Elk hunting advice.

[Hunter&Huntress]

Ok guy I have never been really good at Finding elk and it seem this year is the same. My wife when on a 4 mile hike without finding a single track in fresh snow. So my question to you elk experts is this.
1. Whats the biggest key to you guess success.
2. Where or how are you hunting in the morning,afternoon, and evenings.
3. How are you figuring out where the elk are in new areas if you haven't had a lot of time scouting the area.
One of the biggest problems with the area I am hunting right now is there is very thick timber and I cant find many vantage points to be able to do a lot of spotting. What would you do in this situation?
Thank you for any and all advice.

 

[dreamhunter]

find water hole they want to be. put tree stand up

 

[gman82001]

Find where all the people are and go somewhere else .... People are way easier to find than elk

 

[Hof]

I don't think the waterhole advise is much good if you are hunting in the snow... early sept when it is 85 degrees, I would agree.

I would cover as much elevation as possible. Hunt up and down the mountains until you start seeing sign, once you are on it start side hilling it. Without a vantage point to look from, new country can be difficult. Make sure you have a gps and mark landmarks as you come on them. I try to go home and compare my waypoints to google maps.... this gives me a different vantage point to look for anything that I think might look elky..

Hope this helps.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Cover ground like a pack of wolves is chasing you and then when you find good sign put the breaks on, think about where the animals should be at the time of the day in the conditions you are hunting and go kill one.

Same stuff the world over, just being able to work out when, where and what the animals are doing can be the difference between success and failure.

 

[fishhuntgolfgeek]

Ok guy I have never been really good at Finding elk and it seem this year is the same. My wife when on a 4 mile hike without finding a single track in fresh snow. So my question to you elk experts is this.
1. Whats the biggest key to you guess success.
2. Where or how are you hunting in the morning,afternoon, and evenings.
3. How are you figuring out where the elk are in new areas if you haven't had a lot of time scouting the area.
One of the biggest problems with the area I am hunting right now is there is very thick timber and I cant find many vantage points to be able to do a lot of spotting. What would you do in this situation?
Thank you for any and all advice.

My answers to your questions:
1. Stay motivated. Try to plan your hunt during the rut.
2. Yes. I hunt all day because usually the hunt comprises 5 or 10 day blocks during the season depending on your weapon of choice and state regs. Limited time means you need to be in the woods as much as possible to be successful.
3. Glass an area as much as you can and use a bull call to get a reference to where the herd is. Once in closer I'll switch to a cow call. Turkey hunting and elk hunting are almost similar in the ways you locate the game.
4. Thick timber: I'd use the bull call to get a response and try to intercept.
These are just my opinions. I'm sure other elk hunters have differing views.

 

[St52v]

If you have snow and can glass any openings at all look for tracks in the snow. It might save you some walking and give you some idea where they have been.

 

[sbhooper]

If there is no sign, there are no elk. Leave the area. I saw a guy absolutely pound some areas in New Mexico one time. We had hunted the area before he started and there was no fresh sign at all. He hunted a small area for the entire season just knowing that the elk would materialize. They didn't.

If you are not covering at least five miles a day, you are not hunting elk. (One of the best things Jim Zumbo ever said) I have proved it true on many occasions.

Look at your map and find where the road ends and then go at least two miles farther. This is not in stone, but a good rule of thumb.

Glassing for elk is fine, but is limited generally to early and late. Remember that they follow the shadows in and out.

Water is a necessity, but a lot of elk country also has lots of water. You can start looking for sign at the water, but it may not be the end-all.

My experience has been that usually, elk will be bedded on top of a thick ridge or within 1/3 of the way down the north side. ALTHOUGH, I have also found them bedded on the south side in thick areas. Do not discount any suitable habitat. I have encountered very few bedded in the bottom of canyon, though.

If the weather is warm, then concentrate your search in the highest areas. If the snow comes, follow the snow levels down. There again, this is not in stone, but a good starting point. Some elk are always in the lower areas, but may be hard to find.

If you have done your homework with biologists, other people who have hunted there etc., then the elk are most likely there somewhere. You just have to find where that 'somewhere' is.

As was stated before, stay positive. As your feet get tired, you get wet, you see no sign etc., etc., it becomes difficult sometimes to talk yourself into getting out of bed in the morning. Treat every day like it was the first. It only takes a second to turn a hunt from disaster into the best you ever had. After all, what is the worst thing that can happen-you go home empty? That is what was going to happen if you stayed in bed, too.

The only thing that is consistent about elk is their inconsistency. Sometimes you just have to eliminate your options until one finally works.

Good luck.

 

[nidahunter]

My dad (who has killed way more elk than me) always said to ignore the first ridge or drainage next to any kind of road and concentrate on the 2nd ridge or drainage. Basically walk further than 90% of everyone else. It seemed to work for him.

 

[jryoung]

Talk to the local biologist and get a better understanding of herd dynamics. A herd in a particular area will follow consistent patterns ie, move to a secure area under pressure, migrate with weather, stay near water during heat etc. etc.

Have a solid understanding of your area and give the bio a call and ask pointed questions about a specific area. Something such as "I've seen a lot of old sign in Hell Hole Canyon, and being that it is steep, nasty, and heavily timbered I would think this would be an area where elk would head under pressure".

Don't just ask, where are the elk. Build a rapport with the bio, they can be a huge asset in the future.