Sitting Water

cmbbulldog

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I drew an early season elk tag this year and I plan to try and sit some water in the afternoons, although I am terribly impatient with that sort of thing. That said, I dont have much experience at all sitting water. FOr you folks who do it on a regular basis, do you typically sit in a blind (like a double bull) or a man made blind on the ground. I am not interested in a tree stand, but I am having a tough time deciding between the two other options. Im curious to get people's experiences doing both and what you all recommend.
 
You archery hunting? I've killed several elk over water, when I used archery equipment I used tree stands for the obvious advantages. When I had my muzzy tag built my own ground blind with what I could find in the area. But was able to set up 100 yards off the water. If you plan on using a double bull type blind with archery equipment make sure you brush it in and set it at least 5 days before your hunt.
 
I usually use stands when I hunt water for elk but one thing I learned hunting whitetails off the ground was the least amount of disturbance possible was best. They know when something is new or different. No different then you walking into your own house...
Minimize the disturbance by trying to use natural cover, like a blowdown and trim the branches just enough to shoot, or under some branches of a tree etc....

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?
 
Books on tape. Killed my last bull after a 10 hour sit. 50 yards off the waterhole in front of a bush. Let your camo do it's job. Good luck
 
My expierence with hunting water has always been out of a man made ground blind. I will say that it's better to sit mornings through our the mid afternoon, the bulls rut all night and hit water before heading into their beds. I have had bulls come I. Before dark but alot more activity in the mornings when their rutting hard.


I just call em as I see em!
 
Yes, it will be archery.

To the above post, this is early september hunt (1-10th), so I doubt they will be rutting hard. ALso hae a full moon on the 5th, so I am hopeful that will lead to elk moving earlier in the afternoon towards water. Appreciate the responses so far.
 
I killed a bull over water with a tree stand in 2010 with my bow just before noon. It was September 9th and it was hot as heck. He was coming in to cool off. I Like the tree stands to keep my scent above there nose. Haven't had a lot of experience with ground blinds.
 
My son killed a 320 Wasatch bull out of a tree over water two years ago. I had never hunted out of a tree before, but it was about the only way we could get close to elk because of the heat and limited rutting activity. He killed his bull in the late afternoon, but that morning the bulls were finally bugling around us. It is a tough boring way to hunt, but the last 3 or 4 minutes were totally exciting.
To me a ground blind would be even tougher, because you can't see near as much and your scent is on the ground. I'd try a tree if you can. We borrowed some stands from friends and I would certainly do it again if I had an archery tag. Best of luck!
 
Tree stand is the way to go it get above ground 10ft or more and it improve your line of sight, You can see farther and hear better.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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>Yes, it will be archery.
>
>To the above post, this is
>early september hunt (1-10th), so
>I doubt they will be
>rutting hard. ALso hae a
>full moon on the 5th,
>so I am hopeful that
>will lead to elk moving
>earlier in the afternoon towards
>water. Appreciate the responses so
>far.

The full moon is on the 19th, not the 5th. The 5th is the new moon.
 
>>Yes, it will be archery.
>>
>>To the above post, this is
>>early september hunt (1-10th), so
>>I doubt they will be
>>rutting hard. ALso hae a
>>full moon on the 5th,
>>so I am hopeful that
>>will lead to elk moving
>>earlier in the afternoon towards
>>water. Appreciate the responses so
>>far.
>
>The full moon is on the
>19th, not the 5th.
>The 5th is the new
>moon.


Thats actually what I meant. Yes, new moon, so hopeful for earlier afternoon activity.
 
Wind can be a real issue when sitting water / wallows. Tree stand gives you some advantage there.

If you are going to sit the ground, I would go with a natural blind, or something like this (you can change the face of the blind to an elk decoy when you want to "run and gun")

Willdarktimber_small_zps69506e9e.jpg


Dynamic Decoying Part One

Best of Luck,
Jeff (MM Sponsor)
http://www.elkmtngear.com
 

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