Elk Movements

[Big EZ]

Hey does anyone have a good resource to help me understand elk movement better? What time are they getting up? when do they typically get water? How does the moon effect all of this? I haven't found much of this information in the hunting and biology books I've looked into

-The Big EZ

 

[CJF]

Elk University Course online by Corey Jacobsen

If the info isn't there, you probably don't need it

 

[ElkNut1]

During Rutting months elk will generally leave bedding areas an hour or so before nightfall & head into their nighttime bedding/feeding/watering areas. They will leave this area aprox 30 minutes to an hour after light & head to their daytime bedding areas, they are generally there by 9:30-10: a.m. This can be from a 1/4 mile away to a couple miles from feeding to bedding depending on area hunted.

They will generally stay in that vicinity throughout the day even though they will get up to water & browse but generally will re-bed not to far off. They then will get back up & repeat this cycle. Hunter/predator pressure can alter their routines.

The Moon isn't a big issue with elk especially during the Rut, the Rut trumps the moon any day. When the two overlap it can be some of the best times to hunt elk in my book!

Elk can be more active during full moon times at night as they can see so much better with a moon lit sky when it's fairly clear weather, this can put elk in their bedding areas a bit sooner at times. If the Rut is in full swing then elk generally will stay active & can be ignited via calling with little problem throughout the day. When the Full Moon & Rut collide I want to be out there, locating elk to hunt at these times is much easier!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Big EZ]

@ElkNut1 Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! do you have any insight as to what makes an area more suitable to be a night time feeding/bedding area? I imagine during the day the bedding area is going to be north facing dark timber to stay out of the heat

 

[ElkNut1]

Yes, during the day elk will bed on suitable north slopes! I don't discount east,west or south slopes either. Anytime any of these 4 have good cover/shade during those hotter phases of the month the more elk will seek out any of them. They like these daytime bedding areas to be somewhat near water & a food source even if they are very small, they don't need huge acreage to be satisfied for midday ventures. Don't overlook benches & nearby parks on any face, you just never know, I will bugle into any of these or just sit & listen midday on an elevated hill where I can hear in several different directions! Once I hear or see anything I know I'm right near their bedding areas, they use these same spots every year!

Those nighttime feeding/bedding areas are generally found in more open spots or little hidey-holes. You will note that many of these areas are not in the dark timber where they choose to bed like in the day-time, instead they like to have some kind of opening around them so they can see or wind a slippery predators approach. You will note when there are multiple elk that their beds will be found very close together, there's a lot of eyes & strength in numbers.

Here are some photos of areas that elk can be found in their nighttime feeding/watering areas. Note the nice meadows, water & great spots to locate elk well off roads or trails. Most of these are less than a mile from a rig or trail. There's no trails to them but a good study of surrounding areas on a unit you intend to hunt can produce spots like this, it just takes a bit of research once a unit is chosen, now dissect it & get to know it intimately, it can be a real elk producer!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[idahohikker]

Paul, how often do you see archery season or rifle season elk using the same bedding and feeding areas repeatedly versus doing a grazing rotation through a larger area?

I've seen them return to the same area oftentimes.

 

[ElkNut1]

I rely on that on a yearly basis! I find elk using these spots repeatedly as you do. In our OTC elk hunts elk will get moved around much sooner than they would prefer but given time they do return. Sheep & Cattle can also move the elk around before they are ready at times. For the last 30 years we can count on elk being in those same bedding & feeding areas some time during our hunts.

It's common for elk to stay in a specific area if un harassed for 10 days to several weeks or more, it depends on the area & food supply as well as Breeding areas during rutting times.

So yes sir, I would say from that stand point elk are predictable to be found in areas year after year! I call them Elky areas!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Usi05]

Take me hunting elknut! Appreciate the insight

 

[Big EZ]

Paul,

If you spot a herd of elk in the morning and see where they bed down, would you expect them to leave on the same route? Does it make sense to try and set up an ambush on that path or stay a little higher and react to how they move? thanks again for all the great info

Big EZ

 

[Jqualls]

Does anyone else see or think elk rotate through a large area. I started to hypothesize this a couple years ago. It seemed like I would see certain bulls in person or on cameras for 2-4 days straight then I wouldn't see them again for 3-7 days. I feel like I have observed this several times on camera and even when hunting it seems like the spots I will always eventually get into elk but I might not see a thing for a few days then suddenly they are everywhere for a few days. Hopefully not hijacking your thread.

 

[2blade]

Does anyone else see or think elk rotate through a large area. I started to hypothesize this a couple years ago. It seemed like I would see certain bulls in person or on cameras for 2-4 days straight then I wouldn't see them again for 3-7 days. I feel like I have observed this several times on camera and even when hunting it seems like the spots I will always eventually get into elk but I might not see a thing for a few days then suddenly they are everywhere for a few days. Hopefully not hijacking your thread.

This seems to be the norm in Utah & Nv. until they are pressured or the beef cows push em out. The herd above my house in a couple spots you can almost set your watch by it, every 6 days they show up and stay for two days then gone for 6 days back for 2 days, over and over and over again during June and July. Once the beef cows show up in August, right before archery season of course, they move out. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out where they go... yet.

 

[Swede]

There may be rules for elk movement, but they don't follow those rules very well. I hunt mostly from a tree stand, but worked in the National Forest for a career. I have seen elk out feeding in the open with the temperature near 90* . I have had elk come to my tree stand at all times. Storms and the rut effect their movement. Predators including humans can get them moving. At some times in some areas, I think they get hungry early or are not filled through the night and move more in the day.
I prefer to sit at a waterhole over several trails, near a bedding area. Most of the elk in one area I hunt, have come in during the late afternoon and evening. At another location, I see them mostly in the morning. Since they have a huge area, most elk don not hang around one location very long. There are exceptions. My game cameras pick up elk at all times day and night.

 

[ElkNut1]

Big EZ, you never know for sure. Soon as you setup there they use a different exit trail. If you 2nd guess them & choose another then they'll exit on the incoming one! (grin) At times wind direction can be of value to the direction elk will exit & enter the bedding area but it's not a given. It may pay off if you are trying to ambush them to watch them for 2-3 days if possible before coming up with a solid plan of their exit direction, of course I'm referring to an archery hunt.
Personally I would use calling to get the herd bull or satellites once they hit the bedding area. -- On OTC hunts you never know when other hunters may show up so I'm not the waiting type, I like taking care of business that day! How I'd call to them would depend on the bulls attitude & mindset. Bottom line I have every intention of putting a bull down right there! Bedding areas is where my Son & I take close to 80% of our bulls, we do this through Calling.


Jqualls, you bet elk can move around, much of the time it's for the reasons stated above such as Weather like heat or snows, Predators, Hunting Pressure, Satellites harassing the herd & pushing them, limited browse, etc. The biggest reason of all for putting elk on the move could most likely be Cows Entering Estrus! As Cows enter their Estrus Cycle they emit an Airborne chemical known as Pheromones, this powerful scent will enter the air & be directed by prevailing wind currents. As this scent travels it can alert any elk even miles away as to this occurrence. This draws bulls over of all sizes to the area the scent is coming from. This is just another facet to the equation that can unpredictably move satellite bulls to larger groups of bulls & cows, this scent plays on the Instinct of bulls to breed & many times the Cows will follow these bulls, the instinct to breed is a powerful source.

Point is there can be a number of factors that come into play why specific elk will move at certain times, there is no one concrete answer. I do know once I locate a bull I do my best to play on his weakness right then & there to seal the deal!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

My very limitied experience mirrors what ElkNut has written. They do seem to follow a pattern or loop, and I’ve seen them moving right before dark down to the open valleys to feed, and back up to the ridge tops just after sunrise, heading to bed in the timber by 9:30-10:00.

The rotation aspect makes sense, as we found several bedding areas that had 2-3 day old sign, as well as fresh ones. We were hunting a pair of ridges, if you picture an M, the elk would move from the top of the left ridge down into the valley at night, then be on top again and go over the left side into the dark timber. I can assume other elk were doing the same on the right ridge, though it was hard to see as it was all dark timber.

I am curious how far elk will move down into the timber to bed. If there is no water source near the top, will they make their way down 1500’ of elevation to bed down near it on the other side? Or are they primarily watering at night and just looking to get out of the heat during the day?

If you find a fresh bedding area, how sensitive are they to your scent being left on the ground? When hunting mature whitetails, you can pretty much count on the area being burnt every time you set a foot on it. Are elk the same, or could you scout out a bedding area when they are gone and then hunt it if you are careful to play the wind?

Finally, I’ve seen mule deer and elk bedding down together in small numbers, but is this the case with larger herds also, or will one generally push the other out?

 

[Jimss]

A lot can change for one area to the next and from one time of year to another. Things can also change dramatically with hunting pressure. Elk generally head to areas with the least amount of hunting pressure. They may also change their activity timing with hunting pressure. Many of the things mentioned above can change dramatically once hunting season starts! Weather can also change things in dramatic fashion. If it's 90 degrees and sunny the elk may hang out in different areas than the next day if it turns cold and snows!

I generally try to "think like the critter I'm hunting" and try to figure out what I would do if I was an elk, deer, bighorn, or what ever! Elk hunting generally means covering lots and lots of country to find the few pockets of elk. Once you figure out what type of terrain and behavior they have on your particular hunt you'll likely be into them every day.

 

[bangarang]

There may be rules for elk movement, but they don't follow those rules very well. I hunt mostly from a tree stand, but worked in the National Forest for a career. I have seen elk out feeding in the open with the temperature near 90* . I have had elk come to my tree stand at all times. Storms and the rut effect their movement. Predators including humans can get them moving. At some times in some areas, I think they get hungry early or are not filled through the night and move more in the day.
I prefer to sit at a waterhole over several trails, near a bedding area. Most of the elk in one area I hunt, have come in during the late afternoon and evening. At another location, I see them mostly in the morning. Since they have a huge area, most elk don not hang around one location very long. There are exceptions. My game cameras pick up elk at all times day and night.

Do the elk usually leave a lot of scat near water holes? I have inspected several here in NV over the last couple of days and I only see cow dung. I know there are elk in the area because I have found their bedding areas with scat less than a day old. I also have watched feed in the evening. I’m just trying to find their water so I can plot their pattern and try to find them in the morning.

 

[ElkNut1]

Finding elk! That's what your Bugle is for in timber or in non-open country!

ElkNut

 

[bangarang]

Finding elk! That's what your Bugle is for in timber or in non-open country!

ElkNut

It’s a cow hunt that started today. (Having cell service while hunting is bittersweet.) I’m not a savvy bugler otherwise I would! I may hit some cow calls.

 

[ElkNut1]

If an archery hunt get a good setup & then follow the Cow Party Tactic in the ElkNut App, This tactic is money on Cows & Spikes! The video will explain when & where to setup!

ElkNut