WY elk and leaving camp

[chas]

Piggy-backing on the: What does you typical day consist of while elk hunting? What time does everyone head out? We're hunting WY this fall and have always left after day break. This was for mulleys, not elk. I am leary about heading out in the dark alone in grizzle country at nite. Being from the East. Seems the first couple of days my heads on a swivel, then it's F-it just hunt. We saw elk every day but could use a better plan. This is a gun hunt and we're in the thick of grizzle country. Is earlier, before light best, set-up and still hunt, or?? Suggestions from veterans would be helpful.

 

[Ross]

On an avg day I am out well before daylight hiking with the headlamp to listen for Bulls in Sept or climbing in November to get to a vantage pt at daybreak. That being said there are few griz in the areas I hunt.

 

[realunlucky]

I agree with Ross just before Sun rise bulls tend to bulge more. You need to be in position to catch them as they are transitioning from feeding to bedding areas. Do you also leave before last light to make it back to camp? If so your really cheating yourself out of prime time. Statistically speaking you have little to fear.

 

[LostArra]

This is a good question.
One of my hunting buddies believes leaving well before first light (and risk bumping the elk in the dark) is due to the excitement of the hunt and sort of a right of passage.
He leaves when he can barely see and kills elk every year and most are closer to camp than everyone else.
He thinks if you need to walk an hour or two to get setup at dawn, then maybe your camp is in the wrong location.

I still leave in the dark because I'm such an early riser but I have stampeded a herd of elk in the dark that had not read my game plan.

 

[WyoHnt300]

Both realunlucky and Ross make great points. A rifle hunt in WY griz country needs the early morning/early light late evening/dusk hours to give you the best chances as seeing bulls in their feeding areas before they bed down. I've hunted my whole life next to Yellowstone and we see bears every year (bow and rifle seasons) if you keep a clean camp and recognize your surroundings an upclose and personal encounter is very unlikely. Your highest chance of a bear encounter will be after the gutting/during the packing process. Bearspray/sidearms are nice to have handy in those situations. Realistically, you have a better chance of getting in a car wreck on your way to hunting camp than having to wrestle Mr. Griz while you're hunting.

 

[chas]

Ok, that's good advice. This is our third trip packing in on horses, and we have scored muleys everytime, and seen elk threw out the trips. I have gotten into camp well past dark, but now I guess it's time to leave earlier. Ready to put on the big boy pants. Never really need to get up before daylight till now. I assume mullies feed in a similular manner? And thanks for the advice, I guess I already assumed but appreciate the confirmation.

 

[WYO_ATL]

This was my first year doing archery elk camp with my buddies, so we were pretty gung-ho and got up a couple hours before light to find the bugling Bulls. Well, turns out that the Bulls in this area hardly bugles until after sun up. Needless to say, we got a little extra sleep the rest of the week.

 

[danarnold]

in 12 & 13 bulls in our area bugled most a little after 7 in early september, we were
not in grizz country

 

[Jason Snyder]

It depends on where you're finding the elk at. If they are very close to camp and you haven't spooked them, there is no sense in being up for two hours in the dark. Vice versa, if you're having to go a ways to find the elk, you may as well be doing it in the dark.

I'd make my plans by the cards that are dealt.

I like to glass openings at first/last light and throughout the day also, with some still hunting in between when I am rifle hunting.

 

[NDHunter]

Just something else to think about, I remember Chuck Adams writing that he much prefers to try and shoot an elk in the morning in grizzly country and is hesitant to shoot one late in the day. He said if you shoot one right at sundown, you'll be boning out/packing the elk in the dark with the bears.

 

[Piscatory_4]

Just something else to think about, I remember Chuck Adams writing that he much prefers to try and shoot an elk in the morning in grizzly country and is hesitant to shoot one late in the day. He said if you shoot one right at sundown, you'll be boning out/packing the elk in the dark with the bears.

Heck, regardless of the bear situation I usually don't hunt until last light for that very reason- no fun cleanng and packing in the dark and I prefer not leaving a dead animal over night. I have been out till pitch black and on elk while they are calling and feeding but it was too dark to make a good shot/hard to see pins.