Idaho hunter 58

Hey guys, i just had a quick question for you. I am hunting up in north idaho and i have been doing some scouting during this last spring/summer and I have picked out two good spots. I am taking my stand to one of the spots tomorrow to get in all set up so i can sneek in early opening day. It is over a really nice wallow and so i am thinking that this is going to be the spot for early season, seeing how hot it has been in N. Idaho. Now how would you play this spot? What times of day do you think would be best and once in the stand do you think a few bugles/cow calls every hour or so would be good or would you be completly silent? I have never hunted over a wallow before so i am curious as to how it works. Any help would be appreciated! And also any comments in general from you other idaho hunters would be great....

Thanks for the help,
Idaho

Muliefever

Well I am surprised nobody has jumped on this one! Hunting from tree stands for elk,believe it or not is becoming more and more popular.!! I have never done. But I have hunted from several make shift ground blinds. Hunting over wallows is pretty easy. As long as the elk are using them. There are to times to hunt. And they are what I call Magic hour! That first hour after daylight, and the last hour before daylight! Seems how Idaho has been dry this summer. I think I will probably follow suit and hunt either A good looking wallow, or a water hole. Anyways, you want to be in the stand atleast an hour before sunrise.. and right as you are able to shoot is when you start talkin'.. Start out with some cow talk and then a little squel! And repeat every 10 minutes or so. Then, if no answer... Just sit and wait. Just letting them know you are there is all it takes! So don't be alarmed if you hear nothing. But I would leave the stand around 11:30 to 12:00... Just to make sure they have had time to bed down for the day. Then repeat the steps for the evening hunt. Exept I would be there around 3:30pm. Once in the standI would be liberal with scent and then sit and wait for Magic hour!!! Good Luck!

Idaho hunter 58

Thanks for the reply and the great advice. I was surprised i didn't have more replies with all the idaho hunters on this board.... hmmm, oh well.

Thanks for the advice on calling, i never know when to use a lot or when not too... but now i think i got the idea. Seaspn starts in a few weeks so i guess its time to start practicing on my squeals.

Thanks again and good luck!

elknut1

I love hunting wallows, especially early on!!! Yes, pick active wallows or waterholes, both can be very effective, if you're lucky you'll find both together, that's a spot to put your time in on!!

I like the first 3 hours after light & 2 hours before dark, this is peak activity time for me. Ifit's a full moon week with little cloud cover, then I also sit it 11:00-3:00 in the afternoon, elk will move around a lot midday at this time when it's especially hotter weather!

When at wallows/waterholes I use selective sounds once again. Too, I should mention that make sure you are using wallows that are fairly high on the mountain for good morning & evening use. Ones that aren't real far from bedding areas. The lowest ones on the mountains are only used at night or first drop ofdaylight as they head to bedding areas, the more hunting pressure around and the less use they recieve, this another reason I like the ones higher up, elk are more at ease!

When at a wallow I don't bugle out in a challenging manner like I'm trying to find out who the owner is, I don't want bulls to get leary. Instead, I give twodifferent cow calls & calf talk, nothing super long or loud, I'm just a small herd milling around, I then inject a smallish rolling low keyed gutteral growl ending with light rapid chuckles, this is the bull talking to his little group. I may take it up a notch vocallyjust to reach out where other elk should be in earshot.In the morning, I then get a big stick &give some light splashing in the wallow, this adds realisim!!! I don't go overboard as it's generally cooler at this time and elk don't usually go to wallowing around if the temperatures are on the cool side.

If it's the evening hunt, I splash with the stick with much more enthusiasim & aggressivness as elk like to cool down after a hot day & do a little playing around as well, Many timesa real bullwill bugle after hearing the splashing, when this happens I don't challenge him. I instead give some nervous type chuckles and whines in telling the cows to let's move on, I then have the two cows welcome the real bull over, their owner doesn't like that and he ushers them off away from the real bull, I call as I'm leaving the wallow once againg snapping branches andtalking to the cows as we're leaving. After about 60-70 yards of this I then return & sit silently waiting for the real bull to show, and he will, be quiet & patient, you want him to think you all left!! A ground blind or treestand will work!!

If I get no response at the wallow, I do the same thing!! Ilike giving elk a reason to come to that wallow that day, it gives them adirection when they get up from their beds!!! They will want to come and smaell the area to see who these other elk were! I don't keep callingif I feel I was heard, I want them to come in un-cautious, not looking for other elk!!----------ElkNut1

Idaho hunter 58

wow great reply! Thanks!