MGH_PA

Did anyone catch that episode on the Outdoor channel tonight on PA elk hunting. It discussed a bit about the reintroduction, managment practices, etc, as well as two hunts. It was nice seeing PA scenery on a national outdoor show. It really got me fired up seeing the cool weather, frosted ground, and amazing sunrises.

I know a short "debate" began in the last thread about how truly "wild" these elk are. I don't have any first hand experience, so I can't say anything either way. The one thing I did notice, however, was that the one hunter and his guide were moving A LOT before they made the shot. This was after the guide whispered "he knows we're here." They moved back and forth (mind you they were in chest up orange in fairly open hardwoods) trying to get an open shot. They were literally moving back and forth about 10yds, and the elk just stood there and watched, until it finally made a step forward, and the guy shot it.

Now, I'm not an elk hunter (would LOVE to go), so is this typical behavior? Obviously you wouldn NEVER get away doing that to a whitetail (at least a buck with the same maturity level as this bull), so it made me wonder. Is this behavior due to the somewhat "domestication" that's taken place in northwest PA? I've seen countless photos of elk in PA hanging around public places, people's yards, streets, etc, so I know in certain places they've become very comfortable with humans.

Thoughts?

Rob/PA Bowyer

Matt, as you know I work for a telephone co. My company is also in the elk areas and my coworkers say it's dangerous when the bulls are around because they'd set up their ladders on the poles and the bulls would come over to investigate, they said they'd have to get down and run the bulls off in fear they'd hook the ladders with their antlers.

As they are hunted, they may start to fear humans but right now they get so much attention that they do not fear humans. Humans are around them all but constantly. They may run but they run just out of harms way and then stand there and look at you just like you said this show showed. You might not be able to pet them but you can walk up to them within bow range. I have a friend, Ray Smith who owned River Valley Game Calls and now works for the NWTF. He got his guiding license for PA elk when we were still running our outfitting business. He also said you can walk right up to them.

There very well may be a few shy animals but again, they don't fear humans. Why should they. They've been treated like pets from the get go.

They do need culled however as they can overpopulate very quickly and if you ask alot of farmers and others in that area they said there is no real place for elk in PA anymore. Now I don't believe that, I love that they are here, I love that they can be "hunted" but don't ever think that shooting a PA elk, even with a bow has any resemblance to hunting them out west where one scent module reaches their nose and they will run over the mountain.

Sorry Bry, aint calling your friends liars as you put it, just statinf the facts as I know them from first hand experience from my acquaintances.

I watched a WNEP elk "hunt" and I thought it was such a joke. They played it up like a real western hunt and played up the sneak, the stalk etc.... the elk in the background stood there and watched them come. It was NOT a hunt, it was a cull shooting.

That said, again, glad it's possible and it's very cheap, fantastic meat if your lucky enough to get drawn. The hardest part about the "hunt" is getting drawn, then getting the right management area, then finding accessible lands within the management area THEN hoping the elk are actually on that land so you can walk up and shoot one.

Chris27

Rob is correct. I have been to Benezette,PA while upvisting my folksa couple of times and saw em. There was a 5x5 bull about 80 yds from the road where we were standing with roughly 10 cows with him even closer. They kept an eye on us, but weren't overly bothered that we were there. Have to admit though, it was pretty cool to hear him bugle and hear another just over a hill about 200yds away answer.

rybohunter

I saw the show, dvr'd it too. It was real cool to see the places they showed that I have been to and hear the history and efforts gone into building the elk herd in PA. The 2 hunts did seem to be able to get away with more than one would expect, but I still wouldn't consider either shot having "walked right up to them". Maybe the fear of humans just depends on where you are in thier range as I keep hearing both sides of the story. I don't know, I don't have enough personal observation. Maybe one day I'll get drawn and let you all know how my experience went.

HuntingBry

No worries, I was just breaking your stones. The experiences my friends have had up there with elk have been in vehiclesand the encounter out of a vehicle involved 2 very large rottweilers which probably had something to do with the elk's apprehension.

The only elk I've seen in PA were behind a fence so I have no real experience with them.

I will say that what I've heard from reliable sources about hunting them is pretty far from what I've heard about hunting them out west. Nobody came out and said you could just walk up to them, but who wants to say that about a hunt?

I missed the show. What was the name of it? I'd like to try to catch it if it's on again.

FOP23

I caught the tail end of the show and like the rest of you think that they got away with a lot of movementback and forth between three men and a cameraman. I haven't been up in the elk range but apply every year for that elusive tag. The success rate is nearly 100% every year on the elk hunt so you can draw your own conclusions from that. I believe the show was the Elk Country Journal on Outdoor Channel/

rybohunter

Yea the TV cable guide listed it as Elk Country Journal, but I think the host called it RMEF Elk Chronicles.

Pops423

Yeah, saw that one too and all those shows are disappointing when you see that kind of stuff. Always makes me think, you could never do that on a PA Whitetail and get away with it.

I watched one last year were some big guy is in jeans and a golf shirt, sweating like a mad man all out of breath and he is 'Stalking' this 'Wild Whitetail'. After he puts this amazing shot on the buck he needs to sit down and have a Stan Potts moment. Honestly made me sick and really I limit the shows I watch anymore.