How many of you guys are just sitting your hunt?

[FredoTwoWheels]

I have done elk hunts a few times, only saw some the last time I went (Watched a hunter across the valley stare the opposite way of them for an hour. If he only knew to turn around and hike through a small crop of trees!) But I feel like most of my hunts are just long hikes holding a bow. Not complaining, but I think my restlessness plays against me sometimes. I always hear about these guys chasing a herd or a bugal, but how many of you guys just find a nice field with some sign and sit out the days there?

 

[magtech]

Try hiking to benches that look like they hold elk midday. Get above them 100-200 yards and randomly cow/calf call for 20-45 minutes. Then get up and go to another ones. You get breaks, you get hiking, and sometimes youre in the right spot and you get stupid elk (my favorite).

I mean it worked for me this year.

 

[Weldor]

Waterholes. Guys get bored by early morning and start moving around and push the critters . Patience is a great tool.

 

[Jqualls]

I dont do much long sitting although I tried to sit a wallow for a couple days that was real active this year that did not go well. I have found that I find a lot more elk by sitting and listening periodically. This time of year they make some noise pretty regularly during the mid day but lots of times it is real quiet and I would never hear them when I was moving. Now that I am sitting quiet in areas I think they might be I hear light noises. Now getting them in for a shot is a whole other problem.

 

[Birdybird]

does sitting in a car count? lol

 

[CMF]

how many of you guys just find a nice field with some sign and sit out the days there?

not me

 

[intunegp]

I know a group of guys that hunt OTC 3rd rifle season, been going to the same unit on the same hunt for probably 20 years. They are all sit and wait hunters and all sit in the same spot morning and afternoon for the duration of their hunt.

They all know some of their spots are better than others, but the guys with the good spots probably have a 60-70% success rate.

 

[cmorris6]

I have done elk hunts a few times, only saw some the last time I went (Watched a hunter across the valley stare the opposite way of them for an hour. If he only knew to turn around and hike through a small crop of trees!) But I feel like most of my hunts are just long hikes holding a bow. Not complaining, but I think my restlessness plays against me sometimes. I always hear about these guys chasing a herd or a bugal, but how many of you guys just find a nice field with some sign and sit out the days there?

It’s not glorious, but water is so effective (especially in the SW). Just be 100% that the elk are beating it up before you commit to it. I have never sat in a meadow or saddle just waiting, which seems like it’d be better served doing with a rifle. Someone in here said call and wait - this can be good, but it is so tough to be patient calling. Bulls will often times come in quiet.

 

[Fullfan]

Not us, this year in Idaho my son and I covered 148 miles in 15 days. Resulting in our dead bulls, and two guys that could keep up also shot bulls. setting and waiting is not hunting..

 

[wapitibob]

Just got back from Az and all but 2 elk that were shot or killed that I know of were from sitting water.

 

[MallardSX2]

Sitting water worked for me…sometimes it makes sense to sit down instead of running every animal off the mountain.

 

[hereinaz]

Just got back from Az and all but 2 elk that were shot or killed that I know of were from sitting water.

In AZ, lots of elk and deer die from sitting water. It’s a solid tactic.

My first archery elk hunt this year, I chased in the am and sat water in the afternoon mostly. Only saw a spike, bear, and bobcat on three different nights. Most were nothing.

Last day I ended up shooting a bull I ran after that ended up being 700 yards from camp—after I had sat water that morning for a couple hours, hoping to catch them. I was tired and a little discouraged, but kept trying something.

Wapiti, what unit? If you don’t mind sharing.

 

[trophyhill]

I have spent many hours sitting and waiting for the magic hour before sunset in known elk areas. The 1 thing I've learned since starting to bowhunt thru experience, and advice from Lou and my buddy JP, is patience. The many hours of not seeing or hearing anything are forgotten and rewarded when the encounters and kills start happening.

This being said, you have to know or follow your gut when it's time to move on.

 

[nphunter]

It depends on the area, how much water is there, what kind of elk you are after, and many other factors. I hate sitting, I put on 170 miles in Sept hunting elk, I passed up a lot of bulls, killed a nice bull ambushing him and could have easily killed many more after my tag was filled. Being where elk are is the key, if we bed a bull/herd in an area too thick to stalk we get our wind right and sit, sometimes we sit a close by wallow, sometimes we sit a feeding feature. Once the elk start moving/talking we try to get to where they are going before them.

We don't just sit random places though, learn the area, spots elk frequent and then decide if you want to sit or move. Personally I hate sitting for very long and only do it when absolutely necessary. I have a tree stand I put up on a water hole that has big bulls hitting it on most days throughout Sept. I've sat that stand maybe 5 hours in the last 10 years, I know I would be successful sitting it but just don't want to fill my tag sitting in a tree.

Well used water is probably the best bet for elk, however make sure it's well used, just because a wallow is dirty when you get to it doesn't mean it will be hit again any time soon. One of the areas we hunted this year had probably 25 wallows in the basin, one wallow was getting hit pretty regular but all of them were active.

A few years back we were chasing a giant 360+ bull on a OIL hunt, we hunted that bull for close to a week and he was running a bench back and forth and we could never get caught up with him and in range. Finally we decided to just go sit along the elk trail on the bench and wait for him to come up. We were sitting there for about 30 minutes and he came up and bedded 100 yards away, I was able to crawl close enough for a 60 yard shot and hit a small branch that deflected my arrow. That is about the only time I can think of where sitting paid off, the main reason being that we knew exactly where he kept ending up.

Rifle hunting IMO is different, if you can sit somewhere where you can see out to your effective range and be patient then sitting can work very well in good elk country. WIth a bow you need to be able to sit within 50 yards of where the elk will be and that's a lot to ask while still trying to play the wind.

 

[trophyhill]

It depends on the area, how much water is there, what kind of elk you are after, and many other factors. I hate sitting, I put on 170 miles in Sept hunting elk, I passed up a lot of bulls, killed a nice bull ambushing him and could have easily killed many more after my tag was filled. Being where elk are is the key, if we bed a bull/herd in an area too thick to stalk we get our wind right and sit, sometimes we sit a close by wallow, sometimes we sit a feeding feature. Once the elk start moving/talking we try to get to where they are going before them.

We don't just sit random places though, learn the area, spots elk frequent and then decide if you want to sit or move. Personally I hate sitting for very long and only do it when absolutely necessary. I have a tree stand I put up on a water hole that has big bulls hitting it on most days throughout Sept. I've sat that stand maybe 5 hours in the last 10 years, I know I would be successful sitting it but just don't want to fill my tag sitting in a tree.

Well used water is probably the best bet for elk, however make sure it's well used, just because a wallow is dirty when you get to it doesn't mean it will be hit again any time soon. One of the areas we hunted this year had probably 25 wallows in the basin, one wallow was getting hit pretty regular but all of them were active.

A few years back we were chasing a giant 360+ bull on a OIL hunt, we hunted that bull for close to a week and he was running a bench back and forth and we could never get caught up with him and in range. Finally we decided to just go sit along the elk trail on the bench and wait for him to come up. We were sitting there for about 30 minutes and he came up and bedded 100 yards away, I was able to crawl close enough for a 60 yard shot and hit a small branch that deflected my arrow. That is about the only time I can think of where sitting paid off, the main reason being that we knew exactly where he kept ending up.

Rifle hunting IMO is different, if you can sit somewhere where you can see out to your effective range and be patient then sitting can work very well in good elk country. WIth a bow you need to be able to sit within 50 yards of where the elk will be and that's a lot to ask while still trying to play the wind.

Effective calling while sitting has paid dividends and got them into bow range for me. On alot of these encounters after calling I will move toward the elk and met them on my terms. Conversely I've called them right into my lap with the closest kill at 6'. So I'd say if sitting, use other tactics to compliment the sitting. I'll also add, I don't sit water. I prefer the edge of bedding areas because I know they will get up at some point within the last couple hours of daylight and do what elk do. I just try and meld in and make my play when the time is right.

When I do a sit in the morning, I try and position myself on travel routes if I can because generally they are up and moving. These areas are generally on the edges of bedding areas as well so I'm in ambush mode in this scenario but still use some selective calling to try and bring them my way. If they aren't responsive, I call in such a way to bring them from a long ways, which means I've got to be in a spot where my calls reach out. This is where patience pays off cuz it can take quite a while.

 

[hereinaz]

Good stuff guys!

 

[Brando]

I love to sit. With a rifle. With a bow I’m hiking. But for some reason with a rifle I get to a certain spot, first light, and I sit and watch and listen. Typically I position myself in an area where elk will funnel through when pressured.
I’ve killed quite a few elk this way.
I like to sit and watch and listen. I guess hunting to me isn’t so much covering ground for one quarry any more as it is the experience of nature.
Man I sound like an old fart.

 

[nwcomechanic]

This can be a real challenge to the antsy. I have a real tough time sitting for long amounts of time. I have read that cold calling can work, but that is one thing I struggle with, if I did not hear them before first light, or glass them up after first light and don't know where they are I often end up in this "whats the point" mindset which is tough to get out of. But I have spent many days in Elk country sitting not making a sound and then it gets dark, never saw anything or heard anything. I have also had scenarios where I will chase them for hours, lose them right at what I think is their last move before bed, having some compounded knowledge of the area over the years, and so I'll move to get the wind right, but they aren't active until last light and the wind during the day compared to the wind/thermals at last light are completely different? So how do you setup to be successful here other than very last second? But how do you know where to setup until it's too late and it's dark as you're moving into position.

I know this was a bit of a ramble, but its been a tough couple years behind the ole compound bow and has me in a mental struggle. Advise wanted, thanks!

 

[justinspicher]

Sitting works where I hunt, due to the amount of hunters in the area. They will push the elk around quite a bit, so sitting and waiting to see how the elk react has been beneficial for me.

 

[ozyclint]

.... setting and waiting is not hunting..

Tell that to a crocodile. I admire them for their infinite patience. They will pattern you for week then sit and wait for you to draw a bucket of water from the same spot one too many times. Then BAM! You're croc shit.