Home at last. Been gone since may workin seismic was supposed to be home 2 weeks ago but had to go and re drill 6000 holes due to faulty explosives. So here i am less than a week from the elk/deer archery opener and nothing really set up. Still have 2000 second cut bales to put up yet to b4 i leave for school on the 3rd of sept. Been running around like a squirrel here scouting and first light, hangin cameras and scouting the evening. Seeing some real nice bucks especially yesterday morning and last night. Got my first look at a big bull elk of the season last night as the big herd daddy wandered out into a wheat field to acompany his 8 cows. Don't seem to be as many elk on my fields this year as usual as well the canola is all down and the wheat will be down soon so that spot stalk method will be out this year. For the first year in my life i am really confused on which stand to hunt for elk or if i should hang on that brush pile that that the elk walked past last night. I guess i have a few more days to make my decision. For deer i am praying for a miracle, i will check my cams saturday then make my choice sneak in and hang stands sunday. Going to be a poor year for me as i have to student teach near brandon in the fall so i won't get home much at all. Looks like thanksgiving and remembrance day and thats about it. And of course they had to bump elk season back a week this year, oh the stress. Great pics skeeter/jd. Nice to see everyone is still lurkin around.

Good to hear from you Dan! Best of luck sticking that big bull or any elk for that manner!! I must admit I am a little green as my plans to hunt elk with the bow have gone the way of the do do bird...[]. I will be chasing them first week of rifle come hell or high water though! Best of luck teaching and keep in touch.

As to our area a ton of canola planted seems to have swayed the elk, at this point at least. What is your experience with elk on canola after its been harvested?? I assume once the rut begins they willdisperse. I am sure once rifle season is upon us peak of the rut will be a memory so I am wondering if what seems to be rather cool now in terms of sign might pick up when we are hunting. I have never dealt with this much canola and elk so any thoughtsare much appreciated.

I can't wait, the streak isn't a worry as long as i get a wiff, sight orsound of a bull I will be a happy man! Hair stand on end is what it is all about.

Forgot to add this pic, while not the best quality I thought it was worth a post due to the backdrop and the mulie in the lead is purdy nice.

The guy in the lead looks like he could be good one. I got my new bow all zeroed in, and ready to go. Just counting the days til sept. 1. Was planning an elk bowhunt around Porcupine Plain, but doesn't look like I'll be able to get away from work for that long, maybe next year. Good luck to everyone this fall.

Heres a few of my trail cam pics from my last time out.

this one doesnt look very healthy

side view of same skinny deer

had lots of pics of small bucks, this one was the best whitetail so far. he is a 6x5, to bad his points weren't a little longer, maybe in a year or two

a doe with 2 bodies

little mulie

Neat pics. That one buck needs togain a few pounds!

Great pics guys........ Well opening day archery. Almost 100% but i fell short. The boys arrowed 2 spikes last night and i had a spike in at 7pm at 15 yards but i he was behind some poplar sapplings and i was on the ground so had to lettem walk. I was pumped to cause i was going to be the first one done lol. Had a cow come in last night also but again no shot. Played around with araghorn bull this morning but he came in too early and busted my balls. But holy man are they bugling, last night they screamed while we were loading up the spikers. The boys seen a nice bull over on the wheat last night that came to 50 yards from one of them but just not close enough. We have already seen 6 bulls since yesterday 7pm so things are lookin real good. I am giving my ground attack area a rest tonight and headed toold faithful the big permanent stand. I guess a group of cows came out there last night as well that nice bull played around there for a bit. Les got some awesome pics of that bull i will postem up as soon as he gets home and emails them to me.

Skeeter--- Elk will really go after canola when it is swathed or combined if there is alot of second growth coming in it. We have a field here we are watching close that has a large green patch in it that had 24 on it saturday evening.But nothing since..We like to find places where they have been feeding over the summer and kept mowing the canola down so the stalks are all still green.