Walk or Sit?

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Ok folks: what would you do?

Here’s the back story: It’s late archery for bulls. On Friday it snowed a fair amount here, and I came across what looked like a bulldozer went through the woods. Long story short, I followed it to a herd of 40 or so elk. Sadly, the snow was too noisy for me to get any closer than about 75 yards without the cows in the rear picking their heads up and looking right at me. I dogged them until they split into the thickest of the nasty, where I have no chance. The good news is they never blew out and I was always down wind.

So; tomorrow and Thursday I’m trying again. I know they’re coming back. This is the second time I’ve seen them there this winter.

The question is: do I tree saddle it or walk and stalk? It’s supposed to be a clear but cold af day tomorrow, and I honestly don’t want to carry all my crap in there to hang in a tree and freeze my ass off. Sitting might provide me with an ambush opportunity along their path however. What would you do?

 

[Wrench]

Two ways I'd approach this:

Spikes and small rags potentially present in the group, your plan has good potential. I'd work a few hundred yards away from the feeding area in the am and whatever choke point they frequent. If you work the transition to bedding route and blow it, you can still make a play on the bedding area once they chill out....that's how I'd work the small stuff.

Bigger bulls will often feed close to the group and bed several hundred yards away, often downwind of the herd. If no smaller bulls are with the group, I'd be looking for the stragglers that break off early and walk in on them slowly. I have almost stepped on bulls in December.

Full disclosure, I have never killed an animal from a tree stand, so I am very comfortable screwing up ground stalks.

 

[Redfeathers]

Go with what your gut tells you and what you will ENJOY the most. Either way, enjoy the ride and good luck!! Wrench said full disclosure, that's me as well as I live in Tx. Good luck and let's see the pics!

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Two ways I'd approach this:

Spikes and small rags potentially present in the group, your plan has good potential. I'd work a few hundred yards away from the feeding area in the am and whatever choke point they frequent. If you work the transition to bedding route and blow it, you can still make a play on the bedding area once they chill out....that's how I'd work the small stuff.

Bigger bulls will often feed close to the group and bed several hundred yards away, often downwind of the herd. If no smaller bulls are with the group, I'd be looking for the stragglers that break off early and walk in on them slowly. I have almost stepped on bulls in December.

Full disclosure, I have never killed an animal from a tree stand, so I am very comfortable screwing up ground stalks.

Good advice. I think you’ve cemented my plan to stay on the ground. Friday there was a spike at the very back of the herd that was completely oblivious to the world. He never picked his head up I swear. If his guardian cows weren’t around, I think I could have crept in on him.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Go with what your gut tells you and what you will ENJOY the most. Either way, enjoy the ride and good luck!! Wrench said full disclosure, that's me as well as I live in Tx. Good luck and let's see the pics!

Hopefully I’ll have a victory photo for you!

Here’s Friday’s photos of the path through the snow they left and their beds:

EDIT: I have no idea why the photos are in your quote, but it won’t let me fix it.

 

[Redfeathers]

Wow, that's quite a path brother! Anticipating those victory pics. Either way, it's a victory win win!!! Good Luck

 

[Wrench]

Those spikes can be curious as hell. If you can stay close to the herd, they may wander your way. They will move around quite a bit through the day. I've killed a pile of elk in December. When it's crunch time, I follow tracks and burn my binos hard. There could be elk scattered within a few hundred yards.... pay attention. Quiet is not as necessary as you think.....but cover sure is.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I have no options other than tracks sadly. It’s all heavy, heavy timber around these parts. Leave the binos at home in the North Idaho pine jungle lol!

 

[Redfeathers]

Could work to your favor then?

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Could work to your favor then?

It does in the fact that cover is tight and everywhere. It works against you in the fact that the elk could be anywhere. There’s food, water and shelter around every corner here.

 

[Wrench]

Every elk I've killed excluding a single Roosevelt has been in the same stuff. The binos are handy for checking ahead for hoar frost or snow disruption after the morning if they get by you. Good luck.

 

[eddielasvegas]

Good luck and looking forward to your update.



Eddie

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Welp, not a single elk sighting today. The snow was really crusty and loud. I had a 5 yard shot at a doe coming out of a thicket, but my cover sucked and she backpedaled at the last minute. There must have been a turkey convention in town too, because those things were everywhere and loud.

 

[Wrench]

Feshies coming in tomorrow. Good luck!

 

[Howdoyoulikemenow]

Tough duty getting within bow range on top of crunchy snow.

 

[Wrench]

When you do get into them, assuming it is bed time or later....pay attention to where they bed.

I have found that they really like to have a setup that gives them a bench/s and is either just down the hill opposite the prevailing breeze.....or smack in the middle of large faces that offer the benches.

Once you can guess where they want to end up, you can plan an ambush route for the morning/evening transition.

To move on a bedded herd is not impossible, but it requires incredible patience. Remember they are used to hearing the sound of elk crunching on snow, and everything that sneaks is trying to kill them....so it's a fine line weather you need to sneak, boogie or glass.

Regardless, you've got your work cut out.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

When you do get into them, assuming it is bed time....pay attention to where they bed.
I have found that they really like to have a setup that gives them a bench/s and is either just down the hill opposite the prevailing breeze.....or smack in the middle of large faces that offer the benches.

Once you can guess where they want to end up, you can plan an ambush route for the morning/evening transition.

To move on a bedded herd is not impossible, but it requires incredible patience. Remember they are used to hearing the sound of elk crunching on snow, and everything that sneaks is trying to kill them....so it's a fine line weather you need to sneak, boogie or glass.

Regardless, you've got your work cut out.

You sir are 100% correct, and I did not heed this advice yesterday.

I came across that spike again, in the exact same spot as my previous two encounters, this time by himself (although I can’t be certain). Again, like a fool I doubted myself that he would follow the same pattern, so I tried dogging him once again. Lo and behold, I followed his tracks in the snow, and he walked the very same path the elk did every time. Didn’t even deviate a little bit. I went as far as I could, but the snow was coming down hard and heavy and covered his tracks. Plus it was a helluva hike back in that stuff.

Had I been smart and followed my gut, I would have booked it back down the hill, then straight down the lower road where they popped out every time, and ambushed him right there. Had I done that, I’d have an elk in the freezer I’m sure.

 

[Pocoloco]

You sir are 100% correct, and I did not heed this advice yesterday.

I came across that spike again, in the exact same spot as my previous two encounters, this time by himself (although I can’t be certain). Again, like a fool I doubted myself that he would follow the same pattern, so I tried dogging him once again. Lo and behold, I followed his tracks in the snow, and he walked the very same path the elk did every time. Didn’t even deviate a little bit. I went as far as I could, but the snow was coming down hard and heavy and covered his tracks. Plus it was a helluva hike back in that stuff.

Had I been smart and followed my gut, I would have booked it back down the hill, then straight down the lower road where they popped out every time, and ambushed him right there. Had I done that, I’d have an elk in the freezer I’m sure.

That is my plan next year. So close this year stalking, but getting a clean shot with my bow where they bed is tough, always branches and they bed where wind swirls. We have them patterned and there is a choke point from morning graze to day beds, steep so single file and open. Wife harvested her bull in rifle there in October and I plan to setup a natural blind in the summer 40 yards below choke as wind always falling when they traverse. They should be use to blind by season open and I can slip in before daylight and then the only challenge left is shooting up a 45 degree slope, will have to practice that shot in the summer