Let's help some guys/gals get their first archery elk!

[bz_711]

Thought this had some good info...just another perspective...but hard to argue the guys success on heavily hunted public land (which applies to most of our hunts).

 

[Hunter456]

Accepting that you won't always call them in, but rather get in their path. Use calls to locate, slip in and be patient sometimes works well.

 

[Pekan]

I'm addicted to archery elk hunting.
I want more hunters to know the same...which equals more support for hunting and elk habitat. Yes I know tags are already hard to get...but that's a better problem than no elk hunters to fight on my side!

Who has already hunted 2+ seasons and still looking to bag their first archery elk (my only experience is archery so that's what I'm sticking to)...and is planning to hunt elk again this fall?
Do you think you're getting close or still a ways off?
What are your biggest questions or shortfalls as far as you're concerned?

I didn't punch my first tag until my 4th year. I hunt 1 week (usually 5-6 days hunting) each year and I'm still learning. Let's see if we can help some guys/gals punch their first archery tag this year!
Feel free to PM if you don't want to reply on this thread...but I hope this thread leads to some great tips...Rokslide helped me a ton in my early days.

This is a great post.
I'm a seasoned rifle elk hunter, but haven't been successful with a bow yet. Someone else mentioned you need 1000 things to go right, I'd agree with that.
I've had a few close encounters during bow season:
Herd bull with cows raking and going crazy. I let out one cow call and the whole party shuts up, cows round up the bull and take off! If I could do it over I would drop back a bit and do some challenge bugles.

Bugled in a bull while having my lunch.... I sat down, let out a bugle, grabbed a sandwich and look and there's a bull in the open at 80 yards. He's looking around but there's no cover between us and I'm in the wide open! He eventually gets spooked and retreats back into the trees. Lesson was to never bugle unless you're ready to hunt.

Hunting too close to private land I don't have access to.

Not realizing I called in a silent bull until it's too late.

Hunting country so think you'd need a 5 yard shot to not hit a branch. But you know there's elk in there.

Cow called in 5 rag horns that all ran in together. Came in from the exact opposite direction I expected. Hung up at 50 yards but wide open shooting lane. Then I realize my hunting partner is frozen still beside them. I don't shoot for safety reasons.

Every September I bow hunt, every September I learn something else not to do!
Archery Elk hunting can be hot, tiring, boring at times. But then you get rewarded with some real action and it keeps me coming back.

 

[TradLife406]

It took me a few years to finally figure elk out. The biggest bonus for me is I'd found a spot all on my own. And I learned it inside and out. No bouncing around to different spots. Which isn't always possible.

Once I learned the elk and how they used the habitat I started getting more encounters.

But now sadly that spot has been ruined by go hunt and better trail systems. Also the mountain lion population went through the roof. So now there's not even any deer or moose in the area. Just a few elk that get pushed out quickly.

Maybe one day it'll be good again. Maybe the drive for non residents to go out west will die off.

Also studying Chris Roe was a huge help. Once I understood how elk talk to elk I did a lot better.

You can't underplay elk behavior and thermals. I found a spike camp last year in a bedding sanctuary area.
Also some dudes were camped right below a bedding area where we've actually killed a few bulls. It was a transition area.

Don't be completely stupid when picking your camp spots.

Find a spot further from the water and on a south slope. You still might have elk wonder into camp but it should be so bad as to blow the elk out for the people who know what they're doing.

Also too I'm actually going to do more from the truck hunting. Backpack hunting is played out. You simply can't out hike or go deep anymore. You'll think you're golden then stumble into a few out of shape guys from the Midwest. There may be some places left that are good but they're getting few and far between.

 

[Pekan]

It took me a few years to finally figure elk out. The biggest bonus for me is I'd found a spot all on my own. And I learned it inside and out. No bouncing around to different spots. Which isn't always possible.

Once I learned the elk and how they used the habitat I started getting more encounters.

But now sadly that spot has been ruined by go hunt and better trail systems. Also the mountain lion population went through the roof. So now there's not even any deer or moose in the area. Just a few elk that get pushed out quickly.

Maybe one day it'll be good again. Maybe the drive for non residents to go out west will die off.

Also studying Chris Roe was a huge help. Once I understood how elk talk to elk I did a lot better.

You can't underplay elk behavior and thermals. I found a spike camp last year in a bedding sanctuary area.
Also some dudes were camped right below a bedding area where we've actually killed a few bulls. It was a transition area.

Don't be completely stupid when picking your camp spots.

Find a spot further from the water and on a south slope. You still might have elk wonder into camp but it should be so bad as to blow the elk out for the people who know what they're doing.

Also too I'm actually going to do more from the truck hunting. Backpack hunting is played out. You simply can't out hike or go deep anymore. You'll think you're golden then stumble into a few out of shape guys from the Midwest. There may be some places left that are good but they're getting few and far between.

Joe Rogan blew up elk hunting

 

[CJohnson]

I think the biggest mistake most rookie hunters make is thinking that “covering ground” and “being mobile” means hiking 20 miles on single track trail systems all day.

There’s a lot to be said for walking slow, being quiet, and keeping the wind in your face.

 

[AME]

Winds depend on the weather and the terrain, they can be stable in some areas. Thermals will be consistently uphill on an exposed slope on a sunny day, but the north-facing slopes where elk usually hang out midday can definitely be tricky. Still, they're usually going to stabilize by 10 or 11 on a sunny day. Overcast or stormy can be tough.

Scenario 1: you heard some bugling around sunrise and now they've moved off into cover to bed. Take your best guess on where they're bedded down (the more you hunt the same area, the better this guess will be), be conscious of what the wind is currently doing and how it's going to change as the sun gets higher and hits exposed slopes, and position yourself somewhere to wait and listen for their next bugle. I like a real low-pressure approach so I'll throw occasional nonthreatening bugles off and figure that any bull who bugled at dawn is going to bugle at least once from his bed sometime between 0930 - 1200. Once he does, fix that position and make a game plan to stalk him in his bed, stalk close and call, or lurk nearby and wait for him get back up.

Scenario 2: you glassed them around sunrise but they're not making a peep. Similar strategy as above, you're looking to find them in their bedding area, but don't count on hearing a bugle. Get nearby, wait for the wind to stabilize, then still-hunt the timber and try to find them. Look for fresh tracks, try to smell them on the thermal updrafts, listen for snapping twigs or cow sounds, and slowly follow the heaviest trails you can find. Worst case scenario, get in a good spot to watch/listen and just chill for a few hours. Groups of elk will stand up and mill around midday.

Scenario 3: you've got no leads and have no clue where the elk are, options are either set up an ambush (e.g. sit water) or get out there and find them. I'd rather go find them. Cruise ridges looking for sign, hike up and down finger ridges looking for rubs and bedding areas, and bugle into drainages but don't expect immediate responses unless you get lucky. I usually have decent midday luck by taking it slow and waiting for lazy responses, I might bugle 2-3 times over 5-10 minutes and get a response 5-15 minutes later. You've got all day so take your time, get out and explore new areas. I like the mindset where I'm not necessarily trying to kill an elk this second, I'm trying to find an elk to kill this evening or tomorrow. Low pressure approaches have worked well for me.

Midday cold calling sessions have never worked for me, but a large part is I just really dislike them. Calling in silent bulls is mentally tough, I'd rather put my calls away and stalk one than sit there all day waiting on a silent, cautious bull coming in like that.

Very helpful. Good info.

 

[hibernation]

I think the biggest mistake most rookie hunters make is thinking that “covering ground” and “being mobile” means hiking 20 miles on single track trail systems all day.

There’s a lot to be said for walking slow, being quiet, and keeping the wind in your face.

I really think a lot of people get so hung up on "archery elk hunting" they forget that it's still just hunting. Same basic hunting skills will always apply, no matter how many complicated plays and calling scenarios you learned from a podcast.

 

[AME]

Just wanted to say thanks, and wow! This thread is a gold mine of information for new elk hunters.

I have yet to tag an elk (archery or rifle) but have hunted them in both Eastern Oregon and now in Southwest Montana where I live. Started bow hunting last year, and a lot of what people have said resonates with me. Wind killed me on one hunt. Got lazy in the middle of the day and wasted a lot of time. I didn't glass nearly enough.

Planning to hunt the same area I did last year. I had one bull Bugle back to me in the early morning (just before sunrise). My buddy and I blew it on that one though. We had his location, probably within 600 yards up a drainage from us, but we thought there were cows between us and him and didn't close quickly enough .

That all said, I do have a few questions regarding scouting and calling.

I am a college student, so I have a lot time during August to scout in the evenings. Is it worth my time to drive two or three hours just to be in the area I want to hunt for a few hours at sunset?

I've read a bit about calling at night here and from other sources. In my mind that would be most useful at the height of the but. So, would it be good practice to set up camp in the evening, hike to a high point, glass until dark, and then hang our for a while before bugling? Will bulls respond in the dead of night? Also, if they do respond, they would be responding from a bedding area, correct?

I know this is a little specific, but I do appreciate it.

 

[Marshfly]

My son drew a youth tag for a unit near us where the herd has a habit of moving onto private ranch land fast when general pressure starts up so we are going to work hard to make it happen during archery for him. Thanks for starting this thread. Learning a ton.

That said, we have a ton of time between now and the opener to put boots on the ground in the unit. What should we be looking for in the next couple of months to be ready for Sept 7th opener? My thoughts are to focus on finding old rub lines and wallows from years past and checking those again late August. Is that where we should be focusing efforts?

 

[bz_711]

Just wanted to say thanks, and wow! This thread is a gold mine of information for new elk hunters.

I have yet to tag an elk (archery or rifle) but have hunted them in both Eastern Oregon and now in Southwest Montana where I live. Started bow hunting last year, and a lot of what people have said resonates with me. Wind killed me on one hunt. Got lazy in the middle of the day and wasted a lot of time. I didn't glass nearly enough.

Planning to hunt the same area I did last year. I had one bull Bugle back to me in the early morning (just before sunrise). My buddy and I blew it on that one though. We had his location, probably within 600 yards up a drainage from us, but we thought there were cows between us and him and didn't close quickly enough .

That all said, I do have a few questions regarding scouting and calling.

I am a college student, so I have a lot time during August to scout in the evenings. Is it worth my time to drive two or three hours just to be in the area I want to hunt for a few hours at sunset?

I've read a bit about calling at night here and from other sources. In my mind that would be most useful at the height of the but. So, would it be good practice to set up camp in the evening, hike to a high point, glass until dark, and then hang our for a while before bugling? Will bulls respond in the dead of night? Also, if they do respond, they would be responding from a bedding area, correct?

I know this is a little specific, but I do appreciate it.

Yes - I think any time you can spend during Aug in the proximity of Elk will up your odds. Just getting better at finding them, watching how they act, and getting close enough to listen to them if possible. The hardest part for most hunters is finding them...use Aug to get good at that!

Yes - always worthwhile to listen and locate at night...no better way to start a day then knowing elk are in an area. My experience says when they bugle at night they are in their feeding area or possibly in a high cow concentration area (which is usually feeding area at night). From there...how do you get in between that spot and where you expect they are bedding during day?

Good Luck!

 

[bz_711]

My son drew a youth tag for a unit near us where the herd has a habit of moving onto private ranch land fast when general pressure starts up so we are going to work hard to make it happen during archery for him. Thanks for starting this thread. Learning a ton.

That said, we have a ton of time between now and the opener to put boots on the ground in the unit. What should we be looking for in the next couple of months to be ready for Sept 7th opener? My thoughts are to focus on finding old rub lines and wallows from years past and checking those again late August. Is that where we should be focusing efforts?

I like finding old rubs/wallows...at least it lets you know they were there during Sept the prior year.

But as I said in last response...just using Aug to find elk is beneficial...the biggest hurdle is just finding where the elk are to even be able to start hunting them. I wish I was close enough to have a couple days in Aug prior to my usual Sept archery tag...any fresh sign or sightings is a great head start in putting the pieces together.

Good Luck!

 

[hibernation]

I've read a bit about calling at night here and from other sources. In my mind that would be most useful at the height of the but. So, would it be good practice to set up camp in the evening, hike to a high point, glass until dark, and then hang our for a while before bugling? Will bulls respond in the dead of night? Also, if they do respond, they would be responding from a bedding area, correct?

Bulls will respond at night but I don't like to use it too heavily. After dusk, they might travel a long way to their feed and that one bugle isn't necessarily going to be that useful 10 hours later. Plus, I have to weigh it against sleep. It's too easy for me to stay out past dark, get back to camp late, leave way early, and I just can't run on 4 hours of sleep a night for a two week elk hunt. Something's gotta give.

I just get out extra early in the mornings instead. Get on a bugle before first light when they're more responsive, then just chill (minding the wind) until you figure out a direction of travel and a way to keep up with them. It's real hard to get ahead of them that time of day, they're usually heading uphill into the downhill thermals, so I just follow along until they get where they're going.

 

[High Climber]

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but if you can dog a bugling bull until mid morning, or glass one up mid morning walking into some dark timber, wait a few few hours for the thermals to switch and come in from above chances are he is right there close

 

[bz_711]

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but if you can dog a bugling bull until mid morning, or glass one up mid morning walking into some dark timber, wait a few few hours for the thermals to switch and come in from above chances are he is right there close

For sure...gotta be patient when winds are swirling.

Cannot check wind direction enough throughout the day - always have bottle of wind checker powder handy.

 

[bz_711]

Another tip I just replied on another thread:

If you can be in that area (your elk unit) during off season (or even on your way into hunt), try to stop and talk to guys at local fishing/bait shops, archery/gun stores, outdoor stores, gas stations, etc...it's crazy how many pieces you can put together from locals (obviously local elk hunters might not help much understandably)...but those guys that only fish, or only ride SxS's, etc...little tips can go a long way. AND TRY TO PAY IT BACK ANYWAY YOU CAN...support their stores, or if they only hunt bears, muleys, or sheep...let them know when you find sign or spot good ones!

 

[arcticpig]

Started archery when I was in middle school about 2004. Never got anything the few times I went tree stand hunting. Ended up traveling all over and doing everything except hunting archery. Now I'm trying to get back into it now that I own a business and can take time off. Went to Colorado last year. Saw one bull and I couldn't tell if he was legal even though he was 40 yards away. I was behind a tree and couldn't get out without him seeing me and I was shaking uncontrollably so it was hard to get my binoculars out without him hearing me. Also I had my dog with me lol. He is a service dog. Saw 5-6 cows and 2 little guys. Was about 5 yards away from one of the cows but again couldn't pop up and when I did she ran like hell.

Turns out god was actually looking over me and made sure I didn't kill something, because the only thing I was correctly prepared with was boots. The road to the trail was closed so I ended up hiking 11 miles in by myself. This year I have some spots that are close before I venture far off. Awesome experience. Any advice would be welcomed.

My advice to all hunters would be sleep in a tent. Even outside your truck. The noises you hear can help you. I heard bulls screaming at 3 am and I wouldn't have heard that. Heard a pack of coyotes. Was awesome. If you are in your truck you aren't helping anything IMO unless it's that cold.

 

[MmmKa]

Help: I cant get over the gag reflex for the elk diaphragm. I took a class to see if that would helpful not great yet. I've heard are leave it in your mouth all day etc.....so working on that part. What else about NEW diaphragm calling? Tips are appreciated! (going on year 2 of archery hunting)

 

[Marshfly]

Help: I cant get over the gag reflex for the elk diaphragm. I took a class to see if that would helpful not great yet. I've heard are leave it in your mouth all day etc.....so working on that part. What else about NEW diaphragm calling? Tips are appreciated! (going on year 2 of archery hunting)

Slayer enchantress is your answer.

Mine literally came in yesterday. I opened it and an hour later my son is on the back porch making elky sounds with it.

 

[hibernation]

Help: I cant get over the gag reflex for the elk diaphragm. I took a class to see if that would helpful not great yet. I've heard are leave it in your mouth all day etc.....so working on that part. What else about NEW diaphragm calling? Tips are appreciated! (going on year 2 of archery hunting)

You don't entirely need a diaphragm, you can use external reed bugles and cow calls just fine for 90%. The main thing for the diaphragm, for me, is being able to chirp at full draw to stop a bull at close range. But you could potentially do that with just your voice, like people do with deer.

For the gag reflex... make sure it's actually a size that fits you, try out some of the smaller ones and see if that's any better. Some of them have wider frames that make it sit further back in my mouth, and I have similar problems with those. Some calls just sit so far back it never worked for me, I need it pretty far forward, almost up in between my canines.

If it's that uncomfortable, I'd also try just manipulating it in your mouth before you do a ton of calling. Try taking it in and out of position, leaving it off to the side in your cheek, just generally being able to move it around hands-free. I think Corey Jacobsen has some good basic videos that may or may not be helpful.