Elk bedding area ??

[md126]

Hello all, quick question. As a general rule I understand that elk will usually bed on eastern or south eastern facing slopes. However, during hotter than normal conditions (like you may occasionally have during archery) will they tend to bed more on western or north facing slopes to get away from the heat?

Thanks for your assistance and info

 

[Felix40]

Maybe its different in other states but theres definitely no rule about which side of a slope they will bed on around here.

 

[cnelk]

They will bed wherever the wind favors them

 

[Tayler Wayne]

We see a lot of bulls in July, August and September (until the first snow/cooler temps) spending a lot of time in the cool dark timber of north facing slopes.


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[ElkNut1]

For rifle hunting yes your southern faces will generally have less snow so feed is more accessible than the colder north, northeast & northwest faces where snows can stay deep & make feeding a hassle & generally relocate elk & depending on the depths it can drive them to lower elevations.


For archery elk hunting we seek out any face that has abundant older growth timber whether it's pines, firs, aspens or a combination of these that can provide the needed shade & all around cooler environment. The more desirable spots will have feed & water nearby to these bedding areas.



I know for myself I do not discount any area or face, I've found elk on every face at one time or another. I will say finding them in their bedding areas no matter where that may be has led to much of our success. Once they are there you have a captive audience & elk are much more apt to approach your calls etc.! I let my bugle do my locating & then hunt them from there! -- In a nutshell you are on the right track in your research, find those bedding areas!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[trophyhill]

10-4 on finding bedding areas.

 

[idahohikker]

East faces are cooler than West faces. Some areas just have timber on North and East faces so it narrows down bedding areas to some degree in the early season. Later in the fall I agree they could be anywhere.

 

[willy]

I knew of two north facing, slightly sloping slopes that were constantly used bedding areas during rifle season. They were so consistent one could bet on elk being there all season long. They went up in smoke last fall.

Dammit Jim.

 

[Swede]

I know of some areas where elk feed at night in alfalfa fields and travel 5-6 miles across sage brush slopes to get to their bedding areas. It appears to me that they are crossing the open sage areas in favor of a place where the winds cool them off, bugs are less of a bother and there is more security. I can't be positive of all of the reasons, but those come to mind.
It is interesting that I have commonly seen elk bedded in the sun, in an open field, on the ranch, and they stay right there. They obviously understand what the "No Hunting" signs mean and where it applies to. Security trumps cool breezes and pesky flies.

 

[CX5Ranch]

I usually know I'm in a bedding area because anywhere from 5 - 50 elk will bust out like a covey of quail and be gone before I know anything is happening

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