Contributors to this thread:
I struggle with where to go on my opening day. I have so many spots that could produce.
Do you have your spot selected?
I have two opening days to ponder that Question but I will not know till the day before the season starts in Montana my first opening on sept 1st. I will be scouting from now till the end of summer. I will have a handle on it. My second opening day will be in AZ it opens on the 14 of sept. I will get there on sept 9th and I will have 6 days to scout before I make up my mind I have never hunted the unit I drew but it won't take long to find were I will hunt the first day. I have picked out my Camp sight on google earth kind of in the northern center of the unit in the high country near Flagstaff
I usually have a spot selected ! Then never end up getting to that spot because I start chasing the bugles I hear all night from my tent. I literally lay there all night thinking ... Hmmmm... That one sounds good... Ooo maybe that one.... Well this one's closer.... Hahaha
Depends on what and where I glass the elk the night before and if they are still there at first light. Some years I like to move out in concentric circles of area starting small and expanding out to avoid pushing elk out of the area....kinda ease into the hunt. Other years I go to the spot I think most likely to produce regardless of what I pass by on the way. It depends. I am definitely prone to ranging out farther in the morning than for an evening hunt, just because I hate long walks back to camp after dark bumping unseen elk.
I've got a plan, but with only "virtual scouting" under my belt, it may change quickly.
I know exactly where I'll be. We have a spot that has proven pretty consistent for opening morning while the elk haven't been pressured a bunch yet. That spot kind of goes sour after a couple days so we will be there hours before the sun comes up Sept 1 and see what they do. Good luck to everyone, its coming soon...38 days
I do not have a plan yet, but several to choose from. A scouting camping trip in 2 weeks is not so much to scout as it is to decide just this issue.
I have a spot but weather, visibility, and hunter pressure may impact or change that location all together.
I have two spots picked out to be at as the sun rises opening day. They could both be thrown out the window during dinner the 23rd ;)
Call it tradition, superstition, or bullheadedness, I always know where I'll hunt opening day.
Opening morning will find me making the same loop I've made for over 30yrs. There have been a few times a bugle has changed the exact route, but making that loop is always my intention. Couple of reasons for this. First and foremost, it's been so darn productive there's no reason to change. Secondly, I pretty much have this relatively small area to myself for the first week. After that, the hordes appear and I move onto my other areas.
Opening evening, and every evening after that, will find my rear end planted in my treestand, hanging on the same tree it's been for over 20yrs. Got tired of constantly getting screwed by the fickle evening breezes, and it's been a Godsend ever since! Last opening day, I had a dozen cows and calves within 8yds of my tree for 15min or so. Two cows actually sniffed my pack at the base of my tree. You'd have thought they were smelling flowers. A calf picked up a stick and carried it around like a puppy dog. Never did see the bull, although I'm sure it was him splashing around down in the creek. Didn't matter, you couldn't have wiped the smile off my face with a crowbar!
Utah, 25 days. Probably sitting in a tree over a foodplot or maybe a water hole. Works great for whities so should work there too:)
Didn't draw - so can't return to that area. The time prior was a new spot, but it was soooo crowded that it took a little bit of the fun out it (well kind of anyway). Still had a good time and killed a nice big cow on day 3 - just a 1/4 mile off the road.
This year - another new spot, virtual scouting via Google Earth, for me also. Looks good, we shall see.
28 days and counting - all smiles!
My plan is to follow Splitlimb..... :)
The real plan is to go about 500yds from my tipi, sit at a little rock outcropping and just watch and listen, the elk will let me know where they are.
I have a pretty good idea. I have some cameras out, all within a 1 miles radius. So it’s narrowed down. We’ll see if there’s something extra exciting on the cameras, but I’ll probably do something similar to last year.
Nope. Should have it figured out by 2200 hrs on Aug 31 though.
Won't fully decide until the day before, unless I consistently see some bulls that aren't moving out yet. I always have a hard time thinking about where I want to go first.
Over all the years Ive never missed 'Opening Day Archery' and last year was the first time Ive connected on opening day.
Elite! Hahaha I'll keep an eye out for you!
Zero plans this time around.
Same canyon we have killed 5 bulls opening weekend. It’s a late summer staging area . All changes after about the 8-10. Bulls head out to Find cows. Some come back some Don’t. Good luck guys . Hunt
My opening day spot might, for the very first time get hunted by me, opening day :)
Every year it seems I end up helping someone else or looking for deer at some stupid spot someone else wants to hunt.
Plenty of bulls on the cam and again for the third year in a row, no one has found my spot. Maybe for the first time in over 20 years I'll go with my first instinct and actually gettr done.
Then I have a montana elk hunt starting the first of Sept. Most exciting year I've had since my san juan tag in 2010. Three and a half weeks to go time for me !!!!
Good luck to everyone on how ever they decide to work it out.
Cheers, Pete
Know exactly where I want to be, only reason I won't get there will be bad storms or by some 1 in a million chance we get one on the way in
I'm pretty sure I know where I'll be. The 2 days leading up to my hunt will help make that decision.
52 days to go.
Absolutely have my opening day area selected. Of course, the elk could make up my mind for me to clear any confusion ;)
I wont be going out on opening day. Hunting partner is taking the third week of the season so I am taking the second and third week. The first couple of days will be trying to find out where they have been pushed to.
Thanks for this wyobullshooter! >>Opening evening, and every evening after that, will find my rear end planted in my treestand, hanging on the same tree it's been for over 20yrs. Got tired of constantly getting screwed by the fickle evening breezes, and it's been a Godsend ever since! Last opening day, I had a dozen cows and calves within 8yds of my tree for 15min or so. Two cows actually sniffed my pack at the base of my tree. You'd have thought they were smelling flowers. A calf picked up a stick and carried it around like a puppy dog. Never did see the bull, although I'm sure it was him splashing around down in the creek. Didn't matter, you couldn't have wiped the smile off my face with a crowbar!<<
I've got a spot picked out for an evening treestand sit from numerous encounters over the past 7-8 years without getting a shot.
On a mountain in Wyoming. ;-)
Not sure where I'm starting but will likely be glassing and listening on a high point somewhere since it's a unit I've never hunted.
Nothing specific. Shoot we really haven't even decided between CO and Utah(didn't draw anything, just going OTC this year) Will set up basecamp in the am and do an afternoon hunt just to get our legs a bit. We have several spots in CO that have been good for us getting into elk if not shooting them. Will probably just hit those spots.
We have the access set aside just not the exact spot, we'll find where the irrigation left a little waterhole and find a travel route to it. Opening day is Aug 19 for us, antelope archery, the day after a really nice little brewfest in Saratoga . Archery elk opens Sept 15th and we'll be in a great LQ area for it.
CNelk you and I both filled opening morning last year... and yet I'm still deciding on what spot to be in this year. We have filled a few opening mornings all in different spots so it makes it a harder decision. This is also the first year I didn't put out trail cams in a long time which usually helps me decide.
