Hunting Forum

Big Lance
LOL Gotta hate them bugs!

On the eye thing, seen it both ways.  Had em off and running for nothing I can figure but looking at them.  But, have also look em straight in the eye at three feet.  I could have counted their eye lashes as they passed.  Each put there head down after staring at me for a bit, but then bobbed the head back up for another look.  Know if I moved or even blinked, I was busted bigtime.  No bulls with em, so it was just learning.  Do think it's better to avoid eye contact most of the time though!

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

Your going to get the same response from a whitetail if you make eye contact with them. They'll stomp their hoof to try and get any kind of response or movement from you.

 

Eye contact is the killer, they will spin a 180 and high tail it outta' there.

 

 

 

. There's room for all Gods creatures,.. right next to the taters' an' gravy! ,.........
. Shoot Straight & Stay Safe ! ,..........
. Terry Webster,...
. NAHC Life Member,.
. NAFC Life Member,
. RMEF Sponsoring Member,..
. SCI Member,..
. Michigan Sportsman's Assoc.,
. NRA Life Member,..
. US Army - Nam' Veteran SGT E-5 1970-72 1st/327th /101st AB

I have seen the same stamping the hoof, with Elk.  Also had them bark at me (yep, Elk bark) and have had them false charge me (running right at me, and stopping short.)  Most often this is done by one of the lead cows when she knows something is not right, and like Terry said she's is trying to "get any kind of response or movement from you."  Don't blink, but even if you don't blink they will probably move away from ya.  But you now know what direction they are going. (Elk will frequently move in a straight line, you can almost draw a line on a map and shift a 300 yds or a mile or more and find them.)  If you blinked, they are gone in a heart beat.  But if you were patient and waited for them to all to go away (no eyes, no ears, no noses), drop away from them downwind and as fast as you can circle around to get ahead of the em on their projected path.  Set up with cover!  Often I have found that the cow that spotted me is still far back in the herd and has not made her way to the front.  She may be bringing up the rear and watching their back tracks, so don't track them, circle around them.  Bulls will generally be toward the rear too.  Often 2 to 7 animals ahead of her.  Key is to set up away from where you think they are heading (most often a straight line), let some pass and move in as soon as you can.  Move to within range with a clear shooting lane.  Too close and you're busted before the bull gets there, to far back and he passes you out of range or with no clear shooting lane.  The more shooting lanes the better, but you gotta be down wind of them!

Hope this helps some!
Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

hello -  well  hallelujah    and  thanks be given -   I got a  left-over  archery any elk tag !!!   AWESUME -  Now  i can put  some  of this great information to work  for me this year . Since it's a left-over I don't  lose my bogus points ! It's  a nov 6 th thru the  19th.  so  no  chasing  screaming bugles  but hey  I"M GOING ELK  HUNTING !!!!!    Gary
Proper meat care makes for the best table fare

Edited my above post to provide more info.

Congrats elkaholic93!

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

Glassing,
I prefer to glass from points that offer me good views into areas I know Elk frequent.  These can be watering areas, crossing points, feeding or bedding areas.  I'll do a quick scan of all open areas and then begin to concentrate on looking into the timber.  Most Elk I've spotted have been on the north or east facing slopes in thick timber, frequently in second growth trees (jack pines) less than 9" in diameter.  Early or late morning or evening,  in areas where they are pressured, you'll often find them moving from the openings to the cover.  In areas where they are not pressured, I've seen them bed down mid morning right in the middle of an opening.  Glassing the openings is the quickest way to find them.  But there are openings even in the thickest timber!  One yellow butt, can put you on Elk.  As said above, you have to cover ground to find them, and glassing is one way to cover a bunch of ground without wearing your legs out.

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

hello -  every   fall we  got one  spot  that  is almost beyond belief -  for the past  10  + yrs.  a group of elk get together on   a lake bed  here in  northern Arizona -  Morman lake. It's about  2 mile  long and a milewide  rectangle - starting in late aug  as many  as 800 elk can be seen on the lake bed.   In some yrs.  more  and some  yrs.  less -  It's an awesume  sight to behold! . I'm  sure some groups come and go  but for the most part they spend almost 2 months  right out in the open! I  haven't been able to spend  alot of time checkin them out  or getting pictures -  but I will this year  for  sure ! To watch  this many elk at one time  is  Awesume  to say the least - Kinda like a sancuary during the  sept. rut - there is no real way to hunt them - which is legal at this time . Usually just before the youth hunt in mid  Oct.  G$F  takes  quads and  runs all  the elk off the lake bed.

The lake bed can have up to a foot of water- in places. It mostly depends on the run-off  or the  snow pack --  Back in the earkly 80's  the lake was 4-5 ft  deep - but due to drought it has never recovered  from drying up one year.  Gary

Proper meat care makes for the best table fare

I have found the same thing!  Elk hang where they think they are safe.  For twenty five years I hunted along the Washington coast.  The area was boundaried on three sides by the Olympic National Park, and the Elk knew were that boundary was. Cows live for twenty or twenty five years.  And the oldest, lead the herd.  They know were to go to avoid presure and assure safety!  The Elk in that area moved across the Park boundary at their leisure.  I've set my bow and rifle aside and ventured into the Park, both before the season and after the the shooting started.  Guess that exsplains my disdain for those that don't hunt them leagal.  Anyone can kill one in the Park!!!  What I have learned is, that there are parks outside of the Parks!  Elk will stack up in areas that have food, water, cover and they are not presured (not necessarry in that order.)  Presure can be just a truck driving down the road and stopping.

Locals can always tell ya, where they always see Elk, (I can for the areas I've hunted) there are holes that hold em.  Think almost all of them will have three things in common; food, water, and safety!  If the info is current, check and hunt these areas often.  Lead cows learn and change the patterns of the herd.  Migration also play a part.

Hope this helps some!
Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

Back to Glassing:
Generally I prefer to glass (and hunt) the north and east facing slopes.  You can find em on the south and west slopes, but those are more open and easily seen into.  Both are often steeper ground and Elk will move there to escape pressure.  You can often cover those areas fairly quickly with a good pair of binoculars, and move on.  The north and east facing slopes generally have thicker cover, and requires a slower approach.  You have to glass slow and look between the trees, look for the yellow butts, and movement.  If you spot one and look more closely often you'll see a bunch of them (90% of the time).  If you spot just one, or two (and your sure there are no others) chances are you're looking at bulls, even if they are so far away you can't see the horns.  I've seen a cows and calves together by themselves, but not often during the times we'll be hunting them.  I've shot three bulls and know of many more taken, that were by themselves by early November.  Know that not everyone can hunt them during the rut or when they are bunched up, just some info I've observed.

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

Well I won't get to chase screaming bulls but I will get to hunt them mid-November. My elk hunt is two weeks after my deer hunt in the same unit so I guess I will be elk scouting two weeks before the elk hunt and hopefully come across a muley.

Once known as 3does,1buck pre-"upgrade" : It is better to rule than to serve.

TWELCH
Glad to see ya bring some of your savvy back to this thread.  Missed ya!  I use the same escuse to my wife, it's deer season! (When I'm really scouting Elk.)  Most of my Elk huntin has been in early November.  Have hunted em a for few years with a bow when they are screaming, and a few years in October too!  Love all the action of September, but think I like November better than October.  Things are more settled down, a little more normal when it come to Elk movement, and habits. Bulls are where they are going to be, a lot of the pressure has headed home, and Elk get back to doing what Elk do.  Good luck on your hunts!

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.

Been busy with school again. Went back for second career and mid-terms are next week so it is hard to study while thinking about hunting. I did buy and install the Garmin topo software for my GPS today and just got a chance to play with it. It is impressive as I am doing a lot of scouting with satellite photos and the topo software before burning gas. Found a lot of meadows, deep canyons and water sources before I start using shoe leather. If there is a spring on the map I can click on it then navigate to satellite photos to see the country. I will only have to drive about 90 miles to be in what I think will be my hunting spot this year. It all depends on what it looks like when I get out there.

Once known as 3does,1buck pre-"upgrade" : It is better to rule than to serve.

Sounds like a great program!  Now get back to work and get an A in all your courses, LOL!!!

 

Topgun----30-06 NAHC LM NWTF NRA US Army Vet Corp SP5 68-71

 

Well ,.. it looks like Utah has done it again,.. don't know all the specifics yet but another monster was taken,.. just had these sent to me :

 

 

MY TURN !!!!!! 

 

. There's room for all Gods creatures,.. right next to the taters' an' gravy! ,.........
. Shoot Straight & Stay Safe ! ,..........
. Terry Webster,...
. NAHC Life Member,.
. NAFC Life Member,
. RMEF Sponsoring Member,..
. SCI Member,..
. Michigan Sportsman's Assoc.,
. NRA Life Member,..
. US Army - Nam' Veteran SGT E-5 1970-72 1st/327th /101st AB

Wow, and another fantastic one with a bow!  There's nothing like hunting them in the rut up close and personal.  Come on September!!!

 

Topgun----30-06 NAHC LM NWTF NRA US Army Vet Corp SP5 68-71

Yep ...............I'm jelious <sp?>, And whoa what a monster . I've been reading the posts here and have gleened alot info from you guys ,if I ever get to elk hunt ,I know that I've gotten good solid tips from the pro's .

TWelch , I used to live in Rio Rancho ( 10yrs ago) and from Roswell ,still have family there .

Sonny Some people are educated far beyond their intelligence . -J.Clower-

hello -  nice  bull  -  looks to be a 400  class bull - just  a  guess -  do you know what it sscored ?  gary
Proper meat care makes for the best table fare

Sonnyone-- My parents live in Rio Rancho and I have friends in Roswell if the aliens haven't taken them. I lived all over the state and finally settled in Los Lunas.

Once known as 3does,1buck pre-"upgrade" : It is better to rule than to serve.

Great Info on this thread. In the short time I've bow-hunted elk (4 yrs) I've seen most things posted here to be true. I beleive it's Imposible to predict where the elk will be on a given day but I learned something great last year: We(party of 3) went into a spot on the first day in the mountains and as soon as we entered the woods we let out a chirp and got 2 bulls to reply about 150 yards away uphill. we closed the distance and set up with one caller and two shooters spread out. the caller did a great job and brought not 2 but 5 satelite 5x5's straight to us. My brother shot one within 1/2 hour of the hunt and did not disturb the others. the caller kept calling and the bulls meandered around for another 15 minutes not getting close enough but still bugling. they slowly moved off after that. We celebrated quietly and stayed quiet gutting the kill and packing it out. We decided to give that spot two days rest and went back in and the exact same senario happened again(only 4 bulls this time though). we set up in the same spot and took another. the only thing is this time one of the bulls bolted out of the area when he passed the other gutpile so I assume that spooked him and not us. Not disturbing the area and alerting the elk of our presence I think paid off but I have to wonder if we were to have gone in the second time on the very next day if the results would've been the same? I firmly beleive that elk are a creature of habit when not disturbed and in thier comfort area with food and water. They move about on the same trails at the same time of day in and out until they are disrupted. will they be in the same spot this year? I'll find out but I have to beleive that if they are'nt pressured before we get there then they will be.

Ahhhh!  Bartender, I'll have an Elk on the rocks!

Don't know how high he scored, but the extra points (next to the G4s) are deductions for scoring typical.  The Roosevelt's I hunted it's common & counted.

Another note; Elk don't like loose rocks.  They'll cross rock slides on well worn trails.  Even on the river bottoms they avoid loose rocks, they use the sandy and small gravel areas along stream beds, and prefer to cross streams were the rocks are small and packed.  That being said; Elk will go where ever they need to too escape, and drop where the fall.

robtaurus
I wouldn't base your whole next hunt on finding them there.  Often bulls will return to the same area year after year.  But not every year and not necessarily during hunting season.  I'd check the area every three or four days during the season, if they're there, hunt em.  If not, move on!  JMO  And I agree, if not spooked, you could have hunted em the next day in the same place.

Dean
H2O

Hunting Elk in a rainforest; ya haven't experienced it till ya had rain running down the crack of your *** 30 minutes out of camp. Formerly a Roosevelt Elk hunter on the Washington coast, now hunting them Rocky Mtn. ones, in Wyoming.