Muley69:
Your in a great area for elk I glassed that area everyday from my kitchen table. Last week over 150 head right behind Darby.
The problem I am finding is these out of town people have bought all these ranch's and arn't hunting them and driving the animals out.
From Rye Creek to almost Skalkaho following HWY 93 Intell money bought most of that land. I used to hunt around Deer mountain every year with good success,but the animals just arn't getting pushed like they were.
Not 300 yards from my front door is the Old Chief Joseph Ranch in the 250 area. The people who have bought it, don't hunt it, won't let anyone hunt it and don't drive around on the ranch as to not desturb the animals.
It's really a bitch to see 100 head of Elk in a field bedded down.
FWP is letting you take a cow the last few weeks of the season, but what differance does it make if people are protecting the Elk.
In a few years were in for a real problem if FWP don't start doing something to encourage these landowners.
Just got my truck back last week and $2900 later my truck no longer had a Cow elk as a hood ornamemt.
Try Mink Creek out of Sula. Saw a bunch second day and passed on a small 5x5. Pray for snow to bring the big boys out of the high country.
OH Yah the first nice rack you see go by in the back of an out of state pick-up will get ya motivated, hang in there.