Basic elk hunting tips

[Bill_in_MI]

Having drawn a west central WY elk tag I am looking for some tactical help. I will be hunting the tail of archery but really just scouting 3-4 days before rifle opener on 10/1.

This is the scenario:

The unit has lots of small ridges and one major drainage running mostly east west (large ridges on each side). There are lots of cuts into those main flanking ridges. Also there are a couple of smaller creek drainages on the south side of the divide but those face the more roaded area where people can park/camp at the dead end FS roads and hunt up to the south ridge. There is a 'major' trail running up the middle of the main drainage but no roads there.

There are roads throughout the south and west part of the unit but you can get a couple miles it seems from them by going up the major trail in the bottom of the main drainage or by coming over the top of the south ridge through one of the many saddles.

I understand that glassing is still tough as it is thick with many small openings but finding a lookout to see a large vista of parks can be tough.

We will have horses to navigate with or at least get us up higher in the morning and to reach the mini basins throughout the drainage.

How do you guys hunt something like this. I know it's basic and I've hunted elk 7-8 times (mostly on my own) but have really had limited success (read one bull down in NM). I am taking my cousin from out east(realy out east, MA lol) on his 1st elk trip!

1)Do you ride horses all day slipping thru the lodgepole looking for pockects to glass and/or parks to sit on?

2)if we find what looks like fresh sign, do we park are butts in an overlooking stand and wait for hours? There are lots of aspen pockets.

3)random calling listening for a bull to respond?

4)leave horses and slink along on downwind side of ridges?

I don't consider any response insulting as I am just trying to gain experience. Obviously there will be other public land hunters there. Our plan is to camp near water at the end of one of those forest service roads and base out of there everyday.

Thanks!!!
Bill
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[Teeb]

I don't use horses at all, so I can't speak to that. I "spot and stalk", going slowly and glassing a lot. The best piece of advice I can give is "PAY ATTENTION TO THE WIND". It is both your best friend and your worst enemy!

 

[UT1031]

Move slowly and listen.........do all you can to keep the wind in your face....

 

[justr_86]

I think the biggest thing while sneaking through the trees is the wind, next move slow! I take 10 slow steps then use my binos no matter how thick it is look for a ear, foot, part of an antler anything. I have caught elk peeking around trees and in bed or just milling around giving you the upper hand.

 

[BLACK_PREDATOR]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-11-10 AT 06:18PM (MST)[p]this is the best advice you'll get,its something a lot of people fail to think about, and I mean it in all seriousness, Hunt where the elk are, not where you want them to be, or think they should be.

Travis

 

[Califelkslayer]

ditto Black-P. Late Sept/Early Oct, use your ears as well as your eyes. The elk should be vocal, even when pressured they'll talk after draw and before daylight. Sound like you'll be huntin pretty remote country so listen. If this doesn't work, hike that trail through the drainage a couple of hours before light listening. Hear a bull, close to 100-200 yards, downwind and wait til light.

And don't miss!!!

Good luck.

 

[Bill_in_MI]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-10 AT 04:47PM (MST)[p]So for you with horses (which I am paying for/rentals), how do you use them thru the hunt. I have ridden right up to elk before on horseback where on foot the elk were much more wary. But on the same vane, horses are noisy???

Believe me, I understand about hunting where the elk are. I've spent a lot of time where they 'should' be or at least where I wanted them lol.

I guess my questions and are description comes down to 'how to find elk when glassing is marginal due to foliage density and hunting around the tail of the rut (less vocal than peak I'm sure)?

Thx
Bill

 

[WapitiBob]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-10 AT 05:56PM (MST)[p]I have never glassed for Elk in over 30 years of hunting them. primarily because the terrain up here doesn't lend itself to that method. I would hunt the area you described as I would hunt here.

You're hunting the 1st week of October. You're not hunting the "tail end of the rut" with no bugling activity. The Bulls will be bugling just fine. Cover lots of ground, chasing bugles.
Bust a nice one.

 

[Califelkslayer]

Unlike a couple of earlier responses, I don't go slow UNLESS I know elk are there. Like Bob, cover ground and listen.

I've ridden up on elk numerous times although that's not how I hunt. When you ride into elk your shooting opportunities are limited as in my experience they don't stick around long. I tie my horses off, gps them and take off.

Oct 1 is prime bugling. Only thing that'll shut em up is pressure. Then they still talk at night.

Other thing that'll shut em up is wolves I hear. Never experienced that but have read it and it makes sense.

 

[Bill_in_MI]

Ok, that this is helpful. Thank you!

I always hear how mid September is peak, that is what I based my coment on. I have not spent much time in elk country during this time (mostly early and mid sept) and so was not aware. My one bull I killed on a NM muzzy hunt was during this 1st week of October time, but it was hot and quiet really.

Where I am going is south of the wolves and grizz.

When going into an area to scout, do you generaly go high and listen then? With 3 or 4 days in country before rifle opener, I am hoping to find a couple pockets of elk and get in the way of them opening morning, of course the best laid plans...If glassing is indeed tough then would this be the best idea, moving up and/or down the ridges listening at especialy 1st and last light?

What do you guys think of being up high above access trails covering escape routes/saddles opening day? Using my decription, I would guess there to be heavy (relativly speaking as it is a limited area with not many tags) traffic up the main drainage trail. There is water and feed down there and perhaps the opening day fuss would push the elk up side drainages and into some hidden bowls?

Thx for the lessons guys!

Bill

 

[Gator]

scout it and see where the elk are close to the road Then look for that saddle or valley they will use to escape the pressure get up there and sit in those escape routes and you will kill elk. I have riden up on elk got off hobbled my horse and step about 10 ft away and shot so it can be done, But it usually don't happen like that they take off running and then it time to see if you can stalk and SPOT LOL

Rental horses make sure they can be hobbled,I put both leg hobble on one leg(left side for me) so if I have to hobble in a hurry I just unfasten one and put it on the other front leg(right) and I'm done. When I shoot, that horse might jump around some but I wouldn't be walking back to camp.

I scout alot at night by listening at top of canyons, I even do some locating Bugles because if I hear them at night they should still be close to that same spot in the morning and that is where I start. good Luck


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[HuntHard00]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-15-10 AT 10:49PM (MST)[p]Alot of guys have killed alot more elk than I but here are a few of my hard-earned rules.

Rule 1: Elk are where you find them.
Rule 2: If they're not where you're at, go to where they are.
Rule 3: Don't leave elk to find elk.

The name of the game in elk hunting is to cover ground to find them. I'd capitalize on having the horses to cover ground. Not death marching along but easing from spot to spot, listening for bugles and working the glass.

Even though there might not be any one great lookout and the open spots in the timber aren't big, you ought to be able to pick them out filtering through those openings early and late in the day. If possible, I'd ease along the big ridge tops, looking down into each little drainage from different vantage points. I wouldn't start still hunting until I was on elk. I'd also do some cow calling here and there to see if I can get an answer. I wouldn't sit in one spot glassing for hours unless I could see alot of country.

Also don't forget that those things can cover some country. Don't fall in love with any one spot if you haven't seen anything in there lately even if you saw elk in there before. And be aggressive when you find elk - move in and make something happen. Run them down or run them off, as we say. That's not to say blunder right through them. But if you see elk three miles away go after them. Then once you get close, slow things down, read, and react to the situation.

I think you are correct that most of the elk in the bottom will be blown out and up into the nooks and crannies after the first couple days. Unless you can see up into the heads of the drainages from the bottom, I'm guessing that won't be a productive place to spend alot of time. Would be nice for coming and going though.