How Far Can Elk See / Spot Movement?

[patagonialuke]

If you're in blaze orange and don't have any cover, what's the max distance between you and elk where you're very concerned about spooking them via visual / movement alone?

Yesterday, I managed to screw up a rare lucky break when a group of 6 cows got bumped toward me from an adjacent unit. As far as I can surmise, I spooked them from 600-700 yds away by turning around (remaining seated) to get my rifle and tripod off my pack (sitting behind me) and set up to shoot. I.e., 30-60 sec of upper-body movement, but I didn't move super slowly.

For context, wind was perfect, there was a loud creek between me and them, and there were no other hunters nearby. The elk weren't previously aware of me (headed straight at me from across the valley) and were moving through tall brush that occasionally obscured their view. But I didn't have any cover directly in front of me, I was in the sun, and they had obviously been spooked hard recently, so likely still somewhat on edge.

In hindsight, I now know I should've found some cover to glass from, and gotten my rifle and tripod ready as soon as they turned to head my way (when they were ~1000 yds away).

I know the answer depends on a ton of different factors, but I'd appreciate any thoughts from more experienced folks re: what you can / can't get away with in the fluorescent getup.

 

[hibernation]

Unless you were sitting skylined along a ridge, I think it would take a lot of movement to get spotted at 600 yards while still sitting down. I still would've moved slowly and carefully at that range, but wouldn't expect them to see me unless I stood up and started walking around. Maybe the sun angle and conditions were just right to make you more obvious?

Recently spooked elk are tough, they often run one way for awhile just to stop, regroup, and suddenly do something completely different. It's possible their leaving was totally unrelated to your movement.

 

[patagonialuke]

It's possible their leaving was totally unrelated to your movement.

Thanks for the insight. I wish I had another set of eyes with me, cause I didn't get to witness the moment they changed course. They just vanished in the ~minute I took to set up, and I've been left wondering since.

I wasn't skylined and it was almost noon so the shadows weren't dramatic.

~45 min later, when I hiked over to verify they hadn't simply bedded where I last saw them, a coyote did start barking relatively nearby (roughly 500-1000 yds downwind from the cows' last known location). So there's a chance the coyote or some other unknown factor was the cause, and I just happened to pick the wrong moment to take eyes off them.

 

[Indian Summer]

I guarantee you that if you are out in the open elk can spot movement at 1000 yards. I’ve definitely been busted at that distance.

 

[cbuck516]

I’ve been spotted at 1000 yards in broken timber. In the wide open would be worse.

 

[Jimss]

They can likely smell you just as far as they can see you!

 

[S.Clancy]

IME, over 600 yds it has to be certain conditions for elk to see you well. We had elk 600-800 yds several times this weekend and we were walking around cautiously and never seen.

 

[TaperPin]

I say it so much people get sick of hearing it, but this trend of lashing a rifle to the pack costs many animals every year. Animals don’t always give a warning they are coming out of the trees, and don’t always stick around long when seeing a monkey fornicating with a football trying to kill them. That’s been true since Luis and Clark.

 

[noisy]

It was the coyote.