) It is pretty highly regulated as well. You are stuck with hunting on a timber company's land only! They regulate the days and areas you are allowed to hunt. Fish and Game gives us 2 weeks to hunt but it opens on a monday and closes on a friday. Well the timber company only allows you to hunt on weekends! So that gives me 2 days! What a scam man /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif, but that is califonia and that's why I joined the Air Force /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gifand will be leaving in september 13th. This works out quite nicely because the elk tag hunt goes from August 31 - Sep 9. Well I wish you best of luck in Colorado! Make sure to post pics of your hunt on here if you get one. We could always use the storries and pictures whether it be long range or not.

 

[wyobmf]

You should have no reason to take that long of a shot at a cow elk unless you want to just to say you did. I've shot three six points in the last 5 years that have been less than 50 yards, 2 of them less than 20. I can see the reasoning for taking a long shot at a huge bull that you don't want to take a chance on stocking but not a cow.

 

[Kenster-Boy]

Well have you ever hunted elk in the redwoods? I didn't think so!

If you have never been to an old growth forest, then let me describe it to ya. It is like walking through a jungle that has a cannopy about 100 yards above ya. Visibility is no more than 10 feet in a lot of areas. SO sneeking up on em in stuff like that is next to impossible. The only open ground is HUGE clear cuts. Well if the animals are in the clear cuts then you can't sneek across the cuts to get close and you make too much noise going through the brush! Kind of a catch 22. So it may be necessary to take a LONG shot. And I need all the help that I can get because with a 15% sucess rate on this hunt last year (cow hunt)I need every capability and advantage that I can get.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk but that is just the way that it is and not to mention that I have always wanted to make a long range kill. I have been practicing for 2 years spent TONS of money and obained the nesessary skills to pull off such a shot. So why not go for the gusto?

 

[wyobmf]

I have no problem with long range shots if your set up, its always nice to have the option of a long range shot if ya need it, thats why I'm setting up my 300 rum for that now.
I have never hunted in a redwood forest, but have killed elk with a bow and know there is other ways beside long range, like tree stands, water holes, game trails. The only thing is if you cant find them in the clear cuts then you no longer have the option of long range and have to resort to other ways of hunting that might end up in a very close shot if the forest is the way you say it is.

 

[Kenster-Boy]

Yeah I hear what your saying. I just want to make sure that I have the option is all. I know that there is other ways of doing things but the other catch is that the "GREEN DIAMOND RESOURCES" land is where the hunt takes place and they get to dictate when and where you get ta hunt. SO I may have a limited quarry of animals to work with in the first place. Who knows maybe there won't be any! But I just want to maximise my chances on all angles if possible. I decided on the 175 smk because it has the weight and most importantly shoots EXCELLENT in my rifle. The 160 Accubond would be my other option but it just doesn't have the foot pounds at long range that the extra 15 gr. give you.