Late Season Deep Timber Strategies

[copperking81]

I've never been much of a deep timber hunter, at least when they're not bugling. More the spot and stalk type. That said, I'm trying to expand the tools in the kit bag.

Started hunting a small canyon / valley complex I know holds elk. It's almost all timber with very few open meadows and would take a season to comb through it. I see sign in a lot of places throughout but hard to tell if it's a couple hours or a couple days old, so that hasn't helped much as to pinpoint their exact location.

You late season timber hunters...

1. How do you decide what block of wood to start with in a sea of woods, especially when they're not bugling?
2. Are you trying to catch them bedded or realistically just bump them for a shot?
3. Do you hunt the timber all day or just hit the mornings and evening hours?

 

[strattonje2020]

i have limited experience here compared to sum but this is what i do.

fresh snow is your best from. cut fresh tracks and follow them. some what keeping wind in mind. ( easy way)

if glassing open brush fields isn't an option id hunt up ridges in the am as high as you can until you find the the elk.

( cows and small bulls' are generally at the snow line. bigger bulls maybe another 500- 1500 feet above them depending on how deep the now it).

your best strategy is to find a few routes that give you the best chance of finding the elk bedding areas or travel rotues. . that means you may hike a ridge to the top and work a bowl around. then you drop down a ridge back to the truck. the most elk I've seen doing this is hunting down ridges and quietly still hunting across benches. if you smell elk doing this stop and look everywhere every few steps for the slightest movement. ive bumped a couples heads about 20 yards in front of me and couldnt see a single animal but smelled them and was able to sneak it.

last note a rifle you can shoot off hand and fast is your best friend here too.

 

[Marble]

My success for timber is finding sign and following, watching them walk into a stand of timber and smelling them.

Use your binos to scan timber in front of you. Yes, I mean like 20 yards to however far you can see.

Occasionally you'll hear them bugle or cow calls.



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[tuffcrk14]

Snuck to within 100 yards of a herd of cows yesterday, but couldn’t thread the needle due to thick cover. When the sign is fresh slow down and then slow down some more. If they are pooping and somewhat meandering through the timber, they are in no rush and you should be in even less of a rush. I am scanning with my binos a-lot too. Snow is your friend and wind dictates everything. I also got my phone out and turned my tracking on in OnX and was able to predict where I thought they would bed based on their direction and turned out my hunch was right. North/northeast facing slope 2/3 of the way up the draw and on a little bench. Check out Mark Livesay in the podcast world for being able to pick apart a mountain and really key in on the elkiest parts of the mountain while weeding out other parts that will probably (but not always) be a dud.


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[Wrench]

They tend to enter timber pretty close to each other, not necessarily single file...but close.

Once you see tracks wandering and it is not a feeding area....pump the brakes, grab the glass and be ready for some action.

Finding that wooded bedding area is a trick. Typically within a mile of feed and water, good cover, flat areas or benches to sleep on and good escape potential.

 

[Dust Rider]

It will be easier once it snows to cut tracks and find their route in and out. Go slow. Glass. Snow in the forecast early this week, use it to your advantage.

 

[Leto]

Following..