FrankenMauser
New member
Nah, it doesn't require feed and bait for an easy Elk hunt. If they're on a piece of good land (public or private) where they don't get any pressure, and the few humans around never bother them, you get some ridiculously easy shots.Now if you are talking about hunting on a private ranch where elk are eating hay you can pretty much step out of your vehicle and shoot one, like one would shoot a buffalo coming down from Yellowstone.
For example, there is a Trust that owns more than 800,000 mostly-contiguous acres in Utah, spread across 7+ historic ranches. (They also own more than 3 million acres spread across Utah, Idaho, Florida, Texas, Wyoming, New York, Missouri, and South Dakota; but that's a different discussion.) Although they do allow public hunts and public access, it is strictly controlled. On most parts of the ranch, the wildlife only see humans as a truck that drives through every couple of weeks, or a ranger that does head counts on horseback.
They manage their land for natural resources (ranging from wood, to deer, to elk, to grouse, and more), and don't augment any of the animals' feed - what grows naturally is what they get. Yet, the hunting experience there is almost like going to Yellowstone. You drive as close as you can get on a road, close the distance on foot (if needed), and make your easy shot.
Elk don't naturally see humans as predators. It is a learned behavior that can be bred into, or out of, them in a few generations.