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My Honey Hole

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My Honey Hole

Postby Swede » 05 16, 2020 •  [Post 1]

This thread is not what you are thinking. I have no great honey holes. As a matter of fact I really never have had one. There were a few times I thought "here it is", only to find out it was an illusion, or just temporary.
I had a spot that my son and I thought was so good that he named it "Old Faithful". About every time we went there for a hunt, one of us would get a bull. It seemed almost too easy, then the area was logged. It was logged so heavily that the elk had no thermal or hiding cover in the anywhere around. Immediately it was ruined for elk hunting.
We moved on to another spot and we killed a lot of elk there. It became so popular after awhile that a poacher was busted killing one with his smoke pole. Soon I started thinking we would need a stop light on the main road in just to cut down on the congestion nearby. Campers moved in close and soon it was time to leave. I have no idea if anyone gets anything there now or not. A third basin my, cousin, my son, and I killed about a dozen elk as is pretty close to worthless now.
I think public land honey holes, anywhere easy to access are very temporary. Use and enjoy them while you can. Don't lament the loss when they are gone.
As a matter of full disclosure, I generally parked on the road somewhere close to my hunting spots. They were usually about 1/2 mile away. That is too close if you don't want others to find where you are hunting, and people will start looking if they hear you are being successful.
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Re: My Honey Hole

Postby saddlesore » 05 16, 2020 •  [Post 2]

I have had a few and they ended like Swede's. One was written up in one of the magazines.Field & Stream I think.There wasn't an elk around in two years. So I moved about15 miles SE and found a bowl that I killed 8 bulls in 8 years running. It became known and hunters set their camps up right in that bowl. Elk left.I have one now in south central Colorado that I kill a bull about every time I hunt it.Trouble is ,I can't physically hunt it any more .It is just too rugged.Then I have cow elk honey hole, that I hunt with a ML ,but I have to kill one in the first few days or they get pushed to private land. If I don't get one it is usually because I screw up.
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Re: My Honey Hole

Postby wawhitey » 05 17, 2020 •  [Post 3]

You never know when logging, forest fires, blabbermouths or who knows what will ruin a good area. Im alwsys trying to scout out new spots looking for good backup plans for future seasons just incase.
Real eyes realize real lies
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Re: My Honey Hole

Postby juglow » 05 19, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Temporary is absolutely true. I have moved on and never looked back to so many areas that I can remember. Some were real good whitetail areas that produced every year for me that was ruined by crowding. I'm always looking and burning through maps to find possible hidden gems I may have overlooked in the past. I am planning on CO in 2021 if you want to PM me saddlesore ;-)
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Re: My Honey Hole

Postby 7mmfan » 05 20, 2020 •  [Post 5]

I have few true honey holes. I used to have some great blacktail spots, but they've long since grown up to unhuntable height and thickness. Every year on state and private timberland in Western WA there are new honey holes created and old ones overgrown. You really have to keep on the move and find the new ones. At most you might get 5-7 years out of a great spot.

For elk, I've had spots that I KNEW would produce, that were ghost towns. Places I thought would never produce that were loaded, and everything in between. Very few of those spots are truly consistent and thats probably because they're to close to the road in heavily hunted areas. The elk just have to stay on the move all the time. I feel like I've found some potential honey holes in Idaho for both elk and deer, but it will take a few more years of hunting them to know for sure.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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