Uncommon elk hunting strategy

[Josh Gray]

I’m curious how many of you have found success just pulling off a main road or hwy and dropping or climbing straight in to an area. I’ve actually only hunted 1 or 2x out of a main trailhead or even trail systems and have found most sign and success just 1-3 miles away from these places. My last bull I killed I could clearly hear semi’s using their engine brakes while cutting him up. My theory is the elk actually feel safer closer to the sound of traffic when there isn’t any non-hunting recreation. Maybe potentially less 4 and 2 legged predators?

Driving to hunt bear last month nearly every license plate we saw at trailheads or cruising forest service roads were out of state, while every truck we saw parked right off the highway had resident plates. I think a lot of east coasters are looking for a wilderness experience and maybe just don’t like the idea of hearing traffic at night?

 

[Gerbdog]

Shh... your spoiling the best kept elk hunting secret......

Its that....

Elk are where you find them

 

[Poser]

Yes, but on the years that the 4 Corners Motorcycle Rally align with opening weekend, the highway noise is overwhelming even 2+ miles from the road.

 

[Josh Gray]

Shh... your spoiling the best kept elk hunting secret......

Its that....

Elk are where you find them

Yeah maybe I should delete the post

 

[go_deep]

Killed my first elk by seeing fresh tracks in the snow crossing a state highway. About 3 hours and 1.5 miles later I caught up to it and killed it, in it's bed. It made a huge loop and was only beded about 1/3 mile from the road to the west of where it first crossed the road.
Like Gerbdod said, you find elk where you find elk.

 

[Gerbdog]

Do as the name go_deep says....

Go Deep!

Also dont pull out......

gotta stick to those deep areas even when there arent elk.... they could move in at any moment..... commit commit commit!

 

[Wrench]

Um... yeah. Let's go ahead and lock this one right now.

 

[Josh Gray]

Do as the name go_deep says....

Go Deep!

Also dont pull out......

gotta stick to those deep areas even when there arent elk.... they could move in at any moment..... commit commit commit!

Go deep and keep hammering!

 

[go_deep]

Do as the name go_deep says....

Go Deep!

Also dont pull out......

gotta stick to those deep areas even when there arent elk.... they could move in at any moment..... commit commit commit!

Well, that's what I do, till I'm sick of all the hiking, then I shoot one from a lawn chair off a meadow I found years ago that everyone drives on by.

 

[go_deep]

Heck, about 8 years ago I found a pretty big 4 point mule deer shed from the seat of my work truck! Might need to change my handle? Go_deep_when_needed_go_shallow_most_other_times

 

[cnelk]

1 mile has been my limit (or closer) for the past 15 years.

Go deep boys. Go deep.

 

[go_deep]

1 mile has been my limit (or closer) for the past 15 years.

Go deep boys. Go deep.

While I agree a short pack out is nice, I'd take a few days a couple miles in and never seeing another person or hearing a single motorized vehicle over killing something any day

 

[ElkArcher918]

When all else fails the unconventional strategy sometimes work. Shot my best Wyo mule deer last year that way. After hunting high ground and low valley floor, slow pickings, ended up hunting a burn area a ridge above a large hunting camp. Every morning and afternoon I watched hunters coming and going in their side by sides and noticed none climbed/hunted the ridge above the camp. Last day of my hunt I circled around the camp and hiked up to the overlooked ridge and shot my buck within an hour and a half later. Ended up packing out my buck with a smug smile as I hiked within 100 yds. of the camp. Snooze you loose!

 

[wapitibob]

I've hunted off a "trailhead" only once in my life, and we brushed it every day to see if anybody else was using it.

I bugled this one at 11:45 am, sitting on the seat of my atv. Snuck in and shot him 15 minutes later at about 12 yards. He died next to another road.