Mid Sept Tactics for Elk

[Doc Holliday]

First time archery elk hunting. Will be in a OTC unit. General thought on daily routine is to:

Climb to vantage points/timberline at first light
Hunt timber
Sit on active wallows/watering holes during mid day
Hunt timber

Thanks for any feedback

 

[Beendare]

Delete

 

[westernaddiction00]

May be hard to find good vantage points depending on unit, ONx identify solid looking areas, water...etc . Put on miles until sign starts picking up then slow down.

 

[Fullfan]

Forget climbing in the morning. Thermals will be coming down. Start from the bottom and work your way up.

 

[Deadfall]

First time, Mid September, dont know the area. Follow water. Find a drainage with water and follow it up. Leave just a touch before daylight.

when just light enough to see squeal one time not very loud. Just one long single note. Nothing fancy, then set still for 10 minutes or so. Then continue on, looking for sign as you go.

half hour 45 minutes stop and repeat.

about 2/3 or so up the drainage, stop for a long break somewhere an elk would have to come into range n order to see you. Plan on a couple hours of rest.

cow call 2 or 3 times. Just social sounds. Then get comfortable, have a snack. Rake a tree. Soft growel/heavy breath deal. Have a baby nap or sup of water. Read a book, enjoy the scenery. Few more cow chirps, light squeal type bugle with a small growl perhaps. Have another snack, break a few limbs, cow chirp few more times. Wash and repeat.

move around as you call. Like a hundred yard circle. Chirps here, squeal there. Just pretend you are a bull that has A couple cows he wants to violate.

If there is still nothing going on, increase volume Of bull sounds. Little more emotion. Don’t get crazy with it. Increase the frequency of bull call And raking.

Be fairly patient. If nothing is going on by 3 or so, then move on. If there is zero sign of elk in drainage leave drainage by noon go somewhere else.

them old bulls like quiet unoccupied places. They’ll climb in a hole and stay there with just a few cows. ive seen their holes not be any bigger then a football field.

if something does respond, ignore him. Don’t go chasing. Just continue being a bull with a few cows. He will come to you. At some point he will try to call a cow away from you. When he gets excited, now you can move toward him a little. You will also have to decide if you are going to be a cow being called to him, or a bull that wants to fight.

if you run into a big bull with a lot of cows. Focus on the satellites. Don’t take this wrong, but as a new elk hunter you will most likely screw up the big bull. Do that and everyone leaves and goes miles.

screw up a satellite and odds are good that’s all that runs away, leaving the rest to be hunted again.

got a little carried away there….

as for what to say to elk and when to say it. Go get the elknut app. That guy gives out lethal information. I disagree with him on a couple things but they are minor. That dude is a stud. Actually think it’s hilarious more don’t use his stuff. Whatever, not like anyone cares what I think anyway…I’ll stop now…

 

[Deadfall]

In case you are wondering…I’m not affiliated with elknut in any way. Never even met the man. Had some hunters ask me about him 5 or 7 years ago. Looked him up on the YouTube and got a immediate resentment at him for giving out so much information. Then realized the masses are more interested in vanity. Meaning the masses want that screaming in your face right now bull. Instead of the screaming in your face 3 hours from now bull.

 

[Overdrive]

I'd glass the evenings to see what ridges, basins the Elk are coming to feed in for the night then you have a plan for a morning hunt, work with the thermals in your favor and close the distance in the dark. Pay attention where the elk come from more than likely they have a favorite bedding area there. If you observe the same movement a couple evenings in a row you can figure the winds and set up a good ambush for an evening hunt too.

 

[cnelk]

Deadfall’s morning tactic is exactly what I do. Working into thermals. Deadly

 

[gelton]

Deadfalls post is more than accurate and on point.

I will just add that in several of the areas that I hunt, elk habits are essentially the same. They feed down at night and then start heading to higher elevations, most often before sunrise.

They bed down in hell holes on North Facing slopes around mid-day. If no North-facing slopes, just look for the most shaded areas that's where they will be but your odds of sneaking in are slim to none. (most likely beetle kill and deadfall)

They run the ridges between drainages evenings and early mornings and bed on the shaded slopes. Play the wind and try to catch them between their movements. Add in some enticing calling that will get the bulls interested and stack the odds in your favor.

 

[Deadfall]

The big debate....some say guys don't call enough. Same say guys call to much. Truth is if you're not getting results you're communicating wrong. Whether you call alot or alittle. The question is, what are you trying to say

 

[md126]

By mid September in an OTC unit I’d say elk have been pretty pressured up to that point. That may change where they are and/or how vocal they are.

For those above, do you change your tactics and strategy for pressured elk or hunt as usual?
Thanks

 

[wytx]

Listen more for the pressured elk, they will talk but it may be sparse.
Getting up in the middle of the night to listen , and pee works out too.
We've patterned bulls that way, they would bugle at night and give us clues to their travel patterns to bedding areas.

 

[Deadfall]

By mid September in an OTC unit I’d say elk have been pretty pressured up to that point. That may change where they are and/or how vocal they are.

For those above, do you change your tactics and strategy for pressured elk or hunt as usual?
Thanks

I just go hunt. In my experience with elk (which started when I was 8, now 44) elk do what elk do.

I pay very little attention to other hunters. Especially in this day and age where everyone is in run and gun mode.

Ever been somewhere and there's a person or 2 being obnoxious....you just ignore them keep distance and go about whatever you are doing. That's what wildlife does with us.

Most important thing is to know how too communicate with elk. Know what you are saying, why you are saying it. Also understanding what mood the elk are in.

So just go hunt. If you in a area and other hunters come bombing through. Just hunker down, be patient and let them move on. That's what the wildlife is doing.

 

[Deadfall]

Everyone has one or 2 calls. Use half a dozen. If you trying to simulate a bull with cows, use 3 or 4 different calls. Not all elk sound the same.
I have a handful of primos calls and a couple others. With those, I've found the louder they are, the less effective they are. Also will use 2 cow calls at once sometimes, too sell the scene.

 

[Gerbdog]

This is one of those threads full of diamonds and gold for the folks getting on to study up for the upcoming season.... pay attention to the wisdom and tactics here

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

I was going to say sneak around in the woods and make sexy elk sounds but deadfall's instructions are better lol.

 

[Gerbdog]

I was going to say sneak around in the woods and make sexy elk sounds but deadfall's instructions are better lol.

Haha, yea, reading Deadfalls post all i could think was "this might be the best play by play from the moment after you roll out of the sleeping bag ive seen on here"

It's deadly advice for sure

 

[Deadfall]

Ever run into a big bull with cows? Can't figure out how to get him away from the cows. Most will say it can't be done. It's very doable. Takes patience and timing.

This is a tough situation. One I absolutely live for. At the end you should be completely wiped out, physically, mentally, emotionally exhausted.

Firstly, you absolutely must have a idea of what the bull is saying and be able to tell when he is getting emotional.

If he won't come in, make him think another bull has come and is stealing a hot cow. For this make him think a cow has been trying to coax him over. Then move back a few hundred yards like 6 or 8 and talk to the hot cow. Then come back up and be the hot cow and move away from the target a hundred yards or so. Then go be the other bull except only go a couple hundred yards away. Then come back. If done properly the bull should think another bull has found a hot cow in his group and is taking her. Pretend you are a cow that wants the other bull. Don't bugle anymore. Become a excited cow and slowly moving away from target toward the other bull.

I've seen it take 3 or 4 hours to coerce the big bull with cows away from his herd.

Be gentle, patient and slow. Its a chess match. Once you unlock the sequence in this scenario your elk hunting life will change forever.

I've seen big bull come a long long ways. To retrieve his hot cow.

 

[Deadfall]

If absolutely nothing is going on. Newberg talks about a elk party. This is good information. There's a few components that are missing. One, use several different calls. Two move around. Three have spacing between calls.
This is great in middle of day.

A few chirpy sounds. Few little calf chirps with a mom responding. Immediately by a couple old cows saying hi to each other. A very soft lazy squeal then silence for several minutes. A few chirps. And so on. This works best from a elevated position where sound can travel.

Elk hear from a long ways away. Being curious as they are, that's what you playing too. They don't need to hear every note. Just the a whisper of one here and there. You'll be surprised how often you can get an entire drainage to fire off. If given some patience.

This is my go to If things are quiet. I've had hunters be red in the face mad at me for wasting their precious time on a dead area. Then a few hours later fall all over themselves like prom night when elk come to life.

A major key is to set the stage at crack of of daylight. I want to sound like a small group moving up to bed. I absolutely don't give two fiddling whatever, what anything is doing. By 10 or so I'm up close to bedding and have the high ground. At 10 or so the stage is set. Elk may be quiet but don't mean they aren't listening. Way more rewarding to get bulls fired up and then call them in, then calling in a bull that is already fired up.

Obviously if something fires off early that's a different ballgame.

When I leave in the mornings my expectation is for silent elk.

 

[ElkNut1]

An Elk Party for those who have the ElkNut App is the Breeding Sequence Tactic video & in the Tips Section of that clip.

ElkNut