Elk hunting ??
 

this will be my first year at bow hunting for elk so dont know the habits of them all to well

Well I found a good spot for elk.......lots of pictures of cows showing up on my trail cam. I know that the bulls travel more and are not in the close area.

So I hope to set up my tree stand 15 yards off the cutline (where my trailcam is setup ) they are using to get to the feeding area.

will the bulls come to the cows when the calling starts?
Is it best to only cow call from the stand where i'll be hunting? or bugle as well??

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

I think you will find very few people elk hunting out of treestand. If you have a place for such, consider yourself lucky. I actually killed a bull out of a treestand last year. I cow called mostly, but bugled just to see if I could get anything stirred up. I have actually cow called in several cows to my stand, this bull just happened to be following a hot cow up the hill right into me.
Bowhunting elk, you usually cover lots of ground and get after them. Opinions will be a dime a dozen as far as cow call only, bugle only, do both.

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

Nicholal

Two things
1st if this is your 1st year set quiet and learn the elk.If time alowed I would set there many days just checking out what the elk did. Every thing they do.I would bet 10% of the elk hunters know what an elk dose and why.Every one thys to push the hunt not enjoy it.

2nd If the elk are coming to the spot where you will be stand hunting WHY call at all.The elk are coming to the spot allready for food.From my calling ex with ANY game is if you can see them normaly you are to close to call. I know many people have called small bulls/bucks and youg yotes at very close range.But every day you can talk to many many people that called at a huge bull/deer and BOOM he spots you and moves away. Even if he dosnt make you out he knows some thing is not right.

Saying that each time you have to look at the situation and pick to cow call bugle. Most time if people did not call they would have a better chance.Only bad thing is we would not see new calls ever year :} I pack around 11 cow calls and 2 bugles.Worst part is I kill very very few bulls calling them in. But more use the calls to locate and find what way they are moving.

Charles

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

thanks Charles

I was thinkn kinda the same thing just sit them out.......I have about 3-4 cows coming by my trail cam at all hours of the day. so sitting would be a good option. I know the bulls are close by, but have not yet to travel by the camera..here is a picture of a cow and 2 calfs

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

Cool picture. That seems to be within even my comfort range :D. Best of luck from the stand. I will be chasing after them on footmyself, but I am just sort of a spot and stalk junkie. Hopefully I will get lucky, if not it will be fun anyway.

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

Nicholal,
I would just wait them out like what everyone else has said.The only thing that would screw it up is if someone else bumps them out.I would keep close tabs on them to see if they move out to a fall area or stick around.
Elk will some times stay in a area just up to the opener then bust out for new places for fall.Judging from the size of the calf in the pic,this just might bea spring/summer area.
BBJ

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

I ditto what Barback is saying. Stay on the ground because come hunting season, those elk may have moved out of the area. You have to stay mobile with elk.
As far as buggle/cow call??? I'll use a bugle early in the day to locate, then cow call to keep them interested, cover my noises, and maybe bring big daddy in. More times than not, big daddy will come in quiet! So keep your eyes peeled 360degrees around you. If I know I'm in elk, I'll take 5 - 6 steps, stop, and use binocs to cover the area all around me. Then repeat. It is amazing how much change can happen in 5 - 6 steps.
Only way I'd go with the tree stand is if I knew the elk were there the day(s) I'm hunting, and that their daily routine brought them by my stand. You using bow or gun? I guess I assumed bow. Would be your luck that elk would be coming through right under your stand, but the big bull would stay about 87 yards away! I personally do not have an 87 yard pin. (lol)
Stay molbile. Stay alert. If you are in elk, put the calls away and focus on shooting.

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

Hi Nicolai:
Calling is just a way for the elk to pinpoint you. If you are in a stand you should only call once... when you are at full draw and trying to stop him for the shot.
Another thing that has been mentioned... most likely your cow spot for summer will not be the area of bull elk. Summering cows and calves are in the calving grounds. Bull elk traditionally never go there.
Your scouting should be for agressive rubs. Not the regular little tree bark stripping that happens year round while the bulls are in hard horn... but the real shredding the tree completely type of rubs. That will be the traditional rutting area. If you are scouting now all those trees will most likely have been dead for nearly a year. The more shredded to death trees you find the better the area. Also the size of the tree being shredded has absolutely no bearing on the size of the bull that did it.

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

I would continue checking your cam, and if no bulls show up, I would stay on the ground and be mobile. We use treestands in AZ over waterholes usually in afternoon/evening hunt time only, but most elkers don't have that luxury, water isn't scarce where they hunt. In mornings we stalk you hear a bugle, great,listen forthe same bull again to gain a sense of his direction and take off, try to get in front of them. He won't be alone, the herd may be spread out a over a hundred yards or more, so watch for the cows out in front of him.

Getting in front of them is tough, they walk fast, most of the time we slide into the herd from the side and hope to pull the herdbull away with bugles and cow calls. The satellite bulls usually end up coming in. But a bull is a bull, unless you have time and desire for a book animal. We followed a herd for two miles out into open flats last fall, trying to get in front of them, no luck. We did sneek in and get within 80 yards of the herd bull as he thrashed a tree, but he wouldn't come to calls. He was too busy chasing the satellite bulls away from his cows. They were the immediate threat to him, not some bull 80 yards from his girls.

I know guys in Colorado who have used treestands successfully. It helps with scent control. The stands were in fencelines and they shot the elk right before they entered private land before crossing the fence.

RE: Elk hunting ??
 

I have only hunted elk 10 years.

That said! Hunt the way you know how. I did all kinds of difrant things trying to kill elk. I use tree stands alot,stock[let them come to me] and calling.Every year I kill mine the same way stocking them. But my wife has killed many elk out of a stand[over walows and around feed] From What I have seen elk have a patern just like deer,just bigger. people do mess them up. Some times and the elk will move a long ways.

Hunt the way you know how.Only chage your hunting ways onlyif you have time to hunt.

Charles