Contributors to this thread:
I have a spot where I hunt here in Washington late season. Now keep in mind, baiting deer and elk is legal in Washington. This is a spot that I jump elk in regularly, but can't seem to get close enough. I am thinking about trying one of those Moultrie Game Feeders and filling it with alfalfa pellets. Do you think the elk will become accustomed to feeding there? Would you recommend a pop up ground blind or treestand over this spot? I was thinking about using both so no matter what direction the wind is blowing I would be okay. Also, the season opens on the 25th of this month. Is that enough time to get them used to coming in?
Thanks for any positive input. I know some people are opposed to baiting and I would appreciate it if they didn't post on this one.
It might work. Worth a shot if it'll put elk meat in your freezer. Just think of it as putting out a harvested food plot.
I'd go for the treestand if it was me. Keep your scent up a little bit and a better view, but cold as hell.
Find a good elk trail and dump about 100 pounds of rock salt right in the middle of it. Saly licks are dynamite!!!!!!!!
I found this design on the internet. It might work well for Elk as it can be secured off the ground where critters cant get at the bait. It's light to carry, no moving parts and I'm sure cheap!
Good Luck
I use a groundblind for elk during the late season and seems to work well keeps the scent contain pretty well and I use bales of hay for elk putting were trails converge or somewere that would funnel them to you
The problem with where I hunt elk during the lase season is there is very few elk. I usually see either one single cow or one cow and a calf every other trip. I don't know if I could ambush them due to the fact that there are a ton of trails that they could pick to get to a fairly large feeding area. I was just hoping I could help them pick a certain point to enter the field where they are feeding. I set a trail cam up today with a bunch of alfalfa spread out in front of it. I'm sure, they'll eat it. Maybe I'll just keep going up there every other day or so until the season opens. I agree with Emperor that elk will not tolerate the sound of a feeder going off.
WW,
You think salt on a trail will work with snow over it? I guess I could put it on a trail in the timber, however, it seems everytime I put out a salt lick in front of a trail camera in worked in the summer but the animals stopped hitting it in the fall.
Are you hunting the east side. I don't think a feeder would work all that good. It will be interesting to see if the trail cam shows some elk. I would think that the alfalfa would bring them in just as well as a feeder. I've seen salt licks sit over there for 3-5 years, and have rearely seen anything licking them. With the snow that we're starting to get already it could be pretty interesting. I think they will be down at the feeding stations really early this year. I know cottonwood canyon already has lots of elk.
Justin, like Yendor said youre best bet is to do the alfalfa thing as thats what they get at the feeding station. If you start now and renew youre spot every couple days you might even hold them until season. I know where I hunt this early snow is KILLING me... We hunt a migration route (in washington)and when the snow flys, so do the elk. Kenny
It is illegal here in New Mexico.
Stickflngr,
Is this early snow going to help you or hurt you? Are you hunting near Yakima? I'll probably be hunting that general area also. Is it an Elk Area (GMU)?
Where I deer hunted in Saskatchewan, they put out alfalfa hay and barley grain. The elk were there as often as deer.
Yea, we hunt just outside of Yakima. Its elk area 3681 and if this snow keeps up and it gets to deep where we camp not, only will it make it tough getting to camp, but a good portion of the elk will have moved into the feeding station already and theres no hunting that low. Im still praying for a warm front to clear out the lower areas until atleast the end of next week. Oh well, I guess it will be what it is... Ill be at camp after the 22nd so if ya make it up that way and you come across a 12x14 wall tent attached to 10x20 awning, stop by and say hi. Later, Kenny
Wasn't me! Baiting and caught by the trailcam!!!
Let us know how your baiting works out for you. We can bait here in Oregon. I suspect all I would be feeding are the cattle left too long on over grazed range. I like tree stands, but with the cold, I would get out the pop up blind. heater, and snacks. At least I would be comfortable no matter how the hunt turned out.
is baiting really fair chase ?
yes baiting is its the same as if you hunted over a food plot or a field of some sort. Same thing
"Fair chase"? I doubt it will work. I have heard of all kinds of bait tricks for elk, but I know of nothing that is giving the hunter a significant advantage. I suppose someone will tell my how great salt is, but that has not been my observation.
Food plots for Whitetail deer are a different matter, as the deer have a very limited range and set patterns. That is not often the case with public land elk. Of coarse I have been told that hunting elk and calling during the rut is unfair. I guess if setting out alfalfa pellets, in the snow, exploits a serious vulnerability the elk have, we may need to reconsider. Anyway I am curious what Cope is going to find out. Let the experiment begin.
In the past I would put some salt licks out for elk. The results were kind of interesting. In eastern AZ near the New Mexico border, the elk went crazy over salt. So much so, that they would lick holes in the ground 2-3 feet deep and 5-6 feet across.
When I put out salt for areas closer to the center of the state the salt was not used much at all. Why? I'm not sure. I'm guessing they recieved this form of mineral supplement from the food that grew naturally in the area or because ranchers put out salt and they had many sources for salt.
Anymore,I do not put salt out. I have thought of putting some kind of food of supplement out in the summer months next to a game camera just to see what is lurking around out there.
To be honest, I go back and forth whether this is ethical and the way I want to hunt. At this point, I choose not to hunt this way.
Try the feeders and use a trail cam. I suspect it will work but once the bears get on it they may push the elk off.
Don't listen to anyone crying foul by using a legal method to hunt.
To each there own...
I've heard that vanilla is a great attractant for elk. But be careful, it also attracts bears. May not be a factor in the late season though. Also, don't use imitation vanilla, apparently elk know the difference.
Until everybody starts using bait and soon you have bait piles all over the place and people claiming the public land that the bait is on and the animals that they have domesticated.
Soon movement patterns change to focus in on the bait piles and conflicts arise when somebody tries to hunt "your" elk near "your" bait.
Planting food (on private land) and improving habitat for elk and all other animals is nothing like dumping a pile of bait on public land to condition elk to come to that one spot and then claiming that spot as your own.
Just look at the states where baiting is prolific on public land and you will see all the negatives.
Mike brings up two important issues here. When bear baiting was legal in Oregon, I would find bait piles including steel drums,etc. left out in the National Forest. Some of the these were disgusting. Others were simply trash. Abandoning materials on public land is illegal. Also claiming sole use of an area, including hindering others use, is illegal. I have no problem with someone setting out a feeder, with alfalfa, to see if they can bring in an elk. If you are on public land, just pick up your stuff at the end of your hunt, and don't try to run me off if I stumble onto it and stop and watch it awhile.
