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.

 

[nphunter]

Depends on the walking, I've stood in the wide open sage and walked from well over 100 yards to under 60 yards for a shot on a bull with twenty cows. I went very very slow and walked right at them, even if they spot movement, they will forget about it if you stop for a little bit. I've done the same thing many times with deer and antelope as well, sometimes walking in knee deep grass directly at them and stopping whenever they look up from feeding. It has gotten me into bow range many times.

I've also called and had a cow come from 500 yards away and walk right up the trail to me and sniff the end of my bugle tube and proceed to walk out around me and up the trail. They see movement not orange or whatever color. I have a youtube video posted from checking cams a long time ago where I'm sitting in the middle of 50 head of elk wearing bright blue shorts and an Orange t shirts while i recorded them, I even took a leak while surrounded by elk. They would wind me now and then and one or two would run off but the majortiy would stay feeding, some within 10 feet of me for over an hour.

If you're going to walk around them walk straight at them and do it slowly. It is very hard for them to see an object coming directly at them. Even if you have to skyline, skyline while walking directly at them and you will most likely be OK, walk perpendicular to them while skylined and they will bust for sure even at very long ranges.

 

[spike camp]

Elk don’t see orange, so that’s moot.
Elk can pick up movement at very long distances, somewhere around 900 yards and their horizontal pupils help to allow a 270 degree field of vision.

 

[Donny Land]

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.

Yup!

I tested this theory Sunday a week ago in Colorado, I was in the open and in the sun, along with being at the same elevation as them, and got busted at about 600 yards. 100% my fault, and i knew it was going to be iffy, but noon on the last day of 1st rifle, i was taking a chance! LOL!!

 

[insanelupus]

If they didn't spot you, I wonder, sitting in full sun, if there was a glint off your rifle, optic, or tripod?

 

[Bubblehide]

They cannot see beyond the curvature of the earth.

On a more serious note, ungulates rods and cones (what's inside the eye) are very highly geared to pick up movement, throughout the range of each eye. So, unless you are literally at very slow motion, they are highly likely to pick up on the movement, unless you are behind something.

 

[HighUintas]

Depends on the walking, I've stood in the wide open sage and walked from well over 100 yards to under 60 yards for a shot on a bull with twenty cows. I went very very slow and walked right at them, even if they spot movement, they will forget about it if you stop for a little bit. I've done the same thing many times with deer and antelope as well, sometimes walking in knee deep grass directly at them and stopping whenever they look up from feeding. It has gotten me into bow range many times.

I've also called and had a cow come from 500 yards away and walk right up the trail to me and sniff the end of my bugle tube and proceed to walk out around me and up the trail. They see movement not orange or whatever color. I have a youtube video posted from checking cams a long time ago where I'm sitting in the middle of 50 head of elk wearing bright blue shorts and an Orange t shirts while i recorded them, I even took a leak while surrounded by elk. They would wind me now and then and one or two would run off but the majortiy would stay feeding, some within 10 feet of me for over an hour.

If you're going to walk around them walk straight at them and do it slowly. It is very hard for them to see an object coming directly at them. Even if you have to skyline, skyline while walking directly at them and you will most likely be OK, walk perpendicular to them while skylined and they will bust for sure even at very long ranges.

Definitely going to try this next time I'm within sight of elk. And deer. I still have an archery deer tag

 

[patagonialuke]

They see movement not orange or whatever color. I have a youtube video posted from checking cams a long time ago where I'm sitting in the middle of 50 head of elk wearing bright blue shorts and an Orange t shirts while i recorded them, I even took a leak while surrounded by elk.

Ha, I've had very similar experiences during archery season, which is part of why I started the thread (I'm a newb overall, but have way more days in the field during September vs. the rifle seasons).

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts. Sounds like I generally ought to be more cautious with movement than I thought, and treat my rifle setup like my bow in terms of having it accessible well before any potential encounters.

 

[AHayes111]

Depends on the walking, I've stood in the wide open sage and walked from well over 100 yards to under 60 yards for a shot on a bull with twenty cows. I went very very slow and walked right at them, even if they spot movement, they will forget about it if you stop for a little bit. I've done the same thing many times with deer and antelope as well, sometimes walking in knee deep grass directly at them and stopping whenever they look up from feeding. It has gotten me into bow range many times.

I've also called and had a cow come from 500 yards away and walk right up the trail to me and sniff the end of my bugle tube and proceed to walk out around me and up the trail. They see movement not orange or whatever color. I have a youtube video posted from checking cams a long time ago where I'm sitting in the middle of 50 head of elk wearing bright blue shorts and an Orange t shirts while i recorded them, I even took a leak while surrounded by elk. They would wind me now and then and one or two would run off but the majortiy would stay feeding, some within 10 feet of me for over an hour.

If you're going to walk around them walk straight at them and do it slowly. It is very hard for them to see an object coming directly at them. Even if you have to skyline, skyline while walking directly at them and you will most likely be OK, walk perpendicular to them while skylined and they will bust for sure even at very long ranges.

Your elk are not like the elk I am used to. I can see you walking up on them, I have done similar. It is not hard to beat their eyes. Their nose is a different story. The elk I am around will not tolerate smelling you. One whiff and they are gone in a hurry. Cross the track you left an hour ago and they are gone.

 

[atmat]

I would be skeptical you spooked them at 600 yards sitting down unless you were really thrashing around to get the rifle.

In general they don’t have great vision. They may pick up movements quickly, but at that range and seated you're basically a bush swaying in the breeze.

 

[nphunter]

Your elk are not like the elk I am used to. I can see you walking up on them, I have done similar. It is not hard to beat their eyes. Their nose is a different story. The elk I am around will not tolerate smelling you. One whiff and they are gone in a hurry. Cross the track you left an hour ago and they are gone.

That was the middle of summer in a big herd. The cow that waked up and sniffed me was in hunting season. 99% of the time they blow out when I get winded. My point of sitting near them was that they were right next to me and could easily see me but looked right though me because I wasn’t moving.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I'm not saying they can't see movement at 600 but I'm willing to bet they simply switched directions without even realizing you were there.