Elk BOWHUNTING tactics
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
This is an area that I may elk hunt this September (one of several). Anyone have any thoughts on how they would approach this area?
In all honesty, I'm just trying to get hunting discussions back on track since it seems this site gets more social media(ized) by the day. I know Jake has a thread on pronghorn, but I haven't gotten into hunting speedgoats yet. What say you?
The forest service road snakes in from the northeast then curves around and comes back into the frame at the southeast corner. There are no roads that approach relatively close to this area from the other directions. This is all national forest ground. I can zoom out and re-post if anyone wants me to.
It would depend on where I'm coming from, the wind, and where I can actually access the forest. But I think I'd end up chasing bugles or do a 20-30min set up and move.
My take: i would do a big loop in there on foot to see what is going first hitting some of those seeps, looking for activity, sign, other boot tracks, etc
When I pick an area to hunt, the reasons I used will determine how I hunt it. If that makes sense.
Makes perfect sense Bob. I'll probably post up my own rough analysis of this area and reasoning here maybe in the morning and see what anyone else has to add.
This is just for good fun elk hunting discussion and also maybe to help those who haven't gotten their feet wet yet. Only one month before most seasons start.
Google Earth can give you a general idea on the terrain, but it's far from ideal. Small ponds, trails, etc, that exist simply don't show up on GE.
As mentioned by a couple folks already, I'd determine what the prevailing winds/thermals normally do, then let that dictate my approach for checking out the area.
You are not kiddin, I'll agree on that. I found that out in the weminuche. A lot of things don't show on google.
Boots on the ground. I'd say about 70% of the spots I "scout on GE are crossed off the list for one reason or another after I go in there, either before or during the season. Looks like a good general area, though, with the right terrain features.
Well yes I agree with you all, boots on the ground are best. This is a new area for me though, so much like many other Bowsiters, I have to do what I can from where I live (Illinois) for now.
Below I've outlined some of the key features I see for this area and why it was one I chose. Feel free to chime in and add your thoughts. Agree, disagree, etc.
The orange line represents a nice saddle that I potentially picture elk using to go from the south facing slopes (feed) to north facing slopes (bed).
The area outlined in green looks like decent transition and/or bedding area.
The red outlined areas I picture as nice fairly steep northeast facing slopes with heavy timber good for bedding, especially afternoon beds.
Obviously the blue lines are creeks where I would anticipate finding water in September, while I'm sure there are plenty of seeps and hopefully wallows in the timbered areas.
I also have my eye on a canyon/drainage to the west that looks good. It's just a little off the frame for this picture, but the headwaters of that little drainage that curves around to the west look like good feeding areas as well.
Of course I could get there and there could be zero elk in the area. Or there could be elk there, but not doing anything that I figure they would be. That is all part of the game. Of course for now, this isn't Plan A or B or maybe even C. What do you think?
I'm betting elk will be there and not doing anything you expect. It looks like good, varied terrain that elk like at some part of the year.
Since I started hunting the new area near my cabin last season, I found the same thing almost 100% of the time in the places I'd pre-scouted on satellite, then scouted on the ground last summer. I had to continually adjust on the fly and be very mobile.
I moved my camp five times. Four of the five focus points for this season were found during the hunt last year. Most of the likely prospects from my preseason scouting turned out to not have elk during season, had other hunters, or had elk later in the season vs earlier. Waterholes I scouted weren't used during season.
My advice would be to learn the terrain but not be locked into any preconceived ideas about where the elk "should be". Looks like many possibilities and good looking country!
Couple of things that come to mind are the close proximity of the road to your circled red bedding areas. Doesnt meen they wont have elk but something to consider. I like the looks of the area north of the green circle. it apears to have steep north facing slope above the fork in the water and a saddle leading west up onto the top of the humps. Do you have a topo? It is a nice looking spot.
I'd have to see the topography (contour lines) before I developed any kind of plan...
I'd start looking in the upper left hand corner of the aerial.
Great thread! I must say contrary to a lot of view points listed above my last Elk trip was scouted exclusively from GE and when I did get boots on the ground I was very happy to find that almost all of the spots that I had located were holding Elk. In fact I had pulled Coordinates to certain places off of GE and plugged them into my GPS, upon arrival at my first set of Coordinates I walked right up on a huge wallow that had obviously been used that same day.
As to my opinion on this particular hunt location. One spot I would personally give a hard look at is the area along the water source that runs NE to SW particularly right next to the far west red circled area.
48 days till we are west bound. I can't wait!
what Jaquomo says....stay mobile. don't commit to any area. Only hunt when you have patterned animals or at least have still steaming sign.
I look at road density and where those roads will put the majority of hunters. From there I look at sat imagery to see how the cover is broken up. I then figure out how I'll enter the area and where any others may be coming from. If it's a rifle hunt, I find glassing areas that most wont walk to. At that point I'm pretty much done.
I don't look for feed, north slopes, south slopes, bedding, transition, summer areas, any of that stuff. Regarding the op's location, I'd probably hunt the NW 1/4 of the photo.
Like 320 said, a couple of the areas I assume might be beds are fairly close to the road, and I have thought about that. You don't know if that will have any effect until you put the leather to the dirt though. I may not even get to this area in any event.
Mike, I know you can get an idea of topo just from looking at the GE aerial. No?
Mobility is always good for sure. I at least like to go in with some sort of plan though. It may wind up that my plan was dead wrong, or it could be spot on, you just never know. I've had both situations, but I will say that it is much better to have somewhere to start.
Thanks for playing along, and if anyone else has any thoughts, feel free to chime in. I may add a little more onto this thread come Monday or Tuesday.
Add a topo server to Google Earth
google "earthpoint topo"
The closer you get to the East side, what I call the shoe of a mountain, the higher the potential for swirling prevailing winds considering a Western prevailing wind current. Elk like these areas but you stand hardly a chance. The area just North of the words Google Earth. The wind goes around the North and South sides and eddie on the East side.
What are the other hunters in the area doing? Kinda a small place, and it wouldn't take much to run the elk out. You'd need to spend time on the ground, looking and seeing.
What do you guys think of this wallow? Hot, cold, look good, bad? It is in a clearing on a heavily timbered northeast facing slope.
Just a quick thought on your area, the large area of sparse trees are often a place elk like to feed and often their first choice beds are close by, add a little pressure and the beds will move up in the steeper areas, early season big bull bedrooms will be tucked back in the steeper areas to start with. The location of good water is a key factor to figure out their daily routines which we can not see on this map.
Any wallow or seep can be a great spot, you mention this is a new spot but you have a picture of a wallow? do you also know where the good water sources are?
One more thing, I can see the elk doing circles around the peak so that red spot on the north end of the peak could be a great spot to hangout in the afternoon and the morning hunt on the south end right on top of the bedding areas.
Thanks for the input mrelite. The wallow picture is just a general one from one of my past hunts. I was just trying to get general discussion going on it.
As far as water goes, finding those out of the way sources would be something we would obviously have to do when we get there. I assume those streams that I outlined above would at least hold some water, unless it is exceptionally dry.
I think your transition area is a place to start, after seeing the topo theres defiantly potential as a bedding area on the steep north slope. I would be there at first light ready for a day of hiking if no elk are present.
Mike called it. Looking at trees and few parks mean nothing without contour.
I know there can be a big difference on the ground vs. birdseye view, but am I the only one looking at at (countours help and show options)this place and not seeing much? I'm thinking of all the places I've hunted, and this place just looks boring, and difficult.
I like dark timber, bowls, draws. Not really seeing what I like with this aerial. As someone else said, depending on pressure, that place could be blown out in 3 days.