Elk scouting question

Aaronjhanson

Active Member
Messages
177
So my hunting buddy and I have found an area that we have seen elk in every time we are in it (3 times over the past few weeks). However we only see cows, calves and some young bulls ( spikes). should i assume there are bigger bulls in this area? the other areas we scouted, we did not see elk, just some sign. trail cams only picked up cows and calves. any ideas?
 
yep, they will be there shortly. The elk I have been watching had the bulls in a bachelor group near by in their own herd, but last weekend they started breaking up and shedding velvet. So the satellite bulls will be hanging closer to cows now, big bulls a little later.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
In my experience, the biggest bulls will hang on the mountain tops, getting a breeze to keep bugs away. And they'll be alone.

They'll let the smaller bulls gather the cows. Then (and they know)as the cows get close to being in heat, they'll run the smaller bulls off.

They may move the cows but it shouldn't be far.
 
The big bulls will start moving towards groups of cows. Its been my experience that they will try to move the cows into the steeper thicker nastier terrain to keep other bulls away from the cows. In the mornings and evening they will be feeding out of those areas to a little flatter ground so they can breed easier. This is when the hunting gets good!
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-15 AT 11:32AM (MST)[p]What season are you hunting. If one of the ones during the rut (archery, muzzleloading, 1st rifle) then you are good to go. If one of the later ones, not so much.

Of course that also depends on hunter pressure in that area. Sometimes early archery hunters can move them to a different area.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
So, unless you have big hunter pressure, sounds like you are where you should be. That said, it will be after the first week of September when the bulls start searching out the cows. Wallows are good early if you find any.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom