mid day elk movement question

[MT257]

For those of you who have taken bulls mid day from a water hole or near a water hole. How did you pick you location of where to set up? Do bulls tend to use the bottom of a drainage to access water or will they approach water side slope using timber/shade to keep them hidden or concealed?

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

Highly terrain specific. You'll need to analyze trails in the area and have a good idea of prevailing winds and thermals. I'd pick same elevation and 90 degrees off of the thermal direction. Good use of a trail cam if you can get there a few weeks early.


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[MT257]

Plan on investigating that this weekend.

 

[Marble]

They will approach where wind, terrain and pressure are in their favor.

 

[Beendare]

Mountain water sources have been tough for me.

Of course elk use the wind and thermals....and in areas where it's switching a lot, I don't waste my time on those anymore.

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[Ridge Ghost]

Not a direct answer to your question, but my mid-day shot opportunities have had nothing to do with a particular water source. They had everything to do with hunting where I either knew or suspected they had bedded for the day. If there's a hot cow in the herd, you should be able to get the bull talking and make a play on him, no matter the time of day. I have also had success getting them to stand up and come check me out silently when they aren't all worked up over a hot cow.

If I was going to set up over water mid-day, I would figure out where they have been bedding, find a heavily travelled game trail that leads to a nearby wallow or spring, and figure out what the thermals tend to do from 10-4ish. Set up your stand or blind accordingly.

 

[11boo]

Mountain water sources have been tough for me.

Of course elk use the wind and thermals....and in areas where it's switching a lot, I don't waste my time on those anymore.

________

I wonder about the value of hunting over water, when there is water everywhere in your unit. The wallows still seem like a fair bet though. But not great.

 

[Beendare]

A guy can pester bedded bulls mid day and get them excited enough to react...my buddy Kirk and I killed 2-6 points that way on Co public ground. This is one of them...a 6x5

I wonder about the value of hunting over water, when there is water everywhere in your unit. The wallows still seem like a fair bet though. But not great.

Yeah, I should clarify; Water is good if they are using it....[pretty obvious]

So many water sources they only use sporadically.

I've seen it both ways....where elk come to water scent checking...and not scent checking....but if those mountain winds are fickle/swirling- you are toast.

 

[jmez]

That radius shot is deadly!!

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[Mesplay]

Last year water hole I found had activity early morning and mid/late afternoon.... part of it is luck but getting water as close to bedding as possible I think is a winning opportunity, allows them to slip in and slip out quickly

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[Beendare]

One thing I try not to do mid day...is blow them out of their bedding area....THAT is a bad idea as you can push them into a completely different area never to be seen again.

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