Elk hunting research paper.

Chase Kozlowski

Writing 115

1 Aug 2014

 

            Roosevelt elk are the largest of the four subspecies of elk in North America. They live in the Pacific Northwest on the west side of the cascade mountain range. Adult elk range from 6-10 feet tall and 575-1100 pounds. Bull elk (male) grow their antlers every year after dropping them with a velvety covering on them while the blood is circulating through the antlers and then they harden up and the elk rub on trees and small shrubs until a hard, ivory antler is left. The bulls use their antlers to fight off other bulls who try to come into the herd.

 

            I choose to hunt these elk during archery season, it is also their mating season which makes it easier. The elk are vocal during that time (September) making many different calls which can be mimicked to make the elk come closer to you. An effective method of calling is by using a bugle like bulls use to challenge other bulls to a fight, if you make a good bugle call it can really make a bull upset and he will come in looking for a fight.  My effective range on my compound bow is 80 yards, which is pretty close when there are a lot of eyes looking around for danger.

 

            A lot goes into preparing for elk season. Hours and hours are spent looking for elk in the off season so that you know where to look when it is time. Some choose to set up a trail camera to get photographs of animals moving through a certain area. Shooting your bow frequently is important so that you make a good shot on the animal so that you don’t wound the elk and not recover it. A lot of hunters go to 3D shoots which are trails with a marker to shoot from and a target that looks like an animal is at different ranges, you shoot the target and then there is a scoring system so that at the end of the course you add it up and see who has the better score.

 

            Hunting Roosevelt elk is not only a challenge but it can come with benefits. A good sized elk can fill the freezer and provide for a family for a year if it is taken care of properly. Every hunt is a successful one whether or not you kill an elk because you always learn something new and there are many stories that you can tell after being in the woods chasing these incredible animals.

 

N.p., n.d. Web. The Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk in North America.

 

 

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