Good morning all-

It' s been awhile since I posted re: my first elk hunt coming up this fall.

Well, my partner and I got some good news...we won the draw for unit 67! We' re pretty pumped about that. We' re going unguided during the first rifle season with either sex tags.

Now that I know where we' re going, I bought a topo map of the unit from huntinmaps.com and I' m in the process of ordering some more topos and aerials from mytopo.com.

The next step for us is to start calling the locals in the area. I have a couple of contact names, Don Masden (Gunnison Area Biologist) and the folks at Gene Taylors Rod and Gun in Gunnison.

I' ve got some good ideas as to some potential spots in the area...

My question is: Could anyone give me some pointers as to what I should be asking these guys when I call them?

My biggest fear when asking someone for help is that I don' t want to come off like I' m using them just for their advice, yet I' m talking to them for a reason and that is to try to glean some knowledge from them....

That' s all that I' ve got...Congrats to everyone who won their draws this year and happy hunting!!!

Thanks in advance,
Big TK

If you ask them about specific areas you will undoubtedly sound like you did your homework. If you say " x drainage, or x mountain looks like it has good cover and water, do you know anything about that area?" He' ll give you the info he knows about it. You' d be surprised what they' ll tell you. Then ask follow up questions based on his responses. Ask if hes seen or heard of a lot of elk coming out in trucks, ask about hunting pressure.

One year I asked a ranger by phone about a potential elk area in a unit I was thinkg about hunting. He didn' t have much to say except very vague answers. I then said " well x mountain looks good because it looks like it has some deep timber and a stream, what do you know about it?" He began to tell me that mountain had been on fire 2 years before and they couldn' t keep the elk off of it. They wanted the small quakies to grow but the elk love to eat em. I didn' t draw on that unit but found if you ask specific questions they really open up.

Another year I was already hunting in a Unit and asked a ranger driving by camp" where are the elk?" He responded by saying " oh they' re around." I then asked " how about x ridge? Looks like no roads for 2 miles and great feeding grounds on the map." He went on to tell me that 2 days earlier he heard bulging like crazy coming from that area. When he got out his spotting scope he said they were everywhere. We pulled two bulls outta there the next day.

I think the problem is they have so much knowledge that if you don' t ask specific questions they don' t know where to start. Besides no one really has much to offer a guy thats looking for a free lunch. I would say you do not fit in that category, keep on researching and you should find some great info.

You hit the nail right on the head on that one. When someone asks me a question like where can I get an elk in unit 7 (i' m not talking about you big tk) I am very evasive and won' t give an answer that he couldn' t figure out driving down the interstate at 80 mph. But if I' m ask a very specific question about a paticular spot, I' m normally pretty honest and will share knowledge, unless this prick is trying to get into my honey hole

Oh, by the way, I' ve never hunted unit 67, so I wouldn' t be any help anyway, but I used to hunt unit 54 opposite side of Gunnison. Bring your fishing pole and get over to Blue Messa if you have time. Great fishing that time of year if you get your elk early

Rather_B

Excellent info. And it really works!
elknut1

Big TK,
First sit down and write a list of the things you want to know and what is important to you. I always like to get away from the crowds and pressure and look for the roughest country.
I always ask more questions about the country and the pressure sometimes they will start talking about the animals on their own.
Some samples:
Where do most of the hunters camp?
Which roads are open in the area/closed?
Are there any areas in the unit that are more remote or just plain tough for a hunter to get into?
Is there any private land with restricted access in the unit I need to be aware of?
Where to do you see the hunters having the most success in the unit?
What is the average size of the bulls in the unit so you will know a representative animal when you see it? (not all units have 350 bulls in them)
If it was you and you were going on your first elk hunt where would you camp and hunt in the unit?
Get your maps of the area out before you call so you are prepared when they start naming places. Start out with saying you have been doing your research and looking at the maps but not being familiar with the area you could sure use a little help getting a hunting spot nailed down.
Let them know it is your first trip out there and don' t try to sound like a know it all, people are usually more than happy to help out.
Good luck!

Once again...the generosity on this board doesn' t fail!!!

Thanks Rather Be and Noway.

Using some of your advice, I called the Gunnison office and spoke to a woman named Dottie who gave me some good general advice and also the phone number of the local biologist. I called and left a message but have yet to hear back. She also gave me the name of the wildlife guy in forestry dept. down there...his name is Mike Jackson. GREAT GUY. WOW, did he help me out alot!

Like y' all said, " ask specific questions, receive specific answers" . I rattled off some mountains/ridges that my partner and I were considering and Mr. Jackson gave me camping information, pressure information as well as some info on the local herd. He suggested checking back with him as the season grows closer.

Since many of these fine folks probably won' t be coming up to the great state of Wisconsin any time soon, I decided that I would look them up when we arrive in Gunnison and drop off some of the finest Wisconsin cheese this guy can find...and believe me, that can be a tough decision since there' s no such thing as bad Wisconsin cheese!!! :-)

Thanks again everyone.

Big TK

ps. I hope to be able to contribute more to the board as my experience grows, however, right now I' m pretty green!

BIG TK,

All we ever here from " Sisconites" is cheese, cheese, cheese.

The guys have given you great advice here; and there isn' t anything I can add. But, if there is anything I can help you with come on over and join us on the " T.R.' s Tips" board. Incidentally, I may be speaking at the Deer Classics in Green Bay and Madison in 2004.

From the west (right) side of the Mississippi,

T.R.