Roosevelt Elk hunting

Roosevelt Elk hunting in the North West Pacific

Roosevelt Elk are also known as Olympic Elk named respectively after President Roosevelt and the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. These wily elk are found only in the North West Pacific region of North America in dense rain forests that make for tough terrain. Roosevelt Elk are usually found in Coastal Washington, Oregon, and North Western California in the USA, and on Vancouver Island in Canada. These elk were on the brink of extinction at the start of this century because of excessive hunting. However, timely intervention by way of creating National Parks and re-introduction of these elk in their former habitat has resulted in a healthy increase in their numbers. Roosevelt elk are quite elusive and may respond to bugling which offers a chance to hunters that brave harsh weather, rocky terrain, and dense vegetation to capture a trophy. However, this is what makes hunting Roosevelt elk such an exciting and challenging adventure. These elk love to feed on grass, shrubs, and ferns, among other forest vegetation.

During summer, Roosevelt elk retreat far back into dense vegetation to escape the heat which makes it even more challenging to spot and stalk them. Bulls can weigh between 700 and 1100 pounds while cows usually weigh between 580 and 620 pounds. The antlers of these elk are very strong when compared to the Rocky Mountain Elk even though the length and spread is generally less.

Hunters usually prefer to use access roads created by logging in order to reach deeper into dense vegetation. Since locals spend a lot of time scouting to learn about grazing patterns and movement of these elk, hunters can boost their chances by hiring an expert guide when hunting for these elusive elk.Hunters need to ensure that they have the right protective gear and hunting equipment to hunt for Roosevelt elk in challenging conditions. Hunting in dense forest with inhospitable terrain as well as in wet or hot weather can prove to be tiring, especially when waiting for hours for a trophy-ready elk to show up.

Roosevelt Elk are hunted during archery, muzzleloader, and rifle seasons. Select outfitters offer guided hunts. Some guides lure these elk by way of bringing in apples or other food sources loved by these animals. This ensures that the elk end up in the sights of the hunter without the need to stalk them through difficult terrain. Some guides also offer skinning along with quartering, caping, and deboning the hunted game after that perfect shot. Enthusiastic hunters can opt for full guided hunts based on their requirements, skills, and experience. Elk meat is considered to be very tasty as well as healthy since it contains more vitamins and minerals, but far less fat as compared to beef.

Hunting Roosevelt elk can provide a lot of challenges and excitement to hunters thanks to the elusive nature of this animal. The low success rate makes Rosey hunting far more appealing, since successful hunters have more of a sense of satisfaction when they manage to take down this magnificent beast.