Deepest, darkest, steepest timber advice

[fatlander]

i have watched some YouTube videos of absolute killers in the backcountry and they aren’t worried about being quiet. Actually the opposite, trying to mimic what an elk sounds like walking through the forest, snapping twigs walking heavy etc. interesting tactic but has changed my thought process of being dead quiet. Also I have found elk in steep dark timber and in the open, I have seen them on the face of open cliffs where no elk has business being but hey that’s where they were.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a YouTube bada**, and I didn’t stay in a holiday inn last night.

I think there’s a time and place for being really aggressive. If a bull is fired up, sounding like elk approaching him is definitely the move. I killed a bull a few years ago that we had to literally run two hundred more yards to head off after making our first calling sequence. He came in on a string just to the sound of us running. I think he thought the cows (us) that were with the other bull (also us) split off to him.

I’ve also seen enough elk butts running away from me when things are quiet to slow down and just let it happen. Last fall we killed 3 bulls opening week and two of them died from being patient, quiet, and letting it happen.


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[kaaby]

i have watched some YouTube videos of absolute killers in the backcountry and they aren’t worried about being quiet. Actually the opposite, trying to mimic what an elk sounds like walking through the forest, snapping twigs walking heavy etc. interesting tactic but has changed my thought process of being dead quiet. Also I have found elk in steep dark timber and in the open, I have seen them on the face of open cliffs where no elk has business being but hey that’s where they were.

I have seen that too, and I tried being more aggressive last year, and I was surprised with what I got away with. Based on these comments, I stand by my original statement in that without a lot more context, the steep, dark, nasty advice is not great and probably leads to discouragement for a lot of people.

 

[kaaby]

Deep, dark, steep, and downfall is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But I love it, especially next to avalanche chutes. I find big bulls in that stuff every year during archery. Ya, it's tough to get a shot sometimes, but it's fun in there. When I rifle hunted, after mid morning I lived in that stuff and always found elk.

But you still have to be smart about it. If the max distance you could shoot clearly with your bow is 7 yards in every direction, you're wasting your time there.

Next to avalanche chutes makes sense to me, and I glassed a couple nice bulls last year in terrain just like that.

 

[Ross]

You just described all of north Idaho and yes it has resulted in a high % of my success. One hillside resulted in close to double digit bulls and was up both directions everything is up and dark glass does very little in much of the jungles..you have to love unforgiving country that will make many say why am I doing this

 

[dylanvb]

I have seen that too, and I tried being more aggressive last year, and I was surprised with what I got away with. Based on these comments, I stand by my original statement in that without a lot more context, the steep, dark, nasty advice is not great and probably leads to discouragement for a lot of people.

If you aren't seeing them in the "typical" places, the steep dark nasty stuff is probably where they are hiding. I don't think this is bad advice but truthful advice and most peoples own limits will discourage them from going in there to find the elk.

 

[kaaby]

You just described all of north Idaho and yes it has resulted in a high % of my success. One hillside resulted in close to double digit bulls and was up both directions everything is up and dark glass does very little in much of the jungles..you have to love unforgiving country that will make many say why am I doing this

Haha I'm actually heading to north Idaho for the first time in a couple of weeks. Most of my experience has been in Colorado and Wyoming.

 

[Randanman]

It has so much to do with the local topography, pressure, and resources in the timber, but in my experience the tricky thing about dark timber is that if you spend enough time moving through it you'll find yourself on the same tracks and trails that the elk are using, so they know where to look for incoming danger. Making the choice to not move through deadfall the easiest way available to you is a tough choice to make, since that's way louder, more physically demanding, and uses bigger more visible movements that can be easier for the elk to spot.

 

[kaaby]

If you aren't seeing them in the "typical" places, the steep dark nasty stuff is probably where they are hiding. I don't think this is bad advice but truthful advice and most peoples own limits will discourage them from going in there to find the elk.

I would agree, but the advice I am referring to is presented as a core strategy, not after other tactics are exhausted. For guys that hunt northern Idaho, the PNW, etc. I get that it probably has to be your go to method.