Elk hunting tactics

[tommymo]

Hello Everyone,

Planning my first archery Elk hunt out in SE Idaho this September and looking for some advice on hunting tactics. In the past year I have literally spent every available moment thinking, reading, and analyzing everything and anything about backcountry Elk hunting. I have a pretty good idea what my plan A,B,C, and D areas are and have marked numerous waypoints on various terrain and arial features I feel will potentially hold Elk, hopefully not to many hunters. I recently watched a seminar that Cory Jacobson did on YouTube where he goes into the general daily habits of Elk. In the morning, they head down into the bottom of drainages to feed and water with the thermals into there face, in the morning they head back up back into there bedding areas (North facing/Dark Timber)with the thermals in there face. This scenario poses quite a paradox for me, for the most part everything that I've read is to get back up into the elevation, away from roads/trails and other hunters. If that is the case, then does that mean you drop down early in the morning to get behind the Elk and work your way up hoping to either lure then back down the mountain into your calls or are you staying off to the sides hoping that they do not come up directly up through your wind in the hopes of cutting them off? In the afternoons/Evenings are you trying to stay on top of ridges and work down into bedded Elk in hopes of sneaking into them our near by to try and cut them off on the way down to feed?

I guess my big concern is do I need to reevaluate my camp sites to lower elevations, work up in the morning, work down in the evening back to camp and follow the thermals. For the guys/gals that hunt out of a spike camp where do you position yourself and how does your day look like? Are you hunting in the afternoons or just mornings/evenings? It seems if you camp high you would dropping and climbing up canyons/draws 2x vs up and down 1 time?

Thanks in advance.

Please PM if you like, would love to chat.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[ElkNut1]

Tom, don't over think your hunt! Go with the flow of things. Don't be too concerned with whether you start/camp high, low or mid-mountain. Find elk through both glassing in open terrain such as larger burns, avalanche shoots, sage brush openings or open meadows/parks. These can be found from the top to the bottom of mountains. Also consider calling with a Location Bugle into more timbered pocket areas so you are covering all your bases in your efforts to locate elk before they see you first! If elk bust out because they were close to your spike camp it's no big deal, they won't go far. If they are bugling in your area you will be able to relocate via glassing or bugling them for location. With either method of glassing or bugling you are trying to locate elk not call them to you.


Personally speaking, I start my elk hunts from a variety of spots on the mountain in the morning & evenings. Once elk are located I move to get position on them so wind & cover are in my favor as I start my approach, this means I get around the elk so now I have cover & thermals to my advantage before proceeding at closing the distance!


As far as strategies in calling techniques & more, consider this Package here, it will help you out immensely as a newer elk hunter. This Instructional Info has put 100's of elk on the ground over the years on OTC DIY Public land elk hunts.
Elk Hunting Tactics for Wolf Country - pkg 00 - ElkNut Outdoor Productions


ElkNut1

 

[150plusB&C]

All the elknut videos are worth their weight in gold! I would not go in the elk woods without the playbook! We easterners need all the help we can get. It's like turkey hunting but they smell. We have big mountains in East Tennessee but not the elevation. I realized I need to learn their language. Woodsmanship wasn't my issue. If you know what they are saying, you know how to respond. If you can seem or hear em, chances are you can get on em. The elknut products do exactly that! Just my 2.
My first reply ever on here. Obvious ain't it!


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[TraskI]

I second the Elknut videos & playbook as being a necessity for all that are not killing elk every year! I have read and studied for years before I found out about Paul's information (and have recently viewed most of the Youtub videos out there). I ordered the 00 package. This holds more Elk calling information than any other source I have ever found by 98%! This is not a video showing just the end result during a hunt, but is a narrative on how to achieve the end result. These are not even filmed during hunting. Just raw information on how to find, and kill elk! First time to post hear as well.

 

[Transition Wild]

It sounds like you have done your homework already in regards to hunting areas and options. The hunt itself will be a lot of "on the fly" tactics based on what you are seeing or not seeing. Don't get too technical in regards to how to move in on elk (or any game animal) because most of the time it's situational based on the cards you are dealt.

In regards to the wind/thermals, you don't need to have the wind/thermals totally in your favor, you need them to be marginally in your favor. In other words, you want the wind and thermals to marginal for you, and great for the animals. Animals don't walk straight into the wind, they try quarter into it or use a cross wind to their advantage. It gives them more of an area to keep tabs on for danger.

In my days of getting into position on elk, I've always tried to flank them from the side. Not follow them or push into them head on with the wind in my face.

Last point. Spend the first day or so glassing and scouting the area you are hunting from a distance and learn the travel patterns and movements as much as possible. With that information in hand, start making moves and make something happen!

Good luck this fall!

 

[Tony8108]

Tagged for the future

 

[muddydogs]

All the books and video's are great in theory and a good place to start but once you get in the elk woods you will soon figure out that the elk are were you find them and they haven't read the book telling them what to do. I've seen elk move a total of 50 yards in a day because they had food, water and bedding all right there and other elk travel miles between water, food and bedding. Add in the rut and you never know what the bull is going to do or how other bulls might effect what the big bull does at any given time. I will say that chances are things will get interesting when you least expect them to and you're least ready throwing all your plans out the window. Like other have said above, find elk by glassing and listening for bugles then figure out your plan but be willing to change on the fly.

 

[Wilson12051978]

Nice planning

 

[Beendare]

FYI, elk don't always follow that low to high pattern as I'm sure CJ mentioned in his seminar.

Elk along the continental divide will sometimes feed high above timber then drop back into the timber to bed. There are always resident elk...at all elevations.

Yes, you need to use the wind and thermals....but do that once you find them. There are many good programs on elk behavior; CJ, Elknut and the excellent Chris Roe stuff on YouTube...among others. It IS worth studying one of these programs to get a jumpstart on elk behavior. There is no magic bullet...and these calling strategies are not 100%...no matter what guys claim.

A bowhunter with hunting skills can do just fine without calling. In fact, I think some bowhunters rely too much on calling....namely the guys I bumped into blowing on their cow calls non stop in the Wyoming backcountry 2 years ago that blew out the herd bull I was shadowing. Judicious calling is just one more tool...but it doesn't solve everything if you don't have the basic hunt skill.


good luck.

 

[ElkNut1]

No question that boots on the ground in any hunt, elk or other animals is certainly a huge asset. It's not to be taken lightly for sure! Not all videos & books are created equal, so many hunts along with so called needed info is taking place on hunts that few will experience! Having info available to the OTC DIY public land hunter is much rarer to come by. I believe this is why so many are excited with the info we share, it's designed specifically for that type of elk hunter. We do our best to share Sounds, methods & techniques that just about anyone will experience in the elkwoods today.

When elk hunting open sage country with few trees & cover your best tool is your optics. When hunting dark timber country your best tools are your calls! The versatile elk hunter will be competent with either so as to adapt to any given area or situation!

This info without a doubt can help shave years off the learning curve in understanding elk behavior & the needed sounds that can help hunters understand a message elk may be sending or letting hunters know when a specific sound may be needed by them to locate elk or put the finishing touches on a close encounter! Nothing works 100% of the time but we can sure do our best & stack the odds in our favor depending on the situation.

We share info in our DVD's, PlayBook & now a new APP coming out shortly. Here's a small sample one can expect to read about when trying to unravel a bull bugling as in this segment! There is much more to this sound in the material but I'm just sharing a portion here so ones can appreciate that Reading A Situation can be a huge asset if you understand what's going on & how to act upon it! This portion is on an Advertising Bugle, when & why bulls use it! It's explanations as this that can aid any elk hunter!

ElkNut1

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[FONT=georgia, serif]What Does It Mean If I Hear It?[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif]Bulls use advertising bugles to draw attention to themselves in an effort to call cows to them and/or build their harems. This sound symbolizes dominance and strength, which is attractive to cows. At the same time it gets the dander up in bulls when other bulls use this type of bugle in their area. [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif]An advertising bugle can be heard when cows are in or out of estrus. When cows are out of estrus a bull uses advertising bugles to bring cows their way in hopes they will stay with him until they do come into estrus. When cows are in estrus satellite bulls can use advertising bugles to draw the hot cow to them, hoping she will consider him as a breeder bull. [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif]Other bulls use advertising bugles a safe distance away from the herd bull to stay out of harm's way as cows may come their way to size them up. Odds are a herd bull with a cow in estrus will be infuriated if she tries heading in an advertising bull's direction.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia, serif]A common way to tell when a single bull is advertising himself and his position is to listen carefully. If he is holding his position as he bugles every few minutes up to every fifteen minutes with no interaction from other bulls he is most likely on his own as he draws attention to himself with advertising bugles. [/FONT]

 

[Guff]

OK this may be stupid but Im gonna ask anyway. Where I turkey hunt here in Kentucky the birds get hammered pretty good, and I like hunting late in the year so the birds have heard plenty of calling. A tactic that I use is to get in tight on a bird before I call and call lightly to him; and this works great. My question: Is this a tactic that could work on elk? With hunting public land I figure these bulls have to be pretty smart when it comes to calling.

 

[realunlucky]

OK this may be stupid but Im gonna ask anyway. Where I turkey hunt here in Kentucky the birds get hammered pretty good, and I like hunting late in the year so the birds have heard plenty of calling. A tactic that I use is to get in tight on a bird before I call and call lightly to him; and this works great. My question: Is this a tactic that could work on elk? With hunting public land I figure these bulls have to be pretty smart when it comes to calling.

This is a great tactic for elk also.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

OK this may be stupid but Im gonna ask anyway. Where I turkey hunt here in Kentucky the birds get hammered pretty good, and I like hunting late in the year so the birds have heard plenty of calling. A tactic that I use is to get in tight on a bird before I call and call lightly to him; and this works great. My question: Is this a tactic that could work on elk? With hunting public land I figure these bulls have to be pretty smart when it comes to calling.

I did just that on this bull in 2013 - Colorado OTC Public Land - just 1/3 mi from my truck - 15yd shot

 

[cnelk]

2012 - Sliiping thru the timber and spotted this bull feeding solo about 100yds ahead.
Set up and gave a few cow calls and he came right in

 

[ElkNut1]

Cnelk, nice bulls! I too agree there are situations where low volume sweet cow mews/whines can be the trick! Bulls know the cows in their general areas by their sounds & smell, they know when they are nearing estrus & when they're not. When a hunter uses a cow sound on the right bull it can cause curiosity as to who this new cow is & draw him her way to check her out!

An aggressive Challenge Bugle on OTC bulls likewise can be the ticket as well in the right situation, keep open minded! (grin)

ElkNut1

 

[Soilworker]

I recently watched a seminar that Cory Jacobson did on YouTube where he goes into the general daily habits of Elk.

Do you have a link to this? Sounds very interesting. I searched but saw he's done quite a few seminars and wasn't sure which one you were talking about.

 

[Beendare]

....... Is this a tactic that could work on elk? With hunting public land I figure these bulls have to be pretty smart when it comes to calling.

I agree with cnelk and real on this...its a GREAT strategy. Use your binos non stop sneaking in and see them before they see you....in a 270 deg radius....don't get tunnel vision.

Once you call....you have elk looking your way....a little harder to get close....could be other elk you don't see too. Sure, calling one in with snot running from his nose is cool....but so is putting an arrow in a bull that doesn't have a clue you are there.

 

[Zim]

OK this may be stupid but Im gonna ask anyway. Where I turkey hunt here in Kentucky the birds get hammered pretty good, and I like hunting late in the year so the birds have heard plenty of calling. A tactic that I use is to get in tight on a bird before I call and call lightly to him; and this works great. My question: Is this a tactic that could work on elk? With hunting public land I figure these bulls have to be pretty smart when it comes to calling.

Guff, For archery purposes.....................While attending the Pope & Young Convention last month in St. Louis, one of the topics brought up in a seminar was calling. They took a poll and I'd say 90% of the most highly respected hunters indicated they almost never call. Of course these guys always target the biggest bulls, which tend to be most conditioned. These guys all bugled long distances for locator calls, but that was it. I've been on about 20 elk hunts over 25 years and I learned quickly to do the same. I found elk behavior to vary immensely between states/units, and to me it just wasn't worth the risk. When I get to a new unit, the first thing I do is evaluate which areas are the most stalkable and concentrate my efforts there. Then I call only as a locator. Then try to put a stalk on a bull that is bugling the most consistently. I do not like the bull to know where I am. Cow calling will pull in satellite bulls, so if size is not a factor to you, then by all means you can give this a try.

 

[ElkNut1]

I agree elk can become conditioned/educated to calling in OTC units especially. Zim, makes a good point about hunting stalkable country! As long as a hunter is hunting this type of terrain then it's very doable. As an elk hunter I find it best to be a versatile hunter, this means being able to locate elk & hunt them on their turf no matter if I can slip in on them silently or when it's not possible because of downfall or heavy ground cover to either call my way to them or call them that last 100 yards or less to me. In order to have success in calling your way to a bull or bring him the rest of the way to you in heavy un-stalkable country it's important to Read The Situation & apply the needed technique.

Guff, at times it can be that subtle cow call. Other times you will need to get the bull you're working to invite you to him via cow sounds. When he does, give him what he's asking for, go to him as he expects you to! Other bulls that have a hot cow in the group can be brought your way through aggressive action. However, when hunting a herd bull with no hot cows you then must draw him your way out of curiosity for best results!

When a hunter can read a situation for what it is you will find you need to adjust & adapt to the present situation. If all you can do is stalk you will be under gunned in much of the country elk live. If you find you're good at calling & force it on situations in more open country you find you will lose most those battles! The versatile elk hunter should be well rounded in handling nearly any situation that they may find themselves in! This takes experience in both avenues. Be conditioned & prepared for anything anywhere & you will fill many tags! (grin)

ElkNut1

 

[Bar]

You don't need to be versatile if you can get really good at one method. Calling is one way, but hardly the only way to be successful.