200 acre park(meadow)

elkkrazy · 01-31-2004, 01:53 PM

hello, ive elk hunted the last 2 years in colo.I found a big park in the mnts. at about 11,500 alt. There is 3 wallows ,alot of tracks and droppings. I saw 2 cow and thats all. Archery hunting. Just wondering what would be a good time and way to hunt this. we got a 4+4 bull the first year, not up there though.
Thanks

Dirt2 · 01-31-2004, 03:24 PM

Hey, I appreciate your comments on my broadhead question in the technical bowhunting section.

I hunt a block of land here in SW Montana that consists largely of doghair lodgepole thickets with intermittent parks in the 50-400 acre range, the topography is somewhat unusual for MT in that it's less severe, more of a rolling plateau.

Anyhow, I killed my first archery bull (6x6 266 PY net score) last year 200 yards out of a park that's a ringer for what you describe in CO. My observation is that even way back in the back country, one seldom catches elk in those parks in daylight. I focus my effort on the quarter mile of cover surrounding just such a park. I think it's fairly common for a rutting bull to bed in heavy junk within a few hundred yards of these parks, then swing down into them after dark looking for cows. Now, if you can find a little glade with a wallow that sets back a few hundred yards from the large park, you're on to something.

I hope this gives you some ideas, although I suspect you know more about all this than me anyway.

txhunter58 · 01-31-2004, 05:16 PM

Sounds like a great place to hunt the early part of Archery season. High country and wallows. I suspect elk are most likely to visit them early in September. Sounds like a great place to start! Also, if the droppings were fresh, then they were there and Dirt's recommendations seem like good ideas.

elkkrazy · 01-31-2004, 05:39 PM

thans for replies guys. Im pretty new to this myself. Done alot of reading on elk and studing topo maps. Ive learned alot in 2 years and made alot of mistakes.Our first year we had 6 decent bulls within 40 yards and only got 1 shot. Made it count though. I think your right about them using them at night. They seem like they were being used often. About a 3 mile walk back in to them.I did find a wallow about 150 yards from the big park. It was in the open but surrounded by dark timber.

elkkrazy · 01-31-2004, 05:42 PM

We hunt the 2 week in sept. Week before mos.loader comes in.

cherokee_outfitters · 02-01-2004, 07:20 AM

In our area in colorado the bulls are not gathering cows until the muzzleloader season or shortly after. So expecting to get a big bull to come out with the cows into that open meadow probally won't happen in shooting light. They are bugling then and they are looking for cows in heat. Them bulls aren't to far away but they are in those trees. The wallow your talking about how open is it? If it smells like elk piss then the bulls are using it. I've seen bulls wallow in very small mud patches maybe 3 to 4 feet in dia. These bulls use these wallows alot from mid morning to mid afternoon. At the times most people are going back to camp to re-gearup for the afternoon hunt. Bulls love to lay on shady outcropings or benches. He will lay with the wind to his back looking down the shelf of the bench infront of him. The best cover scent for tree hunting elk is running into elk piss on the trail. Rub the toe of your boot in it. It will let you get in alot closer to the bull if he's in his bed. I only bulge as a locater this time of year. After he responds a few times and I have the best quess where his at I proceed to stalk him. Only if he see's my movement will I cow call. I never bugle in the trees going after him. Bulls especially big ones don't care for sparing and confrontation until its time to breed some cows.

Find that wallow that has been used and sit it in the hottest part of the day. In a three to five day period I bet you got your shot. Sit not downwind or upwind but to the side that's your best chance. In colorado I know with swirling winds it tough, but there will be a dominate breeze. Hope I can be of help.

Any bull with a bow is mighty fine in my book.

elknut1 · 02-01-2004, 08:37 AM

Sitting wallows can be a very effective way to hunt bulls, most the time, like mentioned you have to put in the time. If I get near the wallow area and bugle and recieve a response, I'll bring the bull over to me, trying to stalk a bull in his bed, especiallyif he's got cows, is a no no in my book. If you spook him out of there by your scent or positive identification then that bull or bulls most likely won't be there to hunt them another day, plus that's a very low percentage way to get your bull into good bowrange. Here's another way to speed up the process, put the odds in your favor and most likely not spook him out of the area if a good shot at him doesn't work out.

If I know the wallows are there, as you do, and I felt a bull was bedded or within hearing distance on his way to his bed, I would pick out the most concealed wallow. (timber or edge of timber) Then I would do what a sneaky bull would do. First of all he wouldn't bugle his way to the wallow. (not looking for a fight) Hed get in there and splash around, be quite noisy with the splashing as you imitate a bull splashing, many times that itself will trigger a bugle from the real bull, if so stop and give a very short squeal ending with a low rounded growl and 3 or 4 submissive type grunts, splash loudly again like you're getting out and leaving, nock an arrow and be ready for his approach, don't call anymore. Make sure winds in your face and don't get out of bowrange of the wallow, the real bull will come to smell it over as all bulls will leave a scent.
If nothing responds during your splashing continue on with senario along with the calling, splash when getting out rake a tree or brush and stomp around some, give the same calling technique when done, and no more calling. Do all this in about a minute, just because a bull didn't bugle doesn't mean he's not on his way to check you out cautiously. If a bull is in the area you can bet he'll come on over in no more than 30 min or so, so don't move around and give yourself away, in a treestand or not.

As a side note, always pick the most concealed wallow so he has to come close to check things out. It doesn't matter if it's being used or not. Most the time when you find a wallow there's others around whether you've seen them or not, all it takes is one of them being used, but by you putting up a commotion in A wallow, this will still get his attention and direct him over to you.
There's a lot more on the subject, but enough for now!!!!!!!

elknut1

elkkrazy · 02-01-2004, 02:33 PM

Thanks for the info. I will try it. There are 3 wallows in the park. 1 is probally 40 to 50 yards from timber, the others are in middle.I think next time i will try and spend 2 or 3 days up there before coming out. Only 3 miles but a hard 3. Ive only been the last 2 years, But hunting was totally different from 1 year to the next. The 1 year they were bugling good and would come to you.I had a 5+5 at 34 yards for 45 min. and couldnt get a shot.We called in 6 bulls. The 4+4 we got didnt make a sound when he came in.Last year they werent bugling at all. Every thing looked diff. The aspens hadnt started changing yet. The 1 year was alot drier than the 2 year. Dont know if that had anything to do with it or not but it was totally diff. I only hunted the park for 2 days.Hopfully hunt it more this year. Been 2 years and hooked for life. Again thanks for the info.

RobinHood36 · 02-01-2004, 03:09 PM

Thanks elknut 1 for the great info on the wallows, it just never ocurred to me to imitate a bull in a wallow, and I have hunted by several wallows, it does make sense as I imitate bulls raking a tree.