Dawn and dusk....sit and wait?.?.?

Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
15
Location
Denver, CO
All of the passed down wisdom from one side of the family is that you get up early (4:00 am) and jam breakfast. Get on the trail by headlamp by 4:30 and hike by headlamp the first mile at a good pace. Then start to slow it down at 5:00 am for the second mile. Then turn off the headlamp at 5:30 and begin your creep to your favorite rock. Sit down on your rock at 6:00 am....minimum 30 minutes before shooting light. Sit and shiver until 9:00 am. Then you have a choice, go eat and sleep at camp. Eat and sleep on your rock. OR!!!! Man up and start walking through the woods. This side of th family would say, "if you don't catch 'em as they move fom the low land through the sage to the aspens to the pine, you'll never catch 'me on foot by walking around." LOTS OF ELK KILLED THIS WAY OVER THE YEARS.

The other side of the family I hunt with says, "4x4 up to the hunting ground at 6:30, and sit in the truck until shooting light. Get out of the truck and fan out to your favorite rock. Get there quiet and fast. Hang out for 30 minutes. Then start your movement from there. Don't go sideways! Go up! Hunt all day long if you are young and dumb and really want to shoot an elk. The higher you are the better the chance.". LOTS OF ELK KILLED THIS WAY OVER THE YEARS.

Both groups REALLY know the area and the movement patterns of the animals in the area and where they will be "if they are not here".

So far I have never bivy hunted. Generally speaking we are never typically more than 5 miles away from camp of trucks.

Reading this site is an eye opener. Surrounds like the wisdom is truly to get away from people, roads, trucks, and camps.

Thoughts?
 

littlebuf

Banned
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,983
I personally have never had success sitting and waiting for elk.but I hunt the rut (as most on here do I think) im constantly moving/calling and I start out at least five miles in where I set up camp.unless it really gets hot and totaly shuts down I wont see camp again until dark.don't know if that answers your quistion,but I guess the short answer would be the further back the better.at least in my opinion.but if your killing a lot of elk the ways you mentioned and you enjoy hunting that way,well if it ain't broke don't fix it
 

Swede

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
386
Location
Warren Oregon
I assume Mammothbrad you are a rifle hunter, and your rocks are good vantage points to view large elk movement areas from. If you are a bow hunter I agree if it works do't mess with it, but there has to be a lot you are not telling us about your waiting locations.
 
OP
M
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
15
Location
Denver, CO
Yes. Rifle second or third season. No rut. Public land. High pressure. Rocks or trees that are overlooking large movement or specific movement. Usually have as many as 3 to 8 hunters spread out at several points across known movement routes. Usually one of the group finds elk every day. The question ultimately is, when and where. I was fortunate to be "middle" man in oct 2011 and came out of aspens to look over sage territory and was looking at 150 head from 100 yards to 1000 yards. I selected a strong 6x6 out of the group and I was able to move into position on him. I took him down with my Ruger No. 1 7mm Mag at 150 yards.

We know the typical movement in the area of local and transient elk. So typically we try to cover as much area with overlapping fields of fire over a long line of kill zone possibilities.

That said, personally my kill ratio is low...and I know the primary reason for that. For the last 6 seasons, I have only been able to hunt 2 or 3 days of the season. But in six seasons a reasonable Mullie Buck and two reasonable Bulls is not bad I guess.

Now my wife is going to start hunting with me and I am hoping to have 2 elk in the freezer EVERY YEAR.
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
4,623
Location
Colorado
I usually like to be on the move all the time until I find elk. I don't like sitting. I always feel like it is a waste of time. Cover ground till you find some.
 

sk1

WKR
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
1,216
Location
SE Wisconsin
I usually like to be on the move all the time until I find elk. I don't like sitting. I always feel like it is a waste of time. Cover ground till you find some.

do you find yourself often jumping elk mid-day? i agree with your tactic on keep moving, but i swear i always jump some no matter how hard i try when i think i may have found em....or if you're seeing sign are you sitting down to wait them out and hope you're right?
 
Top