What am I not thinking of? (OTC Dark timber, mountain elk)

[KennethDeemer]

Hey all!

Super excited for my second season in the elk woods this next September (yes I’m excited early don’t judge) and I’m consuming all the information I can and investing a bunch of time in practice and fitness to support 10 days in the mountains mostly base camp/1-2 day spikes.

If you could give one piece of advice that you think is most apt to be overlooked as one prepares for a hunt like this, what would it be? Can be as basic or as interesting as ya like, haha!

Thanks in advance, friends!

 

[KennethDeemer]

OTC, Archery, Sept 15-24, 6500’ish, predominantly dense timber, largely wilderness area, practically no pressure, very low animal numbers.

 

[ahlgringo]

go about 10x slower in dark timber than you think you should be.

 

[Hoodie]

practically no pressure, very low animal numbers.

I'm far from an archery elk guru, so take this with a grain of salt:

I'd select an area with slightly more pressure, and maybe slightly better animal numbers as a potential backup. I prefer to hunt low pressure areas, and I spend a lot of time scouting areas like you described that are close to home so I have a better than average chance of having encounters.

That said, some low pressure areas are low pressure for a reason. Those sorts of areas are best for locals with lots of time to scout and plenty of time to hunt. With 9 days total, I'd look for areas with pretty good densities, even if there are more hunters.

Archery elk is a numbers game. Quite often it takes multiple encounters to get one shot opportunity. It can be very tough to punch a tag in areas where you're doing good to bump into one bull every 4-5 days.

 

[KennethDeemer]

I'm far from an archery elk guru, so take this with a grain of salt:

I'd select an area with slightly more pressure, and maybe slightly better animal numbers as a potential backup. I prefer to hunt low pressure areas, and I spend a lot of time scouting areas like you described close to home so I have a better than average chance of having encounters.

That said, some low pressure areas are low pressure for a reason. Those sorts of areas are best for locals with lots of time to scout and plenty of time to hunt. With 9 days total, I'd look for areas with pretty good densities, even if there are more hunters.

Archery elk is a numbers game. Quite often it takes multiple encounters to get one shot opportunity. It can be very tough to punch a tag in areas where you're doing good to bump into one bull every 4-5 days.

Thanks for the thoughts! About the kind of numbers we had last year. Three serious encounters over 8 days. I think a lot of it was the newbie in me blowing additional opportunities. Maybe it’s a mix of below objective numbers and me blowing everything up haha.

 

[RELIANT]

Not that I have much more experience than you (2 rifle elk trips and 2 archery elk trips) I haven't been able to figure out the dark timber for archery either. In theory my plan is to call in the timber hope they respond and come in or hear them moving away and trail them up to bedding before the thermals swap. In practice the responses are few and far between and I find it hard to hunt them when you aren't hearing or seeing them. So I end up doing a lot of bow hiking through the timber. It is a tough balance between moving fast enough to cover country and moving slow enough to catch the elk before they catch you. My bet is that if you bounce enough elk you figure out the specific spots where they bed and you move a little quicker through the "bad areas" and really slow down in the prime "bedding areas"... but this hasn't played out for me. I've since switched to hunting more open country with smaller timber patches allowing spot and stalk techniques to come into play, which has given me better opportunities, but I've yet to seal the deal with a bow.

 

[KennethDeemer]

Thanks for the insight!

 

[sndmn11]

Don't shoot a moose.

 

[RELIANT]

Don't shoot a moose.

unless you have a tag

 

[KennethDeemer]

Don't shoot a moose.

Wait what’s the difference?

 

[sndmn11]

Wait what’s the difference?

Depends mostly on what elevation you are at. Use the googles.

 

[Shane S]

Get the wind right


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[IdahoElk]

Squirrels dropping pine cones whack branches, Elk walking crack branches.

 

[Gerbdog]

Dont forget to utilize your bino's, shockingly useful in that deep timber, watch for that tine sticking out above deadfall, or a patch of hair, or an ear.... it might feel like you cant see more then 50 yards but the bino's will help break it down.

Other then that its the same as hunting anywhere, keep the wind in your face, dont make a move if its swirling, move as quietly as you can.... and when that fails.... make some cow sounds .... you dont sound like a cow when your walking but heck.... better then nothing.

I agree with the post above... low number areas take a lot of scouting ahead of time to get right so you dont crest up onto a ridge with a wallow on it you didnt know was there and hear the elk breaking down trees as its headed for the other unit over

 

[KennethDeemer]

Dont forget to utilize your bino's, shockingly useful in that deep timber, watch for that tine sticking out above deadfall, or a patch of hair, or an ear.... it might feel like you cant see more then 50 yards but the bino's will help break it down.

Other then that its the same as hunting anywhere, keep the wind in your face, dont make a move if its swirling, move as quietly as you can.... and when that fails.... make some cow sounds .... you dont sound like a cow when your walking but heck.... better then nothing.

I agree with the post above... low number areas take a lot of scouting ahead of time to get right so you dont crest up onto a ridge with a wallow on it you didnt know was there and hear the elk breaking down trees as its headed for the other unit over

This is super helpful. Grew up in the whitetail woods and hardly ever used binos - I’m still learning applications in which they are beneficial (aka you can basically see in the dark with them??!!)

Thanks!

 

[Gerbdog]

This is super helpful. Grew up in the whitetail woods and hardly ever used binos - I’m still learning applications in which they are beneficial (aka you can basically see in the dark with them??!!)

Thanks!

Sorry, maybe bad wording, not so much see in the dark but they help break down and see through... i dunno... layers of the forest? Haha Either way the binos are helpful even in the thick timber!

 

[5MilesBack]

Archery elk is a numbers game. Quite often it takes multiple encounters to get one shot opportunity. It can be very tough to punch a tag in areas where you're doing good to bump into one bull every 4-5 days.

I've always said "I'll take an area with one bull in it and no human pressure over an area with 100 bulls in it with lots of human pressure". Just makes for a much more enjoyable hunt. Make each encounter count.

As for being prepared.......your bow routine should be a "routine".......a routine that you don't even have to think about. When the encounters come, that's all on cruise control and your focus is on your target. For the rest of it.......just walk your mind through your daily hunting routine and you'll figure out if you're forgetting something......to take or preparation for.

 

[fatlander]

Don’t waste your time hunting where the elk aren’t. If you can’t smell, see, and/or hear them, you haven’t found them.

When you do find them, be aggressive.


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[Coveyleader]

When you run into a guy hunting a drainage, don't walk past him and set up 50yds downwind for two hours. Give guys space!

 

[trophyhill]

Id say being able to make the shot when the moment of truth arrives is the most important. Practice from all positions, all angles on a 3d target and uphill and downhill as well as learning your arrow trajectory in cover. For example i had a small evergreen in my yard that i used to shoot over. With my target at 40 yards and that tree at 20 with branches right in the vitals, i knew i could put that 40 right on target and the trajectory would go right over the top of those branches and drop right in for a perfect shot. I practice shooting thru holes in the pinon trees in my yard all the time too.