Hunting Strategy Debate

[Buffalo0922]

Backpack Elk trip in Early November. Rifle hunting in unit 7/8 (Northern Colorado).

We will be in fairly dense forest with occasional small clearings/meadows....

Buddy thinks best strategy is to sit and glass a small clearings and wait for the Elk

I want to stay moving, hiking 6-8 mile loops so I could check a dozen or so of the meadows in a day.

Anyone have an opinion on which option is better? Or if we are both wrong...

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[Huntindog45]

...because the elk are going to be hanging out in the meadows during the day...? have a great hike.

 

[Buffalo0922]

Preferably broadside 100yds out

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[Kootenay Hunter]

Backpack Elk trip in Early November. Rifle hunting in unit 7/8 (Northern Colorado).

We will be in fairly dense forest with occasional small clearings/meadows....

Buddy thinks best strategy is to sit and glass a small clearings and wait for the Elk

I want to stay moving, hiking 6-8 mile loops so I could check a dozen or so of the meadows in a day.

Anyone have an opinion on which option is better? Or if we are both wrong...

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I've done the first option while tagging along with some folks a few times. Picture perfect setting, low mist as the sun rises, all I needed was a bugling bull int he middle of the field....unfortunately it's not a thomas kinkade scene.

Walking 50-100ft around the openings is where all the sign was, and further away from roads the sign increased as well.

How long does it take to glass a field? 30 secs? Nothing, move on.

 

[Buffalo0922]

I've done the first option while tagging along with some folks a few times. Picture perfect setting, low mist as the sun rises, all I needed was a bugling bull int he middle of the field....unfortunately it's not a thomas kinkade scene.

Walking 50-100ft around the openings is where all the sign was, and further away from roads the sign increased as well.

How long does it take to glass a field? 30 secs? Nothing, move on.

Thank you - this is exactly my point. These "meadows" are a couple acres at most. Mostly Creek runoff areas.


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[Wapiti1]

Still hunt the timber. Hope for fresh snow (not too much though) so you have some tracks. Cut tracks, follow tracks, attempt to shoot elk. Tracking isn't easy, but works well in timbered country. My favorite way to hunt them.

Otherwise, you will have to essentially run into them in the woods on their way to or from food/bedding. The chances of catching them in a meadow are very slim. That said, you may be able to get high and see several meadows along with being able to look into the timber. If that is possible, then glassing is a good option.

Jeremy

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

and if you can find some fresh tracks near a water source....good place to start

 

[jmez]

Since there are two of you with differing opinions you can both strike out and see which works best. I wouldn't be hunting together.

 

[Buffalo0922]

Since there are two of you with differing opinions you can both strike out and see which works best. I wouldn't be hunting together.

I think we are both okay with that strategy...

After talking a little more today and passing on some of the advice from this forumn, we are leaning more towards being on the same page

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[jmez]

You should still split up. Cover twice as much ground and increase odds of finding elk.

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[GunsAreFun]

You should still split up. Cover twice as much ground and increase odds of finding elk.

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Or if looking for tracks, at least stay as far away as you can while still being in visual range.

I’ve still hunted whitetails on windy days. We’d find a Ridge with the wind in our faces. We’d each stay on one side of the ridge to where we could just see each other. That allowed us to see a lot more ground.

 

[jmez]

This isn't like looking for whitetails on a ridge. You have literally miles to cover.

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[jmez]

This is already looking like a problem. I wouldn't let him ruin your hunt or hold you back. Get out there and hunt, he can't keep up his problem. He can go "sit on a meadow.". Good luck with that.

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[Sportsman]

Sorry for the differences but I do encourage you to read the advice in this thread. Highly unlikely that elk will be on a meadow except first 30-60 minutes after first light. I'm not an expert but I can tell you they will be moving from meadows to timber to bed down for the daylight hours. Lots of things will influence how long you have between first light and bedding down.

If there is limited water, you might sit water in middle of the day or evening. You can find a glassing point where you can see open spots in timber.

Oh, and wind, wind, wind . . .

 

[Ross]

Your not whitetail hunting glass meadow early and late for a few minutes and then off on the walk about

 

[jjtt13]

You do yours he does hes

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[JohnIrish]

The first objective on any Elk hunt is to ....... FIND SOME ELK! They can hide pretty good and move a lot. If you are in an area with no Elk or fresh Elk sign... MOVE and find another area. I would not sit.