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

[5MilesBack]

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.

Isn't that worrying about the wind? Actually "worrying" isn't the right word here, but you had darn better be "playing" the wind when you get in close. I don't know anybody that "worries" about the wind.......it is what it is.

 

[Laramie]

I believe those "worrying" are referring to swirling winds. I have had numerous bulls all but hanging in camp only to have the wind reverse directions on me sending the elk into the next county. I have learned there are better places to setup than others to minimize this but it still occasionally happens. Getting on the same elevation as the elk has helped. Not setting up on the leeward side of a hill has helped. Minimizing hang up time has helped - don't set yourself up to have a bull stop at 80-100 yards for minutes. Setup so when he comes, your shooter will likely be in range immediately. Terrain and vegetation usually dictate where an elk is going to stop to look if they approach cautiously.

 

[trophyhill]

if guys worried about the wind or swirling thermals as much as i hear it talked about, most hunters would be at camp all day and only hunt the first half hour of daylight and the last half hour of daylight. that's about the only time its gonna be consistent.

i think its more important knowing where elk are at during different times of the day. early mornings in the bottoms and later 2/3's up. being at the same elevation is where i want to be regardless of what time of day it is. I'll worry about the wind after the elk is taking a permanent nap

 

[Trial153]

Well, I never killed one that I didn't find first. And i didn't kill many that i did find. Either way I stay on them till I think I blew them out. As far knowing when a spot is blown, well.... let's just say by the time your thinking it its probably happened already

 

[Ross]

Easy to find and the wind is the devil

 

[timberland]

Well, I never killed one that I didn't find first. And i didn't kill many that i did find. Either way I stay on them till I think I blew them out. As far knowing when a spot is blown, well.... let's just say by the time your thinking it its probably happened already

I have killed a bull and a cow that walked into my lap, about 30seconds between when I found them to when I killed them, hence the thread

 

[Gapmaster]

I’m gonna state the obvious here like everyone else.
1. “Don’t leave elk to find elk” some one said they would leave elk to hunt easier elk in easier terrain. That’s true, but obviously they’ve already found them one way or another or they wouldn’t know they would be easier. It’s typically never “easy”.
2. “Elk are where you find them” well Duh! It just means they aren’t always where you want to find them.
3. My favorite. “There’s lots of elk here, they’re just scattered” Just find a herd and push the envelope until you succeed or fail. That’s why you are there to begin with. When you blow up a herd, move on. That goes with the multiple plan strategies.

Do what you are comfortable doing...don’t worry about what you can’t control (wind etc). Don’t over think every move. Find them and hunt them. Simple as that.

 

[ElkNut1]

The wind will do what the wind wants to do, it's up to us hunters to navigate it! It's really that simple!

ElkNut

 

[5MilesBack]

The wind will do what the wind wants to do, it's up to us hunters to navigate it! It's really that simple!

Simple, but can be extremely frustrating. For example, a couple years ago I spent 2.5 hours hiking into a spot. The wind was amazingly consistent and in my face that entire time. I get there, let out a bugle, and immediately get a response from about 100 yards away in front of me in the timber. A few seconds later the wind is now on the back of my neck and all I hear is crashing timber. A couple seconds after that it's back in my face consistently again. There's no navigating that.........other than moving on as we always do.

 

[Gapmaster]

Simple, but can be extremely frustrating. For example, a couple years ago I spent 2.5 hours hiking into a spot. The wind was amazingly consistent and in my face that entire time. I get there, let out a bugle, and immediately get a response from about 100 yards away in front of me in the timber. A few seconds later the wind is now on the back of my neck and all I hear is crashing timber. A couple seconds after that it's back in my face consistently again. There's no navigating that.........other than moving on as we always do.

Murphy’s Law was made for bow hunters

 

[ElkNut1]

5MilesBack, I have been in that situation a time or two, one of the things that has helped me was to quickly get wind direction, you have time with a bull a football field away, your wind will not travel that fast & generally your scent cone is 10'-15' wide as it heads his direction. -- Once I check the wind I now move left or right; whichever direction gets my scent from going his immediate direction, I call as I am moving so it redirects his original approach to my new location & now I have the wind in my favor & finish him off with what's ever needed! -- A hunter must think fast at times & react quickly or all can be lost! Good luck my friend!

ElkNut

 

[5MilesBack]

5MilesBack, I have been in that situation a time or two, one of the things that has helped me was to quickly get wind direction, you have time with a bull a football field away, your wind will not travel that fast & generally your scent cone is 10'-15' wide as it heads his direction. ElkNut

I already had the wind direction.......it was in my face. And it WAS that fast.......literally just a couple seconds from the time he bugled back..........the wind turned 180 degrees.......and he busted. This entire process took like 15 seconds tops from the time I stopped to bugle to him busting out of there. I didn't even have time to take one step to do my normal repositioning after he bugled before the wind shifted and he was gone. I literally looked to the sky and said "seriously?"

But that was a bad year for those shifty winds for whatever reason. It was hot and it was dry and the wind never stopped blowing, but it was constantly changing. Another afternoon that year I was in the timber and bugled. Got two responses, one from my left and one from my right.....both at similar elevation as I was. The wind was predominantly blowing from my right, so I went after that bull. A minute later, the wind is now on my back and blowing directly towards him. So I decided to go after the other bull with the wind in my face. A few minutes later it's now on my back and blowing directly to the second bull.

So.......I don't "worry" about the wind, but Murphy sure pisses me off at times with it.

 

[Hunteer]

Finding them would be the easier of the two for me.

 

[87TT]

I think a bigger problem can be finding them AFTER you kill them.

 

[Coveyleader]

If you're bumping into guys, and you know there is pressure, I would never wait for the next day even if the wind is hit or miss.

I've been in this situation before, bull bugling all day, wind unreliable, you tell yourself, you'll come back only to find other guys have blown them out.

If I feel I'm all alone, I'd wait. Pressure? Forget it, they will be gone anyways. You might as well be the one busting them.

 

[trophyhill]

The wind will do what the wind wants to do, it's up to us hunters to navigate it! It's really that simple!

ElkNut

it really is that simple. for example, if im working an elk to the left with the wind in my face, and an elk to my right with the wind in his face comes in, whats a guy to do? i just play

Simple, but can be extremely frustrating. For example, a couple years ago I spent 2.5 hours hiking into a spot. The wind was amazingly consistent and in my face that entire time. I get there, let out a bugle, and immediately get a response from about 100 yards away in front of me in the timber. A few seconds later the wind is now on the back of my neck and all I hear is crashing timber. A couple seconds after that it's back in my face consistently again. There's no navigating that.........other than moving on as we always do.

If you're bumping into guys, and you know there is pressure, I would never wait for the next day even if the wind is hit or miss.

I've been in this situation before, bull bugling all day, wind unreliable, you tell yourself, you'll come back only to find other guys have blown them out.

If I feel I'm all alone, I'd wait. Pressure? Forget it, they will be gone anyways. You might as well be the one busting them.

i dont rely on ever finding them the next day or even later that day if i were to back out. once i find them, i stay with them and hopefully it's my day.