Montana Elk Hunt Analysis Help

[Jfkbeast2]

Hey Everyone, I wanted to post here and ask for some feedback from those that will provide it on what I did wrong in my first elk hunt this year. I just got back from 6 days in Montana. After wanting to go for 3 years, to finally pack up the truck and head west was an incredible feeling. I cannot believe we have 12 more months to September again.

I hunted for 5.5 days and didn’t run into a single elk! I saw a ton of old sign (rubs and poop everywhere) but I didn’t even bump an elk let alone find one. I didn’t hear a single bugle the entire week in MT, which really confused me. This was last week of rut, and given the Elk101 article describing how perfect conditions were, surely I should have been hearing elk at night? But I didn’t hear a single bugle the entire week, this made it hard. What did I do wrong? I’m not looking for sympathy, I literally cannot wait to get out and try again. I’m looking for feedback and advice because I was really excited to hear a bugle live but really all I saw was a few deer. How do I fix this so I can get better? Thoughts? I want to learn, I have 12 mistakes already written down that I need to fix immediately and looking to learn. Thanks all for time. Hope you had a good elk season (and continuing season for those in the great state of MT).

Some info on the hunt:

Location: I chose central Montana as the place to hunt this year. I was solo, and given this was my first western hunt ever, I wanted to remove as many variables as possible. Therefore I didn’t want to hunt “true” grizzly country (although I know they are all over the state now). Didn’t see a single track my week in MT which was good.

Logistics: I knew I had to be mobile, so I hunted out of truck camp. This worked incredibly well and I really prefer it as I slept in 4 different spots over 6 nights all with access to different drainages.

The hunt: I did about 30 miles in 5.5 days of hunting (only got to hunt Saturday morning). I was very worried pushing past 3 miles due to pack out. Zero to do with physical fitness (I was completely fine), and more than this would be my first elk quartering and packing out ever, completely alone. To me, felt like 5-7 miles deep + that inexperience was irresponsible. I know this limited me but it is what it is. My plan most days was to pick a good section on OnX, start hiking in dark on trail and then break off trail into a feature that looked good like a bench of saddle. For 2 of those days, I did use the trail to get 2.5 miles in and then went through all forested area lining the drainage. I was probably too close to the trail here?

Wildlife: I did bump and run into 3-4 deer over the course of the week, both first/last light and midday in bedding area. I don’t know if elk are typically found close to deer? The other weird thing is I kept smelling what I thought was elk. A strong barn smell. Realize this could be deer but worth nothing.

Sign: I kept running into a ton of sign, but none seemed fresh best I could tell. I put some pictures below.

Other Intel: lastly, I ran into some very nice hunters in the woods and they expressed similar challenges in finding bugles and elk. BUT, one camp next to me did come back mid day with a small bull. They used 4x4s and said it wasn’t near the trailhead but that he came in completely quiet to a cow call. They said they killed him on flat terrain. For what it’s worth.

Any and all help appreciated. What an incredible learning experience — I know I’m a better hunter already!

 

[TradLife406]

First mistake was thinking there's elk in Montana.
Seriously though the hunting here has gotten super hard. Predator and human pressure is through the roof. Cats wolves griz and Frank from Minnesota.

Lots of elk aren't even going up to their summer grounds up high. They just hang out in the aug fields and cow pastures.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Elk hunting is hard. I didn't see much for elk my first couple years when I decided to give it a solid try as a resident. It took about two years before I started getting shot opportunities.

Also if there's no elk in an area by day two you'd better bail. Regardless of the sign.

You had five days to hunt. You realistically need about 14+. That adds time to relocate, weather day and sometimes it's super nice to just take a day off mid hunt. Or even just sleep in. Let that body recover.

Honestly I'm about done with OTC elk here. Not worth the time money and effort anymore. Kinda dumb driving by elk that are over hunted to try and find other elk.

I'd be curious about hunting elk in the SW. Elk that aren't being run around by wolves would be epic.

 

[AHayes111]

Sounds like you were hunting places you should have been opening day. Most of the cows are on alfalfa field as soon as the pressure hits the mountains and with the amount of non hunting recreation today and wolves that can be well before season. Some of the bulls will stick around, but as soon as the rut starts they are gone,

 

[jjordan355]

I agree with AHayes. Looks like you were close to a bulls stomping grounds pre rut according to the rubs. Bulls are gonna leave those areas once the testosterone rises and cows start coming into estrous. I would’ve moved spots after the end of day 1 honestly. Remember sign doesn’t mean anything if there’s not an elk immediately attached to it. Elk are nomadic by nature. Mark the sign and read the sign to understand what you’re looking at but if you’re not watching an elk poop or it isn’t still steaming, I pretty much disregard that stuff during the rut.

You don’t have to walk 5-7 miles in to find elk. Sometimes people that hike really far in pass elk to get to further away elk. And that’s fine if the goal is less pressured animals but a one way pack out alone that’s over 5 miles is incredibly abusing to the body.

If you’re not hearing elk bugle at night the last two weeks of September keep moving spots until you find elk that are bugling at night. Really doesn’t matter the time at night, they’ll bugle even in high pressure areas. Often times even during the day but you have to locate the elk. Hike in a little ways in the dark sit for 20-30 minutes and see if there’s bugling going on and if not back out and hit another spot. My personal name of the game is accuracy by volume. What I mean by that is I hit many different areas until I find the elk that are huntable.

 

[Jfkbeast2]

You had five days to hunt. You realistically need about 14+. That adds time to relocate, weather day and sometimes it's super nice to just take a day off mid hunt. Or even just sleep in. Let that body recover.

Yes completely agree here man. The 33 hour drive home was brutal because the whole time I was just replaying the hunt and how I need another week to implement the lessons I learned. Listened to elk podcasts the whole way home too which was nice salt in the wound lol