Midday boredom

[mad_angler]

I am going to open myself up to abuse... but here goes...

I get bored during the day while rifle elk hunting. I'm excited to get out in the morning and I know the importance of being out at the end of legal shooting hours.

But... what do you do during the middle of the day? What do you do between 10am and 4pm?

If I go back to camp, I am tempted to not go back out in the evening.
If I hike around too enthusiastically, I'm pretty tired and have a hard time staying until the end of legal shooting light.
If I play on my phone, the battery dies and I feel like I'm wasting the wilderness.
if...

I try to spend the time going to new areas, looking for sign, and learning the area. But I run out of new destinations after a few days...

 

[Gerbdog]

Post up on heavily trafficked areas - where major game trails converge - pastures where you can see a ways - water sources

And bring a book ..... wont kill an elk at camp, but you may just get lucky and kill one midday if your relaxing in a spot that could produce elk

 

[Geewhiz]

Good advice ^^^

 

[Ross]

I find a cozy spot and listen nap doze and then I hear a bull bugle and off I go…..sometimes not often I have seen a bull walk through an opening….very good hearing goes alonggggg ways to decipher elk sounds at times. Case in point the last two seasons mid October noon on each, multiple bulls sounded off at each other across the canyon. Killed one that afternoon at 12 yds after long bugle match. 2nd one killed him a few days later after I got them talking and they never left the pocket they were in. A lot of elk hunting is boring annd work, you only remember the fun stuff. The flatter the better

 

[mgray]

I like to eat all my snacks by 10:00, then wonder why I'm so hungry.

 

[kcm2]

I stay on the mountain. Half my elk have been taken around lunchtime.

 

[Poser]

I like to get the best, most reasonable vantage point I can for the area I'm in. This may be a location where I plan to stay put through the evening or there may be plans to move later in the day when elk start moving again. Having a good glassing vantage can keep you entertained since you are aware that you could spot an elk at any time. Of course, a little dozing off, indulgently eating your snacks never hurt anyone either.

I have also used this time to pre stage a meat hang if I am staying in a basin for consecutive days. Having that already in place is a huge relief once an elk is down as I'm not worried all night that a bear is getting into my easily accessible meat. I'm also not stuck trying to throw lines over limbs in the dark and I can better determine the best shady areas during the midday.

 

[5MilesBack]

For rifle elk, I'll bust timber all day until I find elk.

For archery, it depends where I'm hunting. A lot of places set up well for either a morning or evening hunt and aren't a ridiculous distance from camp/truck. So I'll hike out. Sometimes I'll go fly fishing for a few hours, then back for lunch and then an evening hunt. Sometimes I'll drive to town. Sometimes I'll head to spots that I know well that have water and will be used during the heat of the day.

I've never been a napper, so that's not happening. And lunch is generally my biggest meal, so I like being in camp for that. Sometimes I just go exploring new areas. But some years I'll hunt 20+ days during archery, so I'm not in a super rush to put in 15 mile days every day, and I don't want to bust the bulls out of where they are. So I'll pull out and head somewhere else for the evening. I'll return to other areas after giving them a rest for a couple days or three.

I'm not big on sitting doing nothing. I get bored very quickly with a lot of stuff and have to keep moving. So if I'm not in camp, then I'm hiking ALL DAY.

 

[longtail]

 

[spike camp]

Sleep and eat.

 

[SonnyDay]

I am not as good at this as I would like, but writing in a journal about what you've observed in the area, things you want to try, gear that needs mending (or buying), etc. can help. Just be sure to look around slowly before you stand up!

 

[Maverick1]

I just stay out all day. Can’t kill them in camp. (Actually, I did kill an elk from camp one year, but that was an aberration.).

Setup on travel routes or water.

I kind of look at it like an energy expenditure measurement. Takes energy to go back to camp. Takes energy to hike around all day. Neither one significantly boost your odds of killing, and they both significantly increase the odds of draining your energy for the next day or hunt.

Only time I move mid day is to get to another area if I don’t have confidence in the area I am currently in.

Good luck this season!

 

[OregonSteeler]

Post up on heavily trafficked areas - where major game trails converge - pastures where you can see a ways - water sources

And bring a book ..... wont kill an elk at camp, but you may just get lucky and kill one midday if your relaxing in a spot that could produce elk

Be careful with the book idea though. I was hunting (archery) pretty hard from sunrise til about noon on a hot mid-september day. Decided to set up my Helinox chair on a game trail, pulled out my kindle and started reading. Heard a twig snap, looked around and didn't see anything or hear anything else. Went right back to reading my book as I'll admit, I was very much into the book. Looked up again and a spike elk was no more than 10ft away walking towards me. Completely screwed myself and as soon as I made the slightest movement he was gone! REALLY glad it was only a spike and not a trophy bull that I leanred this on....

I still bring a book, but am much more aware and ready just in case....

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Escape routes and saddles and such. Other dudes get bored and walk all around blowing elk out and being in position to intercept can work out well.

 

[mad_angler]

I just stay out all day. Can’t kill them in camp. (Actually, I did kill an elk from camp one year, but that was an aberration.).

Setup on travel routes or water.

I kind of look at it like an energy expenditure measurement. Takes energy to go back to camp. Takes energy to hike around all day. Neither one significantly boost your odds of killing, and they both significantly increase the odds of draining your energy for the next day or hunt.

Only time I move mid day is to get to another area if I don’t have confidence in the area I am currently in.

Good luck this season!

I agree with all that...

So what do you do while you "stay out all day"?

 

[WeiserBucks]

A vivid imagination, a private spot, 42 seconds of effort and then a nap.

 

[streamerfish]

Ermmm....hunt......

I guess maybe this depends on the terrain, habitat, techniques etc...

Personally, where I hunt, its going to be hunting through bedding areas, dark timber, or sitting on/moving between different traveling lanes.

I would also say, that every bull I have shot has been somewhere between 10am-3pm. I've never taken one really early or late. At least that I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[Coveyleader]

Before cell phones it was murder, now it can be barely tolerable. The day is so long during archery season and many people underestimate this when “packing in solo”. The AM and PM is great, but that’s roughly 3-4 hours actually hunting. The rest of the day is shear boredom. Especially solo.

 

[Maverick1]

I agree with all that...

So what do you do while you "stay out all day"?

Setup on travel routes or water.

If it’s the peak of the rut I will occasionally call. That can be effective.

If it’s really early in the season I’ll setup a hammock or just take a nap in the ground. Hammock has been great for steep side hills. And keeps the ants off the face.

 

[Coveyleader]

Setup on travel routes or water.

If it’s the peak of the rut I will occasionally call. That can be effective.

If it’s really early in the season I’ll setup a hammock or just take a nap in the ground. Hammock has been great for steep side hills. And keeps the ants off the face.

A nap for sure, but I’m a FOMO guy, in for
An hour max on the nap.