elk hunting strategy

[ryanshaw44]

I need some guidance. In your opinion what is the best way to hun elk?

Thanks

[kyleklassen]

hunnning elk is easy drive around til' elk seen...jump out of truck....blast elk ....back up and load elk.....rinse wash and repeat for deer and moose.

[ryanshaw44]

I sure hope so!

[The Dawg]

http://www.maninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/attila_the_hun.jpg

[fearnodeer]

Learn how to call, or pm hunter 1947 if anyone knows he does,

[hunter1947]

What I do is pick a basin that looks like it would hold elk in it I then head on up the draw and look for elk rubs wallows and elk sign ,feed for the elk to eat you find all four things I mentioned you are in an area where there are elk.

What I do is lots of hard work hiking on foot looking to find out where elk are I head into areas I keep jumping around till I find where the elk are then I let my trail cams take over to see what is in the area.


Like my saying is ,,,,,Hunting elk is all about finding them ,,,,, ....

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

As Elmer Fudd ses......"Be verry, verry quiet!!"

(Helpful ??? naw-- just couldnt resist!. Good luck in the quest)

[willyqbc]

Here's what we do

- check your maps and look for draws that are foot access only, anywhere up to a couple miles from a food source
- start your morning at the food source at dawn.....bugle .....listen
- if no response start heading towards the area you have chosen stopping every 200yds to bugle.....bugle LOUD!!!
- don't worry too much about walking quietly....just hoof er in there, elk are noisy
- when you get a response head straight towards the calling bull, bugling as you go to let him know you are there and coming after his cows, this will also help keep tabs on him if he is bugling back
- as you get closer, say 300 yards, have the caller stop and let the shooter get 50-100 yards ahead, the shooter will stay silent. Continue moving in with the caller bugling and cow calling
- what generally happens is when you get close enough that the bull thinks you are now a threat to his cows, he will push his cows ahead then circle back to tune you up
- he will invariably circle to the side that will give him your wind so be aware of that and position the shooter accordingly
- the other thing he will almost invariable do is hang up behind some cover to try and get a look at you first, this is where having the shooter ahead and to the side of the line the caller is moving is helpful as the bull is usually focused in the caller's direction and is using cover based on the callers direction.

We have found this method to be VERY successful....I would venture a guess that we are at least 75% on getting a look at the bull once we get the initial response. Keep in mind you may have to dog them a LONG way to get that look at him...we have dogged herds for up to 3 or 4 hours before the cows slow up enough for us to close the distance so be prepared for a ton of work once the bull is down. There may be others who tell you cow call only, stay silent, you have to get them to come to you etc and if that works for them, that's great, just telling you what has worked for us. Our group of 4 in elk camp have taken 11 bulls in 4 years....7 of those being 6 point or better ranging from 280" up to 350"+ so a pretty effective method I'd say!
Good luck to you and hope this helps!

Just my opinion
Chris

[Ron.C]

There's tons of great info on this forum about elk hunting from guys that have been allot more successful then me. One specific tactic that has worked well for me where I have gotten allot of elk into bow range when hunting solo is using a decoy. On several ocassions, I have had elk come into cow calls absolutely focused on my decoy. But it does have some draw backs. It is just one more thing to pack arouund, set up, worry about scent on etc.

As far as other hunting tactics, some guys will say bugle allot, some will say don't bugle at all. Some guys will say the best bet is to set up a treestand on a wallow and wait, some will say you are best to keep moving. Some will say early season is best, some will say late. Some say don't bother hunting when there has been a full moon, some will say it doesn't matter.

So my recommedations are;

-Do everything possible to keep the wind/thermals in your favour
-Don't worry about being whisper quiet. In some situations, you'll want to cover lots of ground and you will break branches, kick rocks,..... as long as the noise you make is natural "no metal bits clanging together, velcro, etc
-Be flexible and stay persistent. If you try something and it doesn't work or runs off an elk or you just arent having any luck at all, don't be afraid to try something else. A new area, or even try something different then everybody else hunting in your area. And keep at it until you fill a tag or time runs out.

[Angus]

That's all good stuff. Thanks.

Not to completely hijack this thread, but I'll be a first time elk hunter this fall too. I've been able to access a couple of sections of land just north of Ft. St. John, some of it treed, some in hay, some water courses, and am also looking for suggestions of best way to hunt this. Early discussions with the landowner have lead me to believe that early morning and late afternoon/evening would be the best ways to hunt along the treeline, very similar to whitetail. So do you set up adjacent to game paths along the tree line?

Any good advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[bassplayer]

http://www.maninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/attila_the_hun.jpg
Jeezus. I should of known better than to click on a link posted by you.