The Phantoms of the Forest

[Stiknstring]

On June 21st the sun will rise at 5:11 AM and wont set until 9:10 PM.
It will take 15 hours, 58 minutes to cross the sky and the actual period of visible light will be close to 17 hours total.
Elk season might seem like a long ways off, but as the days get shorter, so does the wait.
My kids will be out of school, work will be keeping me later in the evenings, but my mind will be miles away.
I know that the best time to see animals is during the early morning and late evening hours, but when the sun is out for 70% of the day the odds increase of seeing that one secretive bull of my dreams.
But during the hot summer months they like to keep cool in the heavily brush choked creek-bottoms and shady old-growth forest.
Sure, you might get a chance to see a herd of cows, calves, and a few smaller bulls...
But the ones that really get you excited still stay out of sight.
Along about the end of July, there is a change in the herd.
It is almost a sense of excitement, but subdued...
The large summer herds and nursery groups start to split off, and disperse to different areas.
Those Elk that were visible along the side of the road suddenly disappear.
Almost like these elk have moved away, but late at night there is a sound that is heard year-round, but now it increases in frequency.
You will hear bugles, as bulls travel along ridge-lines and move through open areas in the dark.
The bulls are in a display mode, announcing to the world that they are excited about something, and want to introduce themselves.
Sometime in the middle of August, there is a period of relative silence.
But you can tell the elk are still there as evidenced by the small trees and shrubs that get shredded by bulls posturing in front of the cows.
There is plenty of sign, but the elk have moved into the secret places away from roads and areas easily accessible by humans.
Hopefully by the time September gets here, and with it Archery elk season you have been able to find an area that holds elk, and have a good idea how to spend your all too short hunting trip.
As I hunt Roosevelt Elk in the Coastal Rainforest of Washington, I dream of the bulls I saw during summer, but will be happy with a cow for the freezer.
The big bulls got that way by surviving, and they are good at it.
The area I hunt has a bull/cow ratio of around 19/100, and mature bulls are scarce.
I see a lot of young (2-3 year olds) bulls, but occasionally I see the one of my dreams.
Usually during late summer storms when they come out of hiding.
I hope to put my tag on ANY elk, but when I am dreaming of this upcoming season my mind is on the phantoms I only get a glimpse of on the rare occasion they expose themselves.
And hope that I can find their hiding places before it is time to go home.

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[Old Shortstop]

I wish. When I lived in Wyoming I knew I would get to hunt elk every year. Now I have to draw or do OTC and drive 1300 miles one way. It is still my favorite hunt and I try to do it every other year.

D.P.

[Stiknstring]

I am lucky enough to be able to hunt them every year,
I drive 50 miles to the coast, then 30 miles south to our favorite camping spot.
I don't get to do the "high mountain" hunting most people think of when it comes to elk.
Sure, I could head east for Rocky Mountain Elk, but there is something magical about the coastal Roosevelt and Blacktail deer in Old-Growth forest that speaks to my spirit.
In the shade of giant trees, I hunt the dense vine maple thickets mixed with ferns, huckleberries and devils club.
Morning mist from the ocean lingers in the valleys, and I often fill my pockets with chanterelles that grow along the game trails.
And nibble on berries, black, blue, and pink.
In the often 80 degree weather in September it is 20 degrees cooler in the trees, and the day passes pleasantly.
September in the elk woods is my favorite time of year.
If I want to take a break from the woods, a little salmon fishing can be productive, and fresh salmon over the fire is a treat.

[Carpdaddy]

Wow, I really enjoyed reading these post. I got to hunt elk one time when I was much younger. I have drawn a cow tag for here in Ky for the first time, looking forward to a learning experience.

[Captainkirk]

Sounds like you live in a magical place, Michael.
I love your writing style, BTW. It creates visual footage in my mind's eye even before I saw the photos.
I doubt if the stars will align long enough for me to ever be able to do an elk hunt, but I can live vicariously through posts like this. Thanks for sharing.

[Old Shortstop]

Michael,

I have never had the opportunity to hunt Roosevelts, but I hear they are less vocal than the Rocky Mountain elk. Do you find that true?

I love how dark the antlers tend to be and the occasional crowning, let alone the bigger body size. I can't imagine packing one out of that rain forest like county.

D.P.

[Stiknstring]

Michael,

I have never had the opportunity to hunt Roosevelts, but I hear they are less vocal than the Rocky Mountain elk. Do you find that true?

I love how dark the antlers tend to be and the occasional crowning, let alone the bigger body size. I can't imagine packing one out of that rain forest like county.

D.P.

The common misconception about Roosevelts being "less vocal" is probably due to the terrain they live in.
The sound gets muffled by the dense forest.
I have been in an area surrounded by bugling bulls just going crazy, yet after climbing up out the drainage I have met hunters on the road comment about how quiet the elk have been.
I just don't think the sound carries as far.
I also have witnessed that cows will often not be talking to each other as much while in the open, but once they lose sight of each other, or the calves don't know where mom went, there is moments of increased vocalization.
Because of the terrain, and vegetation these elk are usually in a very tight group and most calls are very subdued, meant as a direct communication with those elk that are within hearing (and elk have great ears) so there really is no reason to be loud.
Roosevelts also tend to have a smaller "home" area, they travel less distances when they have everything they need.
Because food, water, and security cover are often in the same place, most actual herd movement is a result of human pressure, (this tends to shut them up also) and not normal herd movement.
The elk in my area seem to feed all night in open areas then head for the trees at, or before first light.
Actually traveling less than a mile to their bedding areas, they don't go from water to food to bed like RM elk, their bedding areas have water and food available, so they are difficult to pattern, or ambush because they have everything they need right where they are.
I also suspect that due to the fact most bulls in the area are immature (2-4 y/o) that if a young bull does happen to get a few cows of his own, he does not want any other bulls to find out about it.
But usually (in my experience) by the time season is open most bulls are with cows, and not real interested in bugling.
I hear a lot of bull squeals and chuckles (bulls calling cows) compared to any advertising or challenge bugles (compared to August, and again in late September)
A lot of bulls will sneak in quietly to take a look, then leave just as suddenly, and sometimes you only see them as they leave...
This is one reason I advocate being real slow, a Roosevelt will stand still for a very long time to try to see what is making noise.
I would say the biggest challenge in hunting Roosevelts is confidence in your set-up and the patience to wait in one spot for at least an hour before moving on.
I cannot count the number of times I have stood up to move on to a different spot and the crashing of an elk running off.
Or letting my guard down and suddenly seeing one just standing there looking at me.

As far as packing one out...
The best thing about the number of logging roads in Washington is that there is always one nearby.
The elk might fall in the nastiest place it can find, but get it into pieces and hanging to cool, then up to the road, use a game cart to get it to the vehicle.
It is rough, back breaking work, but worth it.

[Old Shortstop]

Interesting nuances to the Roosevelts. Thanks.

D.P.