Elk Rifle "Hunters"/Spider Bull

[crenshaw]

You need to take yourself to Northwest Wyoming and go for an elk hunt then talk to me. The mountains are so steep(roughest in the lower 48) the timber is thick and the elevation that will kick your butt straight off the mountain. You can see elk for miles but good luck getting on them, especailly considering the rifle season is late enough where there not responding much to bugles anymore but there not migrating either. ITS HARD!!!!! To top it all off the terrain makes them look closer then they are, i saw a 5X6 two weeks ago i thought was about 400yds but it was actually 913 on my range finder. Its tough hunting, not this easy rifle stuff you speak of.. During archery season its actually a bit nicer cause they come in to your calls and if you set up right you have a good chance, but the rifle season usually means feet of snow and none responsive elk that are more focused on food. the bulls wont leave the cows at this time of the year like they will during archery in search of more tail. The mountains kick your butt cause you cant just get above them or below them and call them out of the timber, it doesnt work. Sure shooting them in opening rolling country is simple but give yourself a good hike in northern Wyoming.

[Western MA Hunter]

To each there own... Who cares... let people make up their own minds on what they want to hunt with, etc.
Any game is harder to take w/ the bow... but let's not put anyone down for what they shoot their game with.

[tangozulu]

I find it quite interesting that you chose a Private Ranch hunt over a Public Land Hunt. I think it is fair to say this was done in order to get an advantage over other hunters. In this case by controlling the competion
as well as having a guide service. Normaly I would just let this slide but in your case you seem to feel many of your fellow hunters are somehow less skilled and thus need to use a rifle. I understand this was a tongue in cheek statement used to get a thread going but I find the real zinger is putting someone like chuck adam's on a pedistall. If you'd said Fred Bear I would have aggreed whole heartedly. Fred was no horn hunter and hunted when special bow seasons were just someones dream and he had to actually compete with rifle hunters on the same land and in the same season. Old Chucky won't even show up unless someone has a trail cam pic of horn porn he can disspatch with his compound bow...something else Fred could only dream about.

[Champlain Islander]

I don't think rifle hunting for elk is like shooting fish in a barrel. When bow season is on the weather is warm and water comes into play. The bulls are bugling and they are generally lower on the mountains. Calling them is far easier than later on in the fall when the rut is gone and the elk are moving high to get away from the hunters.