Elk hunt debrief

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Got back a few day ago from an unsuccessful first elk trip in CO and wanted to get some insight on what we should have done differently.

It was been 3 years since we made the trip west, and we camped and hunted in the same exact spot as last time. We arrived 2 days before the opener and drove through snow, around 6-8 on the ground by the time we arrived. Way less people. I am guessing there was 1/4 the amount of people on the stretch of road we were off of.

We set up camp and hiked around 6 miles the first day just to stretch our legs and cut 5 elk tracks that ran up across the mountain we planned to hunt. The day before the season we cut a path to the top of the mountain to establish a good route to follow in the dark (load of blow down).

Opening day me and my partner hiked in the dark to the meadow where he killed his bull opening day 3 years before. We had multiple spots where the elk had stepped in out tracks from the evening before. Multiple sets of fresh sign that had not been there 15 hours before. We had one encounter during our all day sit with a lone cow that busted us as we were both rummaging for our sporks.

Over the following days we had no sightings but clearly visible fresh sign at all elevations where we were hunting at elevations from 8900-10100 feet (the entire height of the mountain). The animals were going up and down and side to side. No clear pattern was evident by their tracks. We only ever cut one set of hunter tracks the entire week and it was about 1/2-1 mile from where we concentrated our efforts.

On the last day we tried to still hunt the thick timber benches where we assumed they were laid up for the day. We got strong whiffs of elk but never turned anything other than fresh poop (confirmed by the taste).

All in all it was a fun hunt because we had solid proof that the animals we were after were actually in the vicinity but it would have been nice to see some. What would a more seasoned hunter have done to increase his chances? We were hunting some pretty difficult to access areas that might have been better served by harder pressure in the surrounding valleys.

Is it likely the elk went nocturnal? I don't think we overhunted the area based on the continuation of the elk tracks passing through the area every night.

 

[Huntinaz]

We got strong whiffs of elk but never turned anything other than fresh poop (confirmed by the taste).

What would a more seasoned hunter have done to increase his chances?

A more seasoned elk hunter would have eaten way more elk poop. Way more. You really can’t eat enough of it or spend enough time eating it

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

A more seasoned elk hunter would have eaten way more elk poop. Way more. You really can’t eat enough of it or spend enough time eating it

Just checking to see who reads the whole post. haha.

Eat more poop. Check.

 

[yfarm]

What was the wind doing? I hunted NM 2 weeks ago, first part of the week had warm temps,saw lots of elk in high meadows 11k in the evening, went into the timber during the day. Third day had high winds(30-50) at 11k and the elk went down 10k and bedded in thick timber, still hunted the timber and saw lots of cows but the bulls eluded us.

 

[taskswap]

If you were seeing fresh sign and even smelling them, you were in the right place. It's easy to forget when coming from places where folks are allowed to harvest 5 deer a season that elk is the opposite - I believe 22% is the statewide average success rate for all hunters, all sexes and GMUs, all methods of take. If you're experienced hunters, 40-50% is still a number to be happy with. Just keep doing what you're doing for the next year or two and you should be good.

Make sure you find your water sources. Elk water basically every day, typically at sunup/sundown (or both).

 

[CAElkhunter]

depending on the temp and moon phase it sounds like they went nocturnal on you.
Sounds like you were in them.

 

[Jaquomo]

Elk are going nocturnal earlier and earlier and living in the timber during daylight these days. I attribute it to increased human pressure from hunters and every other sort of recreationalst in the woods all summer and fall. Been doing this for 50 years and watching the progression. By the time 1st rifle rolls around they have been hunted relentlessly for a solid month, never mind hikers, bikers, OHVers bothering them. Wasnt like this 10 years ago. You'll see tracks where they were out at night, but before first light they are deep into their bedding hidey holes unless someone bumps them out.

 

[Indian Summer]

Glass more/hike less.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

What was the wind doing? I hunted NM 2 weeks ago, first part of the week had warm temps,saw lots of elk in high meadows 11k in the evening, went into the timber during the day. Third day had high winds(30-50) at 11k and the elk went down 10k and bedded in thick timber, still hunted the timber and saw lots of cows but the bulls eluded us.

Low winds and in the right direction for the areas we were hunting. I don't think wind was a factor.

If you were seeing fresh sign and even smelling them, you were in the right place. It's easy to forget when coming from places where folks are allowed to harvest 5 deer a season that elk is the opposite - I believe 22% is the statewide average success rate for all hunters, all sexes and GMUs, all methods of take. If you're experienced hunters, 40-50% is still a number to be happy with. Just keep doing what you're doing for the next year or two and you should be good.

Make sure you find your water sources. Elk water basically every day, typically at sunup/sundown (or both).

This is the first time we came home empty handed but we saw the most sign by a wide margin. I am assuming it could have gone either way without really changing anything else.

depending on the temp and moon phase it sounds like they went nocturnal on you.
Sounds like you were in them.

It was a relatively new moon based on the fact I didn't see it when I went to bed or when I woke up. It would have been a pretty dark night for the elk but I know they're capable of doing it. Cold and clear overnight during the season.

Glass more/hike less.

No really possible in this location as it's mostly dark timber with small broken meadows. Vantage points would have to be miles away for small windows of meadow. We did 90% of our hiking in the dark before and after daylight. I have no reason to think we bumped anything as we were moving, although there is no way to be sure.

 

[Gerbdog]

Sounds like you guys had a plan, and executed, and it sounds like a solid plan: hunting does have a element of luck involved with it, gotta be the right place at the right time and sometimes that just doesnt happen. Sometimes your off by just 5 minutes in either direction.

That said, i agree with the above posts, sounds like they went nocturnal, could have been pressured hard in the previous season in that area.

You went and hunted the dark timber and smelled elk... if i'm smelling elk it tells me i need to keep doing what i'm doing until things line up for me, cause they are around somewhere in that area.

Had same problem in the Gila the last 3 days, could see elk prints in our prints in the mornings, they were moving at night, and there was almost no water in the area due to the drought, so i figured they gotta come in to the water that is there.... which they sure did, in the middle of the night.

 

[Dos Perros]

First off, get rid of the sporks. Like what are you even stabbing? I switched exclusively to SPOONS years ago. I like the long handle Sea to Summit. You do that and tidy up a couple other things and you'll be fine.

 

[Poser]

It was a new moon opening morning so the nights were pitch black. Elk were anything but nocturnal, they were out, about and bugling like crazy until 11am.

 

[Indian Summer]

A bull that bugles past 9:00 during gun season is going in the freezer!

 

[Phaseolus]

You cleared a path through the forest the day before the hunt? That couldn’t have helped especially if you used a chain saw to do so.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

You cleared a path through the forest the day before the hunt? That couldn’t have helped especially if you used a chain saw to do so.

No, just made a trail in the snow picking through the blow down.

 

[Marble]

You needed to hunt the timber more during the day. Sit your spots morning and evening, cruise timber with the wind in your favor. Go slow, look at maps to heads towards benches and/or known bedding areas.

It will take me 4-6 hours to make it through a mile of thick timber. It's rare I do that and do not get an opportunity.

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[sierracharlie338]

Does the poop taste leafy or what would you equate it to?

 

[williaada]

You needed to hunt the timber more during the day. Sit your spots morning and evening, cruise timber with the wind in your favor. Go slow, look at maps to heads towards benches and/or known bedding areas.

It will take me 4-6 hours to make it through a mile of thick timber. It's rare I do that and do not get an opportunity.

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How do you go through the timber and get a shot. I went through timber this year, and found elm but they where to quick to get a shot fired at them.

 

[4rcgoat]

How do you go through the timber and get a shot. I went through timber this year, and found elm but they where to quick to get a shot fired at them.

I use binos quite a bit in timber,amazing what you can pick out amongst the branches....and go reeeaallly slow.

 

[Fowl Play]

Keep training on the poop tasting, eventually you get to the point you can tell cow vs bull, whether he's over 300", and get down to the minute accuracy on freshness....

I would recommend to get more scientific with it. Study what to look for in a day time bed, vs night time bed. Water, food, and learn how an elk travels in between all these different locations during a day. Once you identify different bedding areas pay attention to what exactly your scent does even when hiking in/out.