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Hunter daily movement pattern

Please make me understand how an elk hunter should position himself on the mountain early morning (cold air steadily drifts down the mountain), mid-morning (warming up air shifts upward), midday (air still moves up at steady pace), mid-afternoon (air shifts downwards), evening (air is steady flowing down the mountain) relative to mountain top and valley.

Where is the elk during every stage?

Thank you.

elk are where you find tem!

Elk are where they are, whether you find them or not. ;)

At daybreak thermals are going doing downhill so theoretically you would want to be below them. Depending on the spot on the mountain those thermals will switch mid morning then again an hour or so before sun set. Start where you want but once you find elk you have to play the thermals. That might mean looping around to go below/above them.

So often people say... gotta be below them or have to be above. I prefer side hill approaches at the same elevation. It’s easier to convince an elk to come in when you’re at the same contour. That’s mainly how trails run and how they travel anyway. So drop down off the top.... or climb up from the bottom to the first or second bench down and start working that elevation. Then play it by ear.

Elk move when they have steady thermals one way or the other. In general when the thermals are swirling they stop and/or bed down.

I have seen unpressured elk elk run with the wind, usually in the evening when they want to get to “the party” in a hurry.

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