How do you solo hunt elk?

[KBC]

That's what I think I'll be doing with the quad. What do you think is the minimum hike from the quad before you start calling? I don't want to be too obvious. I usually give it some time before I do much after I shut it off anyways. I just got a Montana Decoy in the mail last week so I will be packing a big elk ass with me.

1.5 weeks to go and the dehydrator is humming away behind me with dinner for a few nights. I'm getting pretty excited about this year. I don't want to jinx it but I'm thinking of looking for another big cooler so I have 2 big ones.

[Ron.C]

That's what I think I'll be doing with the quad. What do you think is the minimum hike from the quad before you start calling? I don't want to be too obvious. I usually give it some time before I do much after I shut it off anyways. I just got a Montana Decoy in the mail last week so I will be packing a big elk ass with me.

1.5 weeks to go and the dehydrator is humming away behind me with dinner for a few nights. I'm getting pretty excited about this year. I don't want to jinx it but I'm thinking of looking for another big cooler so I have 2 big ones.

I brought 2 150 qt igloo coolers with me on my solo hunt last year. 1 stored my gear, the other was filled with 10L blocks.

my bull ( a young 5x6) fit nicely quartered in the 2 coolers with block of ice packed around the quarters. The meat was in game bags and the ice was in contractor bags so no sitting in water. I bought a 3rd cooler this year because a big bull may push the capacity of 2 coolers and limit the amount of ice.

For what it's worth, I shot an elk during archery season about 10 years back less than 5 minutes after I was dropped off by my buddy. I headed straight into the bush about 2 minutes after getting out of the truck with a plan of getting in a few hundred yards in and still hunting down to a creek bottom but I walked right into a small heard 100 meters off the road.

I shot another 2 years later sitting on a water hole about the size of a bath tub, cow calling while listening to the road hunters buzz around.
My buddy shot a nice 6x6 a few years back within 300 meters of a very busy road on his way into a spot he had seen elk the evening before. That bull answered his first cow call within 15 minutes of leaving the truck and came in screaming.

I guess my point is, you never know how close one may be and this is why my first call is always a soft cow call. My recommendation would be to take a 15 to 30 minutes, give a good listen and get a good feel for the wind/thermals before you head off.

[Bubbacanuck]

I brought 2 150 qt igloo coolers with me on my solo hunt last year. 1 stored my gear, the other was filled with 10L blocks.

my bull ( a young 5x6) fit nicely quartered in the 2 coolers with block of ice packed around the quarters. The meat was in game bags and the ice was in contractor bags so no sitting in water. I bought a 3rd cooler this year because a big bull may push the capacity of 2 coolers and limit the amount of ice.

For what it's worth, I shot an elk during archery season about 10 years back less than 5 minutes after I was dropped off by my buddy. I headed straight into the bush about 2 minutes after getting out of the truck with a plan of getting in a few hundred yards in and still hunting down to a creek bottom but I walked right into a small heard 100 meters off the road.

I shot another 2 years later sitting on a water hole about the size of a bath tub, cow calling while listening to the road hunters buzz around.
My buddy shot a nice 6x6 a few years back within 300 meters of a very busy road on his way into a spot he had seen elk the evening before. That bull answered his first cow call within 15 minutes of leaving the truck and came in screaming.

I guess my point is, you never know how close one may be and this is why my first call is always a soft cow call. My recommendation would be to take a 15 to 30 minutes, give a good listen and get a good feel for the wind/thermals before you head off.

If you ever need a partner, rather than going solo, shoot me a message!

[tko]

I brought 2 150 qt igloo coolers with me on my solo hunt last year. 1 stored my gear, the other was filled with 10L blocks.

my bull ( a young 5x6) fit nicely quartered in the 2 coolers with block of ice packed around the quarters. The meat was in game bags and the ice was in contractor bags so no sitting in water. I bought a 3rd cooler this year because a big bull may push the capacity of 2 coolers and limit the amount of ice.

For what it's worth, I shot an elk during archery season about 10 years back less than 5 minutes after I was dropped off by my buddy. I headed straight into the bush about 2 minutes after getting out of the truck with a plan of getting in a few hundred yards in and still hunting down to a creek bottom but I walked right into a small heard 100 meters off the road.

I shot another 2 years later sitting on a water hole about the size of a bath tub, cow calling while listening to the road hunters buzz around.
My buddy shot a nice 6x6 a few years back within 300 meters of a very busy road on his way into a spot he had seen elk the evening before. That bull answered his first cow call within 15 minutes of leaving the truck and came in screaming.

I guess my point is, you never know how close one may be and this is why my first call is always a soft cow call. My recommendation would be to take a 15 to 30 minutes, give a good listen and get a good feel for the wind/thermals before you head off.

thats a great idea Ron! I have a few igloos , beats having to rush to a walk In cooler .
👍

[KBC]

So although there has been a lot of great contributions to this thread, I think Ron wins the top contributor award. Special mention to xfactor who messaged me regarding a WTB post I had looking for a big cooler. He gave me a big one(hahaha sorry I re-read this and giggled) and another matching smaller one for free so I should be good for cooler space. Thanks again!

I just have to dehydrate a couple cans of chicken, package my meals and get everything packed up. My bow and I are shooting pretty good. I'll hit the range a bit more before I leave next Friday but I'm feeling good shooting out to 50Y but in good conditions I wouldn't think twice about shooting to 65Y.

[Jrax]

That's what I think I'll be doing with the quad. What do you think is the minimum hike from the quad before you start calling? I don't want to be too obvious. I usually give it some time before I do much after I shut it off anyways. I just got a Montana Decoy in the mail last week so I will be packing a big elk ass with me.

1.5 weeks to go and the dehydrator is humming away behind me with dinner for a few nights. I'm getting pretty excited about this year. I don't want to jinx it but I'm thinking of looking for another big cooler so I have 2 big ones.

Watching elk from above i hear a quad between 1 and 2km away puttering by and i can see they pay attention, ears pointing toward quad then continue back feeding. After a few minutes the quad stopped (i think he rolled up a side trail for a short distance) and man did the elk ever pay attention then. All stopped feeding, ears pointing in direction and the closest moved off and away in a hurry. The others that were close started moving off but not too alarmed, they just knew that a human is in the area.

Same elk earlier...... quad putters by, no stopping, elk pay attention but keep feeding.

If its dead quiet i would give it at least 1.5km, if its windy or raining your probably fine for walking 300m before your safe.

[KBC]

Well I’m off to plan B. I hit the first spot that I had e-scouted 2 seasons ago but couldn’t get into because of gates. This year the gates were gone or open so I hiked a bunch and rode the atv a bunch. I found a little sign but not much. No answers to my calling. Spotted a big bear about 3km from where I had camped yesterday afternoon. If it wasn’t so black I would have thought it was a grizzly. There were 2 other groups camped in the same forestry site and one guy came by a little before 11:00 just after I had fallen asleep to warn me a huge bear was just down the road. If anyone near Salmo wants the location of a big bear and knows a good spot for elk, tradsies

Plan B is up a sketchy road I’ve been up 2 years in a row. 2 years ago I dumped the atv coming down, last year I was smart enough to shuttle my gear up and down the bad spot and walked the atv up and down. I still almost dumped it coming down though. After the rough spot it’s easy going and I can split off to the north side of the hill or the south. I called a bull in 2 years ago on the south side. Lots of feed/water there but I’ve never hit the north side.

Started to get down on myself but I’m picking it up and pushing on. If anyone is accepting applications for a partner for next year let me know. If I manage to seal the deal this year though maybe that will make it easier to find someone to go with hahaha.

I’ll be camped where I get reception so if there’s any late advice or words of encouragement, feel free!

[dapesche]

Well I’m off to plan B. I hit the first spot that I had e-scouted 2 seasons ago but couldn’t get into because of gates. This year the gates were gone or open so I hiked a bunch and rode the atv a bunch. I found a little sign but not much. No answers to my calling. Spotted a big bear about 3km from where I had camped yesterday afternoon. If it wasn’t so black I would have thought it was a grizzly. There were 2 other groups camped in the same forestry site and one guy came by a little before 11:00 just after I had fallen asleep to warn me a huge bear was just down the road. If anyone near Salmo wants the location of a big bear and knows a good spot for elk, tradsies

Plan B is up a sketchy road I’ve been up 2 years in a row. 2 years ago I dumped the atv coming down, last year I was smart enough to shuttle my gear up and down the bad spot and walked the atv up and down. I still almost dumped it coming down though. After the rough spot it’s easy going and I can split off to the north side of the hill or the south. I called a bull in 2 years ago on the south side. Lots of feed/water there but I’ve never hit the north side.

Started to get down on myself but I’m picking it up and pushing on. If anyone is accepting applications for a partner for next year let me know. If I manage to seal the deal this year though maybe that will make it easier to find someone to go with hahaha.

I’ll be camped where I get reception so if there’s any late advice or words of encouragement, feel free!

Tough start to the year in the west koots. Damn dry.
Went into our spot that produced a nice 6x6 last year and it was bone dry and very little sign.

Have had some action on the 3rd and should've killed. Hoping that wasn't my one big opportunity!

[Jrax]

This year being dry, hit that north side! And its early so find a bulls bedroom/wallow area and sneak in or wait downwind where you think he is approaching from. Most bedrooms seem to be in a shaded, cool, northish facing slope and access to water within a km.

Good luck! looking forward to hearing how it went. Dont give up, go to the last minute!! It will happen

[dapesche]

strangely enough, all my action has been on South-Eastern slopes as the herd was transitioning to darker Northwestern facing beds close to water. Obviously this changes based on the geography of your hunting area but I would have never guessed that they'd be holding in such a dry area.

Areas where there has always been bull activity in the past is very quiet.

I hunt a farm that have resident elk and the landowner typically tells me when the bulls are bugling and they have been silent.

Keep covering ground till you find them.