Spot and Stalk Only?

[Barronpreciate]

Hey Y'll

I am really new to Elk hunting. Shot my first ever bull last year with a rifle in Wyoming. I want to go back and bow hunt the same spot. Trouble is it will take several years to draw a bull tag again. So if I went for a cow instead, I can get a OTC cow tag. What are the strategies for hunting cows with a bow. Spot and Stalk only?

Thank you

 

[Next Ridge]

You can call cows in. Find trails to sit. Still hunt. Many options.

 

[Wrench]

September cow hunts are a gift. Fighting off spikes can be a chore, but cows respond very well to calling.

For spot and stalk, they gotta eat....roll up on the feeding area at the crack of dawn and if that falls apart, they're gonna bed within about 15/20 minutes of elk walking.....which could be 1 mile or 500 yards depending on the location. Let them bed for an hour and get sneaky.

 

[PNW bow hunter]

Spot and intercept is a favorite archery tactic of mine.

I would much rather have my target moving towards me versus me moving towards the target if possible.

 

[stephane]

Typically the cows should be around bulls, so you can try to locate the bulls through calling them sneak in for a shot at one of his cows.

 

[LostArra]

Spot and intercept is a favorite archery tactic of mine.

I would much rather have my target moving towards me versus me moving towards the target if possible.

Amen brother! There is usually a bedded cow that you don't see who greets you peaking over a rock with a bark.
I do not call. My elk killing mentor taught me to never draw any attention to my location around a group of cows. Stupid September bulls are different. September cows are not stupid.
His theory:
hunter moving, elk stationary, advantage cows
hunter stationary, elk moving, advantage hunter.
The skill is getting into position to intercept.

 

[Bugger]

Follow a herd in the timber and calf call until a cow comes around to see what’s up. Don’t freak out if a straggler calf sees you and barks, the herd doesn’t believe them.

 

[Barronpreciate]

Wow! Looks like there are many open options.

 

[wildwilderness]

If in a dry area sit a waterhole

 

[SleepyJones]

If you want to call, calf calling can work well. Sounding like a few elk can bring cows in also, what is called a 'cow party' which is where you have a few different calls like a diaphragm call and an open reed call and using both to represent a small cluster of elk. If you have someone with you, stand apart and break sticks and rustle around a bit and both call periodically and wait. Another thing you can do (recommend only in archery season for safety reasons) would be to use a decoy. I've found when in an area that is slightly open that if you put a decoy out and make a few cow calls that they seem to think the area is safe and they come out into the open. I've had a lot of success with this in mid day and evenings. The above tip that stated using a bugle to locate a bull to get to the herd is a good one (all these tips are good actually). * I picked up the cow party idea from Elk Nut Paul Medel.

 

[timber_ghost]

If it is during the rut, a lot of bulls should have cows with them so hunt them the same way you would hunt a bull. I've had good luck with finding the elk in timber via location bugles then using cow calls, specifically a lost calf sound, to pull a couple of cows or the matriarch cow off the bull to come investigate. Sometimes cows will come into a challenge or location bugle as well if you're in an area with a lot of elk