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Hello everyone again. I know I have been asking questions and maybe too much. Anyway sorry if that is pissing people off but another question that bugs me is how do you guys hunt elk during the day if you do. When I was up hunting every situation played out that I only see elk in the morning and the evening. During the day I just took naps but it bothered me so much, it's like I am wasting my time but I have no clue what to do at all. Any suggestions or strategies you guys could recommend. Thank you, Daniel.
I'm a newbie, but the fellas I was hunting with shot their elk between noon and 2pm. They actually slept in til about 8 ish, had a small breakfast, and headed to their tree stands. My guess after hiking in, they were in their stands by 9:30.
Zero chance I’m eating breakfast and waiting until 9am to go sit in a tree stand. I’d rather stay home. I’m in my hunting spot 30 minutes before shoot time, listening and bugling.
I bring a hammock. Early season I’m snoozing by 10am. Usually around 4pm I’ll head to a lookout and watch and listen. When the sun dips below the mountains and the thermals start heading down then I hunt for the last 40 minutes or so. I’ve killed 4 bulls in 4 years during those last 40 minutes. =D
Depends. If you hunt early in the season and have a good wallow to sit on, the middle of the day can be productive sitting in a stand.
Also, if you are in an area with other hunters, they may push them by you sometimes, so I stay in the woods, even if I take a nap there, and occasionally cow call. Bulls are more likely to come in silent during the middle of the day.
At the peak of the rut, when you have the days where elk bugle all day long, it does not matter when you get up and go after them. In fact, if you get going after thermals switch, it can be beneficial.
That said, bugling all day long may only happen a couple times in a 30 day season, and sometimes not at all if your in the mediocre to poor unit. If your in unit 10, you might get a week or more of nonstop bugling.
The bigger factor about time of day is the wind, it can be erratic, and change.
The way i see it is if im in the woods all day, i might as well be hunting all day. Sure ill have a midday nap but i never make it make to camp until after dark. I find the middle of the day is the best time to hike to the next basin and see whats in there, sit down and glass for a few hours, catch em midday moving. Work the edges of the dark timber and catch one bugling from his bed. i cant tell you how many times ive been eating lunch and had one crack off a couple hundred yards away. Good luck.
I've kill three elk between 12 and 2. Eating lunch and playing around with my calls.
I've killed a bull at 11:00 and 12:00, resting/napping by a trail in timber. I'm usually a good ways from camp, so seems like a waste to hike all the way back just to take a nap there. About the only time I go back to camp mid-day is if I decide to try another spot.
I’ve killed 6 heard type bulls between 11&3 hunting a wallow... I am another one that sleeps in a little try to get in the tree by 9.. works great for me
