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I’m hunting 9000 acres of private land Sept 8-15 on the southern border of Colo. There will be opportunities to sit by wallows and ambush elk. Is there a better time of day to hunt wallows? Thanks
Im no expert but I’ve seen trail cam pics at any and all times of day. If that was my tactic I wouldn’t go back to camp mid day.
It seems to me like they show up late in the evenings more often. They sometimes spend the night by the wallows, which makes it hard to hunt mornings as you can't get to your tree stand without them seeing you. They could show up all day, but from what I have witnessed they tend to show up more often late in the evening.
Private land, nobody messing with you, sleep in, sit water if it’s warm, punch your tag. They can hit any time, some holes are better in the AM bs PM and reverse but PMs on warm days is money.
Sitting water for elk in certain conditions is deadly, don’t over think it. Get on the downwind side, relax and enjoy the show.
You’ve got all the odds stacked in your favor. Enjoy.
Had 2 buddies kill bulls 30 minutes apart last year at 1245 & 115 in the afternoon. It was hot and dry and the bulls would make it to the water most afternoons
For me sitting at a wallow is a way to make sure they don’t use that one that day. Kinda like if I want it to rain all I have to do is leave my rain gear in camp. Or vice versa... if I pack it all day it won’t rain.
But to answer the question mid to late day. Stay away from it in first thing in the morning.
On a BLM chunk I used to hunt before the Clinton Administration sold it, there was a waterhole they used to hit like clockwork in mornings before heading up the mountain to bed. Problem was the thermal was still pulling hard downhill at that time and they always smelled me.
I know a couple dozen other hot wallows and waterholes bulls hit in mid-afternoon according to the trail cam pics. But they come in from above on steep slopes and the thermal is swirling up. They come in when I'm not there, run away when I'm there no matter how high the treestand.
I killed my biggest bull (353) at a waterhole in the evening a waterhole where the terrain was relatively flat and the wind was swirling but the thermal was still rising because it was hot. He crossed my wind at about 40 yards but I'd sprayed Nose Jammer on either side of me (natural ground blind). Don't know if that helped. Every waterhole or wallow is a different situation to be deciphered.
What Mule power said lol but that’s also public land so maybe better on private
If it’s private land (or public for that matter), just go kill one. Sitting is beyond boring.... more power to those that can do it.
