Water Hole

[idelkhntr]

With the dry hot summer we have had I figure setting up on a waterhole might be the hot ticket early this Elk season. Here is a picture I took after I set my tree stand up Sunday. This is public land on Forest Service ground. I have my own opinion, but I was curious how other hunters felt.

What is the best time to be on the waterhole? Morning, mid-day or evening? Just curious on others opinions. And no, I do not want someone to mark on a map where to hunt. I got that covered.

Thanks for your input and I hope this question does not stir the political controversy like the last question I posted.

By the way, Randy has the best show on television. You rock!

 

[idelkhntr]

Here is the picture.

 

[Mudranger1]

When the elk are there does that help you out? I would to sit there as long as can stand it if there is sign around it

 

[idelkhntr]

Good answer. When I set the tree stand on Sunday there were sign everywhere. In fact, there was fresh scat about where I am standing to take the picture. There are three separate game trails that merge right where I am standing also. I have my trail camera set up almost under the tree where the stand is. It will be interesting to see what comes in and how many hunters I capture walking across. This spot is about four miles from a major road and just under a mile from the turn around spot on an ATV trail. The good thing it is almost straight up hill from the turn around spot.

 

[Mudranger1]

Sounds like a good spot can I have it

 

[revelized]

I'm interested to see what you pull off that game cam. Hopefully you will post those piocs here. Looks like a great spot to fill a tag on the first day.

 

[passinthru]

Looks sweet.

I'd sit all day and see how it goes. It's alot of fun chasing em around, but with the heat you may be better parking there for awhile.

 

[track1]

2 of us have killed 5 bulls in 7 years on wallows on public land. 3 scored over 300. The last 4 of them have been in the evenings/late afternoon from the same tree stand. If the wind is good sit all day. It looks like you are in a bottom so it will probably be swirling a lot. If you can, get your stand higher and it will help a little. My stand is almost 30 ft up.

 

[idelkhntr]

2 of us have killed 5 bulls in 7 years on wallows on public land. 3 scored over 300. The last 4 of them have been in the evenings/late afternoon from the same tree stand. If the wind is good sit all day. It looks like you are in a bottom so it will probably be swirling a lot. If you can, get your stand higher and it will help a little. My stand is almost 30 ft up.

This spot is actually on a little shelf on a steep slope. Believe it or not, but the stand is over 20 feet above the water. This is the first time that I am trying to hunt Elk from a tree stand. I plan on sitting most of the day. It will be a challenge for me because my attention span for sitting is about an hour at best. I like to go find them and see if I can call one in. But with the weather I thought this might be the hot ticket to at least start the season his Thursday.

 

[track1]

It's a similar set up to mine. I hate sitting also but we've been fairly successful. I hunt elk from a tree but whitetails from the ground. How's that for bass ackwards?

 

[streamer]

Get a comfortable stand to sit in this will help you sit longer, buy a pocket Yatzee game turn off the volume, it passes the time for me.

 

[MontanaWild]

I'd sit from 2-9. Most of the pics from my cam over a wallow seemed to fall within that timeframe. I'd say put your stand a touch higher but I'd hunt it and see how it goes.

 

[Elkmagnet]

At the beginning of the season I would sit it all day long. Around the 8th I would chase them in the morning and sit from afternoon to evening. By the 15th I would be out and chasing them all day long good luck.

 

[MtnWest]

That water should be good. If you had to pick a time frame to sit, MontanaWild had the answer from 2:00 on. About 70% of the daylight activity I get on my cameras is after noon and when they hit it in the mornings many times they come in before shooting light. But they do come in at all hours so might as well be all day. This year I had pics at noon on a full moon and 1am with no moon.

elkmagnet posted my exact sept itinerary above. And when we do that we generally chase/call them a good distance from the water we sit on the way back to the truck in the eve. Good luck!