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Roaming range for Elk??
#5555531
01/21/15 03:55 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23 |
Was wondering if anyone can provide me some insight on the roaming range of Elk, Bulls specifically, here in TX? Came across a decent Bull couple weeks ago and decided to let him walk thinking I may seem him later (he was also in a draw which would been hell to get out alone). Someone told me that most bulls are "passing through" and its very little chance I will see him again. Thanks!
Last edited by Kevin820; 01/21/15 03:56 PM.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555542
01/21/15 03:57 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Miles if they are traveling and looking for cows or food.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555556
01/21/15 04:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
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Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
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Posts: 23 |
Well I have cows, food, and plenty of water I think I will see him again. Thanks!
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555563
01/21/15 04:05 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
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Sept during the rut if the cows stay around and he will be back if he does not stay. What county?
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5555568
01/21/15 04:07 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
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Light Foot
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Light Foot
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Posts: 23 |
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5555576
01/21/15 04:10 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
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Light Foot
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Light Foot
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by the way....my buck/doe ratio is around 1:2.5 to 3. I dont think its an issue in east terrell county
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555579
01/21/15 04:11 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
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There are a lot of Elk on the Longfellow and surrounding ranches that border it. They are spreading more and more. We have them in Pecos County to the West of Ft. Stockton. Numbers are growing in the past 8yrs from 5 hd to 20-25 or so last year. Really don't like to see the numbers growing since they are out-competing the Mule Deer for the habitat.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555581
01/21/15 04:13 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
They are a grazing herd animal... food availability is their range.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555586
01/21/15 04:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
They will move to rainfall also just like Mule Deer.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555600
01/21/15 04:20 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
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Light Foot
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Light Foot
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Yea i have seen more this year than past 3 years combined...I even had a close call on 2886 going 70 mph at night...came up on 2 bulls...scary as hell in headlights
Dont know anything about out-competing mule deer. I will look more into that....I love my mule deer.
I do know that I was surprised how tasty the elk meat is. Made some of the best hamburgers I ever had. Also Millers in Fort Stockton processed the whole elk for around $265...would of cost me at least $600 in houston.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555611
01/21/15 04:24 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Elk eat the same things Mule Deer eat just more of it and can reach a lot higher to get to it. Our Mule Deer numbers have dropped dramatically as the Elk and Aoudad numbers have risen in the past 8 yrs. Lack of rainfall along with more/bigger animals competing for a poorer desert habitat is not biding well for Mule Deer. We lease so we have no control of the extra unwanted mouths. LO sees them as $$$$$$ we see them as PITA.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5555617
01/21/15 04:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
I bet a range that wasn't native to elk could get wiped out by them pretty quick.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Navasot]
#5555636
01/21/15 04:34 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
I bet a range that wasn't native to elk could get wiped out by them pretty quick. It can. Some ranches don't want them. The ones that do want Elk protect them and that is making numbers grow. If it gets into an average or above average rainfall pattern for 4-5 yrs out west their numbers will explode. Then the habitat will take a beating when the next drought hits. The Elk will move on to new pastures leaving the ones they are in now.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5555780
01/21/15 05:48 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
I bet a range that wasn't native to elk could get wiped out by them pretty quick. Only on ranches that don't want them. The ones that do want Elk protect them and that is making numbers grow. If it gets into an average or above average rainfall pattern for 4-5 yrs out west their numbers will explode. Then the habitat will take a beating when the next drought hits. The Elk will move on to new pastures leaving the ones they are in now. Southern Caribou
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Navasot]
#5556026
01/21/15 07:06 PM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178
schmellba99
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178 |
I bet a range that wasn't native to elk could get wiped out by them pretty quick. Historical Merriam elk range included almost all of west Texas, much of the panhandle and parts of the hill country before they were extirpated from Texas back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Before the great plains became the farmland of the world, elk would range all across the flatlands grazing and then winter in the mountains. They are also native to areas of Kentucky, TN and Virginia as well. Elk and mule deer may compete for the same food, but in every other state they seem to co-habitate very well without huge effects on each others numbers. I'm glad to see elk coming back to TX - they are fun to hunt, awesome to hear bugling during the rut, and are massive animals that provide a huge amount of some of the best venison you can get. A bull will keep an average of about 60k acres as his home territory and cows tend to stay around 38k acres.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: schmellba99]
#5556051
01/21/15 07:15 PM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 5,081
Elkhunter49
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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I bet a range that wasn't native to elk could get wiped out by them pretty quick. Historical Merriam elk range included almost all of west Texas, much of the panhandle and parts of the hill country before they were extirpated from Texas back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Before the great plains became the farmland of the world, elk would range all across the flatlands grazing and then winter in the mountains. They are also native to areas of Kentucky, TN and Virginia as well. Elk and mule deer may compete for the same food, but in every other state they seem to co-habitate very well without huge effects on each others numbers. I'm glad to see elk coming back to TX - they are fun to hunt, awesome to hear bugling during the rut, and are massive animals that provide a huge amount of some of the best venison you can get. A bull will keep an average of about 60k acres as his home territory and cows tend to stay around 38k acres. Elk and Rocky mountain Muleys seem to co habitate well together but Desert Mulys don't compete too well with the Elk. I hunted Mule deer almost every year in the Sacramento Mtns in New Mexico from the late 70's until the mid 90's. In the 70's the Mule Deer population was robust thru out southern NM but about the same time the Elk numbers begain increasing almost yearly and the deer numbers have been declining ever since. Years of mismanagement (too many tags sold) by New Mexico Department of Wildlife has played a part in this as well. I prefer to hunt Elk over desert muleys anyway so it didn't bother me much but a non resident Elk tag is almost impossible to draw anymore. The Deer herd in Southern New Mexico is in terrible shape IMHO. Baker
Last edited by Elkhunter49; 01/21/15 07:24 PM.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5556060
01/21/15 07:18 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
I would prefer to see these "exotics"(elk) disappear from West Texas. I prefer hunting Mule Deer.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5556061
01/21/15 07:20 PM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178
schmellba99
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178 |
I would prefer to see these "exotics"(elk) disappear from West Texas. I prefer hunting Mule Deer. Except it's no more exotic than mule deer are. I prefer hunting elk, though mulies are a lot of fun as well. You can have both you know.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5556069
01/21/15 07:22 PM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 5,081
Elkhunter49
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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Posts: 5,081 |
I would prefer to see these "exotics"(elk) disappear from West Texas. I prefer hunting Mule Deer. I'd take an Elk hunt over a Desert Mule Deer hunt anyday. Now a hunt for a Rocky Mountain Mule deer is a different story!
Last edited by Elkhunter49; 01/21/15 07:22 PM.
A true friend reaches for your hand but touches your heart.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: schmellba99]
#5556071
01/21/15 07:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
I would prefer to see these "exotics"(elk) disappear from West Texas. I prefer hunting Mule Deer. Except it's no more exotic than mule deer are. I prefer hunting elk, though mulies are a lot of fun as well. You can have both you know. Except Mule Deer weren't re-introduced with a season then given up on. Mule Deer survived without restocking and have been around since Elk were there and then gone. In the desert habitat you really can't have both from what I have seen where we hunt.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Elkhunter49]
#5556073
01/21/15 07:25 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
I would prefer to see these "exotics"(elk) disappear from West Texas. I prefer hunting Mule Deer. I'd take an Elk hunt over a Desert Mule Deer hunt anyday. Now a hunt for a Rocky Mountain Mule deer is a different story! Not me. We have Elk now and would not take a hunt if it was given to me free. I prefer Mule Deer where ever they live over Elk anyday.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5556129
01/21/15 08:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
OP
Light Foot
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Light Foot
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Im with stxranchman....i have hunted just about everything and everywhere. Nothing like spotting a trophy mulie bedding underneath a mesquite tree 600-700 yards away and get to him
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: stxranchman]
#5556169
01/21/15 08:18 PM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178
schmellba99
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 178 |
Mule deer also weren't purposely extirpated from the state, and there have been many years where mulies were almost non-existent due to major issues with disease and their population.
Nature has a great way of forming a balance, assuming we humans leave well enough alone. Mule deer and elk will co-habitate, though you may not see the numbers of mule deer you see today as a result. But that's part of the natural order of things, and a whole lot of the numbers you do see today (white tail, mule deer, elk in many areas) is artificially inflated because we work hard as hell to make it so.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: Kevin820]
#5556188
01/21/15 08:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Just because we work had as heck to make it so does not mean it needs to be so. Nature formed a balance out west without Elk and Aoudads. Mule Deer will not thrive and adapt like WT do when in competition with Elk and Aoudads. I think Texas should view Elk like New Zealand views exotics on the islands, nuisance animals.
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Re: Roaming range for Elk??
[Re: schmellba99]
#5556192
01/21/15 08:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 23
Kevin820
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
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Posts: 23 |
Im not complaining at all....I do enjoy the diversity my area offers. we have only had it for 4 years so still learning about it. I have no aoudad however. Im assuming they start few miles south and west of me
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