# DIY MI Elk hunt help



## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

My buddy drew a cow tag for area F that starts next week. He hit some hard times lately and subsequently his finances don't allow for a guided hunt. Working two jobs hasn't left any time to scout, although we got up there for a few days during rifle season. I'm helping him and we are doing much of the scouting via Google Earth and the info the DNR sent him, but that doesn't replace boots on the ground. What I'm looking for is a few tips: like is there an time when we should cow call? Do you set up on one of the state elk habitat areas where we found sign, or do you go until you cut a track then follow and see what happens. Do we drive around looking for elk on private land in the area and ask permission? Should we focus on F really hard or expand to X? I really want him to be successful. It would do wonders for his morale and the meat in the freezer would be very welcome. Thanks for any help you can give or your related experience.

TNL


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## miruss (Apr 18, 2003)

TNL said:


> My buddy drew a cow tag for area F that starts next week. He hit some hard times lately and subsequently his finances don't allow for a guided hunt. Working two jobs hasn't left any time to scout, although we got up there for a few days during rifle season. I'm helping him and we are doing much of the scouting via Google Earth and the info the DNR sent him, but that doesn't replace boots on the ground. What I'm looking for is a few tips: like is there an time when we should cow call? Do you set up on one of the state elk habitat areas where we found sign, or do you go until you cut a track then follow and see what happens. Do we drive around looking for elk on private land in the area and ask permission? Should we focus on F really hard or expand to X? I really want him to be successful. It would do wonders for his morale and the meat in the freezer would be very welcome. Thanks for any help you can give or your related experience.
> 
> TNL


think this is same area
http://www.canadacreekranch.com/Amenities/Elk_Guide_Service.aspx


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Start making calls to the phone list that was provided. You get a hit.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

miruss said:


> think this is same area
> http://www.canadacreekranch.com/Amenities/Elk_Guide_Service.aspx


It's not. CCR is area G. 

Call me next week, 734.223.4284. Or PM me here. I'll do what I can to point you in the right direction.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Thank you srconnell22, that is greatly appreciated.

miruss, Canada Creek is indeed in G. We saw a beautiful buck across the fence there the last weekend of firearm deer.

Luv2hunteup, thanks - we've called a few, but will definitely make sure we get through all of them.


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Years ago when my wife drew the late hunt we did it DIY. Talk to everyone at the orientation, make friends, help each other. We had a handful of other hunters that we ran into regularly and exchanged info. Talk to successful hunters, they openly tell about elk they didn't shoot. DNR personnel were also very helpful.
We hunted state land only. Drove around a lot and walked a lot. When you see sign (tracks, whatever) check them out. My wife finally got her elk after we cut tracks and followed them about a half mile. Came across a big herd and picked one out that gave her a good shot.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I forgot to mention that the DNR tracks previous kill locations. Your buddy should have received a copy of it. If not pick one up at the Atlanta field office. I had a ball on my hunt this fall plus I met some hunters that I keep track of.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I have never hunted elk in Michigan, but I have hunted them extensively and successfully out in Colorado. I know nothing about their range here in Michigan aside from where it is located. I'll try my best to give you some info on hunting cows. 

IMO cows are much tougher to hunt than bulls during and around the first and second ruts. With the exception of a herd bull constantly surrounded by cows (dozens of eyes and ears), most bulls can be taken with a still hunting or even vigorously hiking around where you can cover ground and rip off cow calls (hard estrous calls during the rut, normal lost cow mews outside of that time frame) and the occasional bugle to locate (typically at dawn and dusk). You can even make noise and rustle around in the bushes and bulls will not be deterred (contrary to hunting whitetail bucks). Cows are totally different. They rarely come to a call. The rare scenario where a cow would come to a call would be a lone cow responding to a lost cow mew. Cows are super wary, and are usually with other cows. They are constantly watching, listening and smelling. That said, hunting them more like whitetails is usually the best bet--post up on a game trail or spot you know they are hitting on a routine. That does require scouting. This time of the year, when they are not seeking dark timber to avoid the heat, they might be easier to locate. They are more likely to be herded up together at a food source now that we are closer to the winter. 

I would just try to do your best. If you're up there for 4 days of hunting, for example, consider the first two as scouting days. My CO hunts are usually 7 days, and we don't get to scout before hand--we just use the first third to half of the trip as scouting days. Look for fresh poop. If you find 12 hour poop (still green and soft in the middle), good chance they're around; however, elk travel a lot and can be in one spot one day and miles away the next--so the saying goes "elk are where the elk are". Perhaps your friend can get somebody to do a few days of scouting for him before he heads up there, in exchange for a nice portion of meat?


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## Winterover (Jan 22, 2001)

Make sure you communicate with the DNR both at the Atlanta office and the officers out in the field. They will be a huge help in pointing you in the right direction. During my 2006 hunt I was checked four times by the CO's and two of the four times, after checking everything, they pointed me in the direction of where they had seen elk that day. Make sure when they are done checking you that you ask if they have any leads.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 1 - nothing, hard to find even a track on State land. We had a nice herd of cows pegged at dusk the evening previous, but arrived on the opener to see other hunters trying to get on them. We didn't want to mess things up, so we backed out.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 2 - nothing. After a good long tracking job over some of the toughest ridges Michigan has to offer, my jelly legs had to call it as we could not make up any time on them. Props to a respected member here who gave freely of his time and expertise over the weekend.

Stay tuned, we'll continue to soldier on.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 3. Started out trying to cut some fresh tracks at shooting time. Nothing fresh. Worked a different area outside of our core area with no luck, so we headed to the Atlanta check station. The wildlife tech helped us with some good data. So we headed in that direction.

Finally cut a nice set of tracks through some thick young aspen cutting. After going handsy-kneesy for 300 yards we bumped 3 of them. A good bull, a young bull, and a I don't know. Kept after them until they split up, circled back, then zig-zagged around us. Saw them one more time before they were gone for good. Wet and exhausted, but exhilarated. Crafty animals these ninja Michigan elk.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Good hunting!


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## thundrst (Oct 7, 2007)

Thanks for keeping us updated. Good Luck on your hunt of a lifetime!


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 4 - we got to a field right at hours and lo and behold there was a good herd already there feeding. It was still nearly dark, so we had to get closer to make sure that we were targeting a cow and not a spike or larger bull in that crowd. We used pines and land features to keep us concealed form their view as we got closer for a shot. We were at 225 yards but the animals kept crowding the shot. Not one cow would separate itself for more than a second. So we got a
bit closer. We kind of got stuck in a low depression in the land and couldn't move without getting busted.

So as we lay there in a foot of snow, just out of sight, we formulate our plan. We'll low crawl throw the snow to the crest of the next small rise, about 45 yards, peer over and pick out a cow that separates itself from the herd, shooting in the prone position. A Marine DI would've been proud. We closed the distance on our bellies without being busted. We looked over the top only to find the herd 350-400 yards away and traveling at a good pace. There just wasn't a decent shot to be taken so we held off again. We didn't want to bump these animals out of the county so we backed off. The rest of the day was uneventful. The herd never returned even though we waited diligently in a 20 knot wind with snow and a -10* windchill. A warm fire and 3 fingers of bourbon never felt/tasted so good after we got back to the cabin.

The weather is supposed turn brutally cold with strong NW wind. Only two more days left. The quest continues...


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

With such a late report I figured you guys scored. Good luck.


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## thundrst (Oct 7, 2007)

Nice update! That is one fire & bourbon you will never forget, Well earned. We all admire your tenacity and are hoping for your success!


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 5 - quick update, I'll do a full post later, but I'm completely wiped out after 4.5 miles, 8 hour tracking job in -10* windchill, with sideways snow 15-20" deep over deadfalls in a select cut. Tag is not punched yet. Picking up track again at daylight. This is getting personal.


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## Tazer (Nov 25, 2015)

great story so far, hoping for a happy ending, got a cow several years ago at end of shooting time on last day of hunt so hang in there


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## bigb027 (Jul 28, 2009)

Good luck
I was able to take nice cow in unit F opening day
I may be able to point you in the right direction


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

kotimaki said:


> I'm following this one too as I have a feeling it'll be a pretty good story.....


Um, you already know the story bud, you're part of it. Anyway, I'm back at a regular computer instead of a cell phone. I wish it was as easy as it sounds, but unfortunatley there was a bit more drama to it.

On Day 5 my buddy got a shot at a nice cow on public land. It was a blizzard that day, with low visibility. We got to our spot after daylight because we couldn't even see the ditches on either side in the whiteout. we had ro wait it out and it took over a half hour. We thought all was lost when we got there, but were able to pick up good tracks heading east - the same way they took the day before when we got close, but no shot. So off my buddy went after them. He tracked for about 600 yards and got into them. Lots of open ground there and snow squalls were constant. At 8:40am he finally got a standing quartering shot at 300 yds. She jumped a bit at the shot and left with the rest of the herd. He waited awhile and texted us (me and his dad). We set off with gutting/dragging supplies, thinking we would be at breakfast in a couple of hours....wishful thought.

He was shooting a 7mm mag which was holding 1" groups 2" high at 200 yards, so he was confident of a good hit. We didn't see much at the point of impact, but as soon as the elk moved she was bleeding pretty good out of both sides with bright red blood. After a couple hundred yards she split off from the main herd, never running, her gait was close and the blood trail easy. We were in 15-20" snow going through a select cut with deadfalls the whole way. We tracked at least another 1/2 mile when we called the CO because we knew there was private land to the north and we didn't know if it was marked. He said it was at least another mile so we kept on. After another 3 hours or so I broke off to head west for a 2 mile walk back to the vehicle. My buddy and his dad kept on. The snow was still raging and tracks were filing in. They finally thought they were close when they found a spot where she finally stopped and laid down with blood in her bed. Spirits were up, until they saw a fence 150 yds away. They tracked to the fence, put a ribbon on it and headed out. By time I got the truck and they got to a road I was only in front of them by 10 min. It was 1pm. We made another call to the CO.

We met the CO and the guy with keys to the private around 2:00. He led us back to the ribbon where we picked up the lone track again. The blizzard had filled in most of the track, but he went after it anyway. We trailed it another 600 yards according to GPS before the tracks were wiped out altogether. It was 5:15 and nearly dark when he got out, exhausted. We met at truck with the CO and the guy with the keys who had been waiting there the whole time. The CO said he'd release my buddy to hunt another cow after the extensive track job at 8+ hours. We only found one speck of blood about an 1/8th" big after hitting the fence. The other guy said he thought he might know where the cow would go to die, either by some water or the swamp. My buddy didn't want to give up, none of us did, so plans were made to meet at sun-up in the morning.

My buddy didn't sleep a wink that night. His dad and I did only out of exhaustion.

<continued>


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

What is this a cliff hanger?


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## Rockokloco (Nov 29, 2013)

I think he's taking a nap, he's exhausted


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Day 6 just after sunrise we met the guy with the keys at the gate. We dropped my buddy off at the head of the swamp. Tracks were pretty much gone, so he was looking for an old single set of tracks, hopefully with some sign of blood or the cow itself. He took off in a zig-zag pattern always in radio contact. The guy with the keys went to check out a water hole. We stayed at the other end of the swamp in the chance she was still holed up and might move north. Unfortunately, after a few hours it became apparent that we were looking for a needle in a haystack. There was no way my buddy could live with himself without exhausting all possibilities, but we were at a dead end. He called the CO to say he was going to punch his tag. To say he was physically exhausted and mentally exhausted would be an understatement.

To my surprise the CO and the person at Atlanta HQ talked him out of punching his tag. He asked us what we thought. His dad said he should continue if the CO said he'd release him. I said it's a decision every man has to make for himself. It is a once-in-a-lifetime tag and after that search...well, it wasn't my call.

The CO released him at around 1pm. We had some good intel from The Big Finn about a herd about 45 minutes away...back in the ridges where we chased two on the second day. The Big Finn put us on those too. So I headed in that direction, my buddy trying to get right with going on with the hunt. We had to leave FRI so this would be our last go at it anyway.

We got to the spot where we had started out trek on Day 2. There were tracks, but they were old. So we went back down the mountain and went back up on the next road. Here we found tracks that were made that morning. So off he went. My legs were like rubber from the day previous and I had come to really enjoy heated seats with a good defroster. Snow was very heavy at times with lake effect bands coming through reducing visibility to zero. I told him I would go to the next road to see if the tracks crossed, if they had, I'd pick him up and drop him off on fresher tracks. Well I did find a crossing and they had been there within the hour. I went back and got him then dropped him off at the freshest set of tracks from a herd that I'd seen all week.

We got a text about and hour later. Said he was in the middle of them. He wandered into the herd in a snow squall. When it cleared, there they were. The squall hit again and he couldn't see them. He asked when it was going to clear. I looked at radar and it looked like he would have a 10 minute window between snow bands. We never heard the shot.

Apparently, it cleared, the lead cow stood up, and he put one in the boiler room at 80yds. She went about 40 yards and collapsed. DRT. He called and said cow down. He was a little choked up. He also said "you guys are gonna hate me. It's worse than Colorado". We found out later why. She was hung up on a 40 degree heavily wooded slope with no where to go but down st the bottom of a bowl. It was 4pm.

My first call was to The Big Finn. The Big Finn said you get one down and we'll get her out. He's a man of his word. He left immediately from his office 90 minutes away...on good roads. My buddy got her tagged and started tagging his way out, only he didn't know where he was. His GPS was toast and he still has an 8 year old Blackberry which was of no use. So we found him the old fashioned way - never cross a two-track and always walk downhill. We also triangulated him by honking the horn 3 times, calling him, then moving, and repeating. The Big Finn had given us the name of one of his guys who we met earlier. We called him for extra help. This guy is like a billy-goat...literally runs up and down hills like they weren't even there. it's really something to see with his headlamp like a lighthouse beacon flying up a hill studded with hardwoods.

The Billy Goat met up with us at the cabin which was only a few miles away from the kill site. the 4 of us went up there and met The Big Finn there later. My buddy and The Billy Goat followed his tracks back in. It was dark now, but the snow had stopped and the sky was clear. Ambient temp was 2* by my truck. His dad couldn't handle the slope and stayed with the truck. I went after those two following their tracks and watching BG's light ahead - when I say lighthouse beacon, I mean bright, like north star bright. I couldn't really handle the slope either. My legs were shot. I fell to many times to count and had to climb back to elevation. When I got to them, they were just about done gutting. It was so steep, the cow had to be tied off or it would've gone downhill. The good thing is that I could see my trucks headlights. We had sidehilled in a circle. The drag would be bad, but not as bad as we thought.

<continued>


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

That's when the Big Finn showed up. The Big Finn is legend. He wears a fur hat, woolen Mackinaw and pants, but no gloves - even when it's 2*. The Big Finn says I said we'll get her out, then we'll get her out. The boys decided to get her to the bottom so they cut the rope. If you never seen 3 men try and get out of the way of one very big cow as she's using gravity to her fullest advantage, then you've missed quite a sight. This cow took off like a rocket sled on rails for the bottom. They were just just along for the ride. I followed, not judging the slope very well and took out 3 saplings before hitting a 6" tree that stopped my 40' freefall. Quite another sight to see I'm sure.

Anyway, The Big Finn, BG, my buddy and myself got it to the base of the hill with the use of ropes, straps,and a sled. This is where The Big Finn comes into his own. He devised a system of straps and ropes attached to the truck in 4 Low; hauling that fat cow up 20' at a time up a 200' slope. It was a thing of genius and you could tell it wasn't his first rodeo. I was as messed up as a soup sandwich and pretty worthless at this point. I think Billy Goat went up and down that hill 5 or 6 times...so did The Big Finn. We got her up and loaded in the pick-up at 9:30pm; back to camp by 10. We decided to get dinner at the local watering hole only to find out that they were closed, so we went further down the road to another and it was closed as well. Campbell's soup and a beer was all we could muster.

We took her to the check station the next morning. They couldn't open the jaw because it was frozen shut. She weighed in at 451 pounds. The Big Finn asked my buddy if he would rather get his elk this way or off the hood of a Ford Topaz like my guide had me shoot one 18 years ago. I don't think he even had to answer.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Congratulations on the cow. That Kotimaki fella is about as good as they come. Glad it all worked out.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

My buddy, his dad, and myself are really indebted to a few people here. 

Most notably, The Big Finn, kotamaki here on M-S. He gave freely of himself, taking time at work and off FROM work to help us. He even took my buddy's dad to a muzzle loader spot where my buddy's dad proceeded to miss a deer. He's got a great family and good people working with him. Without him and Joe, my buddy would never got his cow or even had the opportunity. We are proud to call him friend and look forward to seeing him again.

I also want to thank srconnell22. His advise really paid off as well as his knowledge of these Michigan Elk. He gave me the contact info for The Big Finn as well. Scott, your sterling reputation here is well earned. You should be at the top of the list for anyone who draws a tag.

SMITTY1233 and hippysss57 also offered to help get us that cow. 

Good guys here.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Congrats and thanks for sharing your story. It's an adventure you won't forget.


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## graybeard (Jan 4, 2006)

Wow, great story congats.


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## neazor91 (Aug 4, 2008)

An adventure of a lifetime. Congrats to all.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Well done, and a great write up.

Thanks for sharing it with us.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

Beautiful recap! Congrats!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Congrats! Awesome story. Glad it all worked out.


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## shumhow (Dec 27, 2010)

Great story, love the way you guys did it. Congrats!


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Pictures!


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## kotimaki (Feb 13, 2009)

Memories last considerably longer than sore muscles


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## thundrst (Oct 7, 2007)

Thanks for the awesome, detailed, & entertaining write up. Thanks for taking the time to share the story!


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## GATORGETTER (Jan 31, 2008)

Awesome story!!


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## Tazer (Nov 25, 2015)

Bravo!


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## backstrap bill (Oct 10, 2004)

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing!


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