Elk and ground scent

slaton

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
123
How will elk react to ground scent left by cutting the track where someone else has walked? I’ve primary hunted whitetails and have seen them turn inside out when hitting ground scent left behind. So I typically where rubber boots but they are not a great choice for wandering around the mountains. So is it a situation that I should be cautious about or will it not bother the elk?


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It depends i've called bulls in where they crossed my track from a few hours before and they hit it and are gone. i've also had elk walk straight up a trail i walked on hours before. i think if a bull is coming into calls they may be on edge and bust from the scent. if they are not on edge they don't care.
 
When hunting White tails in the East, you are concerned with scent because of the nature of small properties and fixed hunting locations. Crafty whitetails figure out your travel routes and avoid them. This isn’t really a consideration when hunting big country elk. You have to get out there and put boots on the ground, there’s no way around it. Also, your often aren’t traveling to and from the same locations (and if you are, it’s to glass) and elk often aren’t as predictably habitual as whitetails. Whitetails will often have a network of bedding sites depending on wind direction etc. While elk may do that on a localized basis, they may also change drainages completely every couple of days, whether you cause them to or not. So, the short of it is, you just have to get out there and get after them and disregard a lot of the “schoolmarm” rules of Eastern Whitetail hunting because you are going to stink and you must cover ground.
 
I’ve watched numerous elk walk the same trail I used to get to my tree stand and not a single one seemed deterred. I could have leaned over my stand and spit on some of them.
 
I have had an elk come into a wallow that I walked around hours before. Took one sniff of one my bootprints and BOLTED. Now, see above, he was on edge creeping into a wallow, so that probably had something to do with it.


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I'm also curious. If I have a smallish size area where I know their are elk filtering through on a regular basis. Specifically, I have a spot where a few bulls are getting territorial with each. Not just rubbing trees, but destroying them. Pissing all over the area. Leaving big scrapes. If I'm in that area 2x week, can I expect them to move out?
(I realize it can depend and every circumstance is different, but I'm just looking for the general weariness of elk and scent during bow season). Thanks!
 
Ive seen it happen both ways. Just have to be careful. Sometimes you have to gamble and have no choice.
 
I hiked in one evening on a trail, and barely two hours later coming out there was one big set of elk tracks on that trail going down with hoof prints inside my boot prints. Don't think he cared at all.
 
Two years ago I called in 2 bulls one evening. The first was a 5x5 that crossed my boot trail and continued coming.
The 6x6 behind him approached the scent trail and put his head down, smelled it, and immediately turned around

Strange
 
Boots like all your gear need to be cleaned and cared for. Things to consider: where do you store them, when did you last spray them with water repellent, when did you last wash them, are you wearing them cooking bacon over the campfire...
About a week before i hunt I always throw all my gear, boots included, in rubber maid tubs full of foliage from the area I plan to hunt. Pine bows work really well.
good luck
 
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