Is it easier to find elk, or kill elk, archery only

[timberland]

what seems to be easier, killing one once you find them (EX: OTC high pressure vs LTE) or is it easier to find them and hard to close the deal. Please describe why. Is it the type of area you hunt, population dynamics, pressure, etc.

This will help shed some light on when to give up on an area, or give up when you find the only herd in town, etc.

If you find elk, do you drop anchor until you're successful or completely blow them out? Or do you move on to greener pastures after a string of unsuccessful days?

 

[bsnedeker]

Not really following the question, but I do subscribe to the idea that you don't leave elk to find elk. When I'm onto them I stay on them until they are gone.

 

[Norm555]

During archery season you will have a much easier time finding elk. Much harder to actually get them killed. That's a very general statement but true from my experiences.

 

[brn2hnt]

Soo much easier to find elk than kill them in September.

They literally scream at the top of their lungs to give away their position.


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[Laramie]

Finding elk is typically not super challenging. Most archery hunter if given a few days can at least locate some elk if they are in the area. Killing said elk is exponentially harder for most. I have no problem leaving elk to find easier to kill elk if I know the areas well and am confident I will locate more.

 

[loggerchas]

OTC areas, moderate to light pressure. I tend to hunt less popular areas with a lower elk density. Finding the smaller elk herds in a larger area takes time. Once I find them I carefully pursue until I blow them out or down the quarry. Always more of a still hunter and/or ambush hunting style myself - not "run and gun" ridgeline marathons. Once blown, move to neighboring basins and rinse and repeat - checking back in the home drainage frequently to see if they meandered back home.

I am always looking for fresh sign, "green and steaming". Personally I have had more luck hunting straggler satellites and lost onesy-twosy animals than "herds". Finding that needle in the haystack is certainly a bit harder but also keeps me away from the masses on the ridgelines chasing the big herd drainage to drainage.

 

[jmez]

Finding them is far easier than killing them with a bow. Like others have said, they aren't real hard to find in Sept. Getting to within reasonable shooting distance with mountain winds and thermals is extremely difficult.

I would never leave elk to find elk.

 

[Elktaco]

I always think finding elk during archery is easy, killing then is the hard part. During rifle finding the elk is hard, but killing is easy.

 

[trophyhill]

its easy to find them. and easier to kill them......when they cooperate

in all seriousness though, if there are hot cows around, elk can be very easy to find. thats when you have to figure out how to hunt them. that comes easier to some, than others. the "others" are the guys who have great stories to tell back at camp with the common denominator being, they rarely, if at all kill anything.

conversely if elk aren't vocal because the cows aren't ready to breed, they are tougher to find. i choose my calling locations carefully, especially when elk are quiet. not only do i want my sound to travel, but i want to hear the faintest bugles or talk possible. if i can get a bull to answer on those quiet days with one of those "lazy" bugles, i stand a great chance of having a shot opportunity at some point. but you really have to be listening to hear that lazy bugle because 9 out of 10 bulls will only do it once and then shut up. they wont answer calls after that either. at least not right away. in order to keep tabs on that bull, a call every 45 to 60 minutes may get an answer with the lazy bugle. at least thats been my experience.

 

[spike camp]

Soo much easier to find elk than kill them in September.

They literally scream at the top of their lungs to give away their position.


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LoL!!

 

[ElkNut1]

It's easier for most hunters to locate elk than kill elk, just look at the stats!

When hearing a single bugle whether it's a lazy bed bugle or a single bugle & he shows zero interest in responding to you; then you need to adapt to that situation. Only use sounds that require a reaction or action from him. Classic bugles & cow calling asks nothing, it merely shows there's an elk out there.

Consider the Regathering Mew which asks for aid or assistance. You can also play on a bulls curiosity & convince him your a bull with a hot cow in your midst, this is the funnest one & can turn the most quiet bulls into a rage that won't shut up! It's the Slow Play Sequence & has proven itself countless times with those quiet bulls! Those that have the App will find it under Tactics! The Regathering Mew is under Tactics as well but under the heading How To Hunt Quiet Bulls!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[cnelk]

Here's a short video from 2013 that puts some perspective on the topic

 

[5MilesBack]

Elk are easy to find, but everything has to come together for a successful kill. Wind is a killer to that "everything coming together" part as it tends to swirl in the high country. And what you can get away with on raghorns, you may or may not get away with on mature bulls.

 

[ElkNut1]

It simply amazes me how many hunters worry about the wind! I really don't get it! If the wind is wrong you don't go after them or you work on coming in another direction or another time. Outside of that what's the issue! You can't just ignore the wind because there's elk there. Honestly it's one of my least concerns.

ElkNut

 

[timberland]

Finding them is far easier than killing them with a bow. Like others have said, they aren't real hard to find in Sept. Getting to within reasonable shooting distance with mountain winds and thermals is extremely difficult.

I would never leave elk to find elk.

So if finding them is fairly easy, would it make sense at times to leave elk to find elk that present an easier"play"? E.g. terrain advantage?

 

[timberland]

So if a new elk hunter reads the above posts as a composite, easy to locate elk, (so if you don't locate elk in a 3 day executed plan, move on) if you locate elk and don't have a plan to get in close, remember and return.

 

[jmez]

If I find them I'll make a play. It may take a day or two. May involve a lot more glassing than moving in but I won't walk off and leave them without trying.

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[Overdrive]

It simply amazes me how many hunters worry about the wind! I really don't get it! If the wind is wrong you don't go after them or you work on coming in another direction or another time. Outside of that what's the issue! You can't just ignore the wind because there's elk there. Honestly it's one of my least concerns.

ElkNut

I would have to agree, if your too concerned about wind you'll be walking in circles all day waiting for it to blow the right direction. I say hunt!!! I've had more hunts/stocks ruined by getting to close and bumping the lazy last elk.

 

[trophyhill]

i don't worry too much about wind myself either. i do my best to get the wind in my face "when i can" but im not going to not hunt because of swirling thermals or swirling winds. if i get busted, I'll find another elk to hunt. the very first elk i killed had me on top of a ridge late afternoon taking shelter from a driving thunderstorm under a lone pine tree. scary stuff. rookie mistake but in the end i had the wind at my back and still the cow elk walked right up to me to 2 feet towering above me. she took off, i quickly reverted to what I'd read in Elknut's The PlayBook and stopped her at 20 yards with a nervous grunt as i was drawing my bow from a sitting position and drilled her thru both lungs. if you don't learn any other sound, learn how to make that one! it stops them dead in their tracks long enough for the shot! this was all with the wind at my back. it's not the only elk I've killed with the wind at my back either. maybe the wind swirled after it caught my scent cone and i got lucky? perhaps. point being I'm not going back to camp mid morning because of swirling thermals.

 

[Roughwater]

I'm sure you are getting the drift by now. You certainly can't kill them if you can't find them so finding them is your first priority. It's not like you can kill them without finding them, least not in my experience. It would be nice though to head out into the woods and find a Elky looking area and shoot a arrow up in the air and kill one without finding one but it would be like winning the lottery without entering it.