Help with late season elk stategy

[Goosepilot]

Have hunted elk diy a half dozen times, mostly archery early season and a couple 2nd season rifle. So still very green in general with a little experience, no kills yet, but have been close to some very nice bulls on a couple hunts. Some hunts have not hardly even smelled elk.

Started applying for a limited draw unit that is supposed to take 10 years to draw. Hoped to gain necessary experience by then to capitalize on a mature bull. Well somehow I got drawn in 3rd year. Now what? Work this year dictates probably no realistic chance to hunt until mid November. Season runs until end of November.

Would you hire a guide (I never have before) to get access to private lands and some elk experience and better chance at better mature bull at this time of year?

Would you just study as much as possible and go diy again and hope to find something still on public land that late in the year?

Maybe able to get out this summer to scout a time or 2. Gain some familiarity with terrain. (Not sure how much will translate to late season). Went out once a couple years ago with my super cub and flew around one evening and one morning, but no on foot yet. Had planned to archery hunt a few years prior to permit.

I obviously have a bush plane and Alaska bush experience, mod Jeep, side by side with tracks, possibly buddies with pack horses not terribly far away that might get tricked into some help. Not totally opposed to hiring a guide or at least getting access to private.

Any suggestions or tactics in general would be appreciated.

 

[brsnow]

I hunt late and elk location and migration is based on snow fall. Good snow fall up high, lots of movement. Little snow I have to cover a lot of area to find them.

 

[idahohikker]

Probably would need the state and/or more details to help you. All your toys should be beneficial in some way on a late season hunt if there's snow involved or some access difficulties on the area roads. One way to look at it is you didn't have to apply long so just go for it DIY this time and get back to applying. You're not that green.

 

[mountainman406]

A lot of people will tell you steep and deep is the way to go for late season. My best advice is look for sanctuary. I’ve seen some big bulls in really rough landscape at that time of year. Personally, I’ve either shot or been a part of packing out 7 elk in the past 5 years, all of which were taken after November 15th and less than 3 miles from a road. Homework definitely pays off but from what I’ve seen, elk that you see in the summer scouting are almost never in the same spot after the orange army shows up and the bullets start flying. Good luck and congrats on your draw!


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[Goosepilot]

Thanks. Southeastern MT 799-20. Do elk there tend to avoid pressure and largely stat put because it is low elevation or do they still migrate and end up in river bottoms and private ag lands by winter?

 

[BuzzH]

Make sure you have a gps...

 

[mountainman406]

Thanks. Southeastern MT 799-20. Do elk there tend to avoid pressure and largely stat put because it is low elevation or do they still migrate and end up in river bottoms and private ag lands by winter?

Can’t speak to that district as I’ve never hunted that far East but here the herds move to lower elevations and bounce between public and private. Find the main herd and the bigger bulls will be broken off a mile or two in the higher/steeper elevation.


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[Goosepilot]

I will try to get out once this summer and then again in early sept for a week each. What do I look for in sept that is going to be useful to narrow an area down for in late November when I’ve basically never been there before this year?

 

[idahohikker]

I will try to get out once this summer and then again in early sept for a week each. What do I look for in sept that is going to be useful to narrow an area down for in late November when I’ve basically never been there before this year?

Scouting is going to be tough and minimally productive at that time. Just a really different time of year and not like scouting for an archery hunt during the summer.

You could get a feel of the lay of the land, look for sanctuaries, and possibly old sign.

Don't spend a lot of time and save that for when the cold weather hits and bulls have left the cows.

 

[neil.hansford]

If you're not opposed to hiring a guide, or paying for private access, that's a great hunt for it. Not a ton of public (that holds elk), and what is there will be hunted pretty hard by mid-November. Also, there will be lots of rifle deer hunters in the woods at that time in that area.

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[Jon Boy]

Thanks. Southeastern MT 799-20. Do elk there tend to avoid pressure and largely stat put because it is low elevation or do they still migrate and end up in river bottoms and private ag lands by winter?

That will be a tough one late in the season. Elk will still be on public land but they are tough to find. Traditional late season tactics are not going to apply here as elevation isn't really a factor. The bulls will be holed up in juniper patches a lot that time of year. However, there are some absolute giants to be had if you put your time in.

 

[Fishty206]

What about lost calf calls for late season elk hunts? Anybody had any experience with this?