So How are you guys Locating Elk?

[Coveyleader]

Everyone has their styles. I prefer to see from long distances. The country is thick as hell, but lends itself to glassing which I prefer. Get up, do a 360 glass, there they are lets go.

I was bear hunting this spring, elk sign rubs all over, all that blow down, timber for miles, I don't know how guys hunt that stuff, but they do, and do well.

Take my WT spots, guy would look at the and say no way, but I do well. Same for those guys who hunt the abyss of dark timber and blowdowns. They understand it, and know what to look for.

 

[nphunter]

I definitely prefer to not see them until they are right on top of me. The thick nasty country is where we have done the best or at least have the most fun. I've killed elk out in the sagebrush country, spot and stalk style, but those experiences don't compare to the up close and personal kills we've made calling and chasing elk all day in the thick stuff.

I love open country mule deer but they don't talk much so you don't have a lot of options besides spot and stalk with them.

 

[ElkNut1]

nphunter X2.

ElkNut

 

[4ester]

This year being so dry...... find water.


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[SW_VA]

Great advice! Thanks for the pointers!

 

[pfraze]

Thanks for all the pointers. We will be early season archery hunting. Hoping to find something. After last years dry spell we don't want to repeat that. We can usually find them but with them usually quiet early on, I was looking for some pointers. Thanks

 

[Chadlunn]

Bugle at night, look for fresh sign, move after 24 hours if I don’t see sign or elk.

 

[MallardSX2]

Drive around the road and blow my bugle. If I dont hear an elk respond I keep driving.

At least thats how people do it where I hunt. lol

 

[hubbs77]

Headlamp and a bugle they are way more responsive at night


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Great to see everyone pitching in to give some pointers, even the smallest things could potentially help a new hunter like myself. Love reading these threads you just never know what you'll find. Thanks again!

 

[JLane330]

My personal belief is that too many people 'escout' and expect to find elk when the boots hit the dirt because the 'signs are right, it's prime area, water holes nearby, etc'. I've noticed that those people are the ones who usually end up seeing very little. There are unforeseen circumstances that can arise as well...lack of access due to private land, other hunters in the area, dry water holes, etc. I've seen it over and over.
Elk move, a lot sometimes. They get pressure on them and they head for the next county, straight up a hill if need be. They aren't like deer that return a day or two later or hunker down if you don't make eye contact with them. They might be there one day and gone for the following week or even month. The also naturally migrate. Best advice I can offer, get a lay of the land, understand the pressures in the area, and put the time (and miles if necessary) to find and pattern them. Get away from everyone else (which is getting really hard to do).
The guys on these hunting shows are doing a disservice to the NR DIY hunters. Just like a car isn't restored in 30 min on a TV show, neither is an elk hunt made successful. There are indeed areas that are flush with elk, but even then the animals are typically spooked and running for their lives because you aren't the only one who knows about it.
Last year I scouted multiple weekends and helped with my buddy's archery hunt before my muzzleloader hunt. I went from seeing several huge herds (50+) in the late summer to seeing scattered groups of 5ish by the time hunting season got around. The big bulls were gone. The herds had moved and re-patterned themselves several miles away, and it took a weekend of scouting to find them again. I'm a DIY guy thru and thru, and love the chase, but this is where a guide can really help. They are expensive, but they're out scouting and know where the animals are because of that effort.
I read a lot about guys on here applying all over the place, different areas and states, to the tune of crazy numbers. That's cool. I'd recommend you find a couple good units to focus on in a state or two. Quality over quantity. If I draw, I want a quality hunt. If I don't draw, while disappointing, I know that I didn't just draw something that has a low chance of being quality to me. Why waste the time off work and $$$ driving/hunting to take your bow/rifle for a hike in a western state?

 

[Wassid82]

I’m a proponent of elevation. I think it’s better to be higher compared to further. Although both are helpful too. Higher elevation helps me to be able to glass more area and then make a move when the opportunity is right.

 

[jaredmahoney]

Seem to be in the deepest draws, and 2/3 up the next hill. That is definantly a hard question you are asking. haha

 

[Str8shooter]

Lots of different ways to locate elk, focused glassing, strategic calling, creeping slowly into the wind in the timber, or driving your truck around private ranches is probably the best way! But to be honest I went from mostly randomly encountering elk to finding them more days than not in every season by studying elk behavior and their seasonal needs and pairing that knowledge with maps and on the ground observations of inseason hunting pressure, weather, climate etc. And hiking my balls off.

 

[ckrhtr]

Lucky for me I live really close to where I hunt and spend most of my free time in the hills glassing and looking for new hunting spots. I can usually hunt deer, antelope, elk and upland birds all within the same unit so all the hunting usually ends up as scouting as well. If all else fails a call to the local biologist will go a long ways in helping you figure out a unit.

 

[43.6N]

I like to find them in the late spring, and then keep tabs on the area through the summer.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

I cover my outer layers and pack in elk/deer piss, and head straight to the thickest dark timber I can find after about 8:30-9am. (Rifle season)
Has worked every single year for elk and deer.

 

[Tbonespop]

Interesting replies. I would think it has a lot to do with the time of year of the hunt and location (ie state). A rut hunt is quite a bit different than a late season hunt, and with that said I've never even been drawn for a rut hunt. I do go camping quite a bit during the rut just to see the animals and from my experience, finding them hasn't been difficult at all during the rut. My general rule is get as far away from other people as possible (avoid the areas game and fish tell you to go because that's where everybody else will go), go where you can see a long distance, look for areas that give bedding/cover, food, and water. But realize food and water are the last of the two necessities by a long shot. From my experience, hanging around water hasn't consistently panned out as there are too many other hunters sitting in the area of water, and there's too much odor in the air. Very early in the season, they can be found in the vicinity of water, but don't sit on water. Big bulls get to be big bulls by knowing when to get water (at night) when they aren't hunted. Same can be said for big mule deer - don't hunt water. The biggest mulies I've seen were 5-10 miles from the nearest water tank. They get their water at night when they know they aren't getting hunted. So don't waste your time sitting on water holes is my rule of thumb - again speaking to public land hunts in AZ. Again, finding them during the rut has never been tough, you can usually hear them from quite a ways off and easily locate them.

I've always been drawn for late season hunts (not post rut, but late season) on public land. At that time of the season, they are tired and have been pushed to the most extreme protective areas (aka sanctuaries), where they know most hunters won't venture into. So look on maps for the deepest, most gnarly, rugged areas that you can't get to easily by any motorized vehicle and start there. They're tired, on the run, they know they are and have been hunted for a few months, and are looking for hideout spots in the most rugged terrain. Water and food sources don't mean much as they can always get that at night. Look for areas just very difficult to get to where people won't go. Then its a matter of getting out early and staying out late. And realize you can see them all throughout the day too - don't assume they are bedding down during the day. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Don't assume anything on a late season hunt. Earlier season hunts can be more predictable in terms of where to find animals. Late season hunts are very unpredictable and the animals lack habits. The fact is, its just harder later in the season. That's kind of the fun part of it. If its really cold or bad weather, I tend to glass south facing slopes where they can get some warmth from the sun. If its warm, I look on the north facing slopes (we can get stupid weather all times of year in AZ and can see many extremes). Bottom line is, late season is not easy and it takes hard work. A little luck never hurts either - and remember you improve your luck with hard work.

I know, a little long winded, but that's my $0.02.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Usually in the back of someone else's truck

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