so many questions, please help
06-12-2009, 11:57 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SW MO
Posts: 131
so many questions, please help
Me and a friend r planning a diy elk hunt in sept. 3rd or 4th week. Right now we are leaning towards gmu 81. We are both avid deer and turkey hunters but we want to add elk to that list. We plan on camping out of a tent.
Questions:
1. How do I find a good spot to hunt and camp?
2. When starting out in the morning how do you locate? i.e. is there a locator call like turkeys or doyou spot from high ground.
3.Can you hunt elk all day long? Are mornings better than evenings?
4. Should a sidearm be carried in case of bear?
5. Do I have to tie everything up in a tree, in camp, to keep bears out?
6. I am under the assumption that the wind is the most difficult obstacle is this true?
Please help with any information. I feel I have exhausted all other resources. Currently, I can only access the internet at the library, so if you have questions for me please bare with me.
Questions:
1. How do I find a good spot to hunt and camp?
2. When starting out in the morning how do you locate? i.e. is there a locator call like turkeys or doyou spot from high ground.
3.Can you hunt elk all day long? Are mornings better than evenings?
4. Should a sidearm be carried in case of bear?
5. Do I have to tie everything up in a tree, in camp, to keep bears out?
6. I am under the assumption that the wind is the most difficult obstacle is this true?
Please help with any information. I feel I have exhausted all other resources. Currently, I can only access the internet at the library, so if you have questions for me please bare with me.
06-12-2009, 12:17 PM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: wheatland wy
Posts: 51
RE: so many questions, please help
hello crow, I will usually sit on a big ridge and listen for bugles. Sometimes I will bugle if I get bored waiting to hear one. For me the more you use a bugle while trying to close in on a bull the more chance you have of pushing the elk away. Especially a herd bull, they already have a pod of cows and will try to move off most of the time so as not to have to defend what he already has. I use cow calls alot trying to get the bulls to bugle and to come in. Mornings and evening will have the most activity for elk but during the rut you can talk one into you anytime of the day, satelite bulls will be out looking for love all day long. my experience with herd bulls is that once he beds his cows down and he lays down it will be hard to find and hunt him with so many eyes ears and noses. hope this helps a little.
06-14-2009, 03:37 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location:
Posts: 191
RE: so many questions, please help
I assume you will be on a bow hunt? September is rut season for elk, so learn about bugling tactics, and how to locate bulls by bugling.
I wouldn't worry enough about bears to carry a side arm, but that's just me.
I wouldn't worry enough about bears to carry a side arm, but that's just me.
06-14-2009, 04:26 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Huntin' In Colorado
Posts: 2,910
RE: so many questions, please help
Buy a Carlton or Primos video or both. Carlton and Will are both good teachers. I use a bugle to locate and a cow call for almost everything else. If you can blow a turkey call you can blow an elk cal. The turkey and elk mouth calls are almost identical and you use the same air to blow them. Hands free mouth call is the only way to go. When you are ready to draw back the last thing you need is a hand call to try and stop an elk. I would suggest hunting in pairs with one guy calling and another guy shooting. You want to try and get close before you set up. (150 to 250 yards} If you are going to hunt solo you need to learn to throw your sound behind you. I could go on forever but you should get a couple of videos. They are very cheap compared to what you will spend on the hunt.
The wind is very important but does not have to be right in your face to be your friend.
Make a plan on how you are going to get that big son of a gun out of there after you kill it. It's a ton of work and can get crazy if you are not prepared. It's not like cleaning a 150 lb whitetail. Get a good meat pack.
As for as a handgun for bears....Every year I do the same thing, I bring one and carry it the first day and leave it in the truck after that. I just get tired of carrying it around. Lots of walking up and down some tough terrain. That brings up another story, better get in shape this ain't deer hunting on the river bottom or on food plots. Good luck and let us know how you do.
The wind is very important but does not have to be right in your face to be your friend.
Make a plan on how you are going to get that big son of a gun out of there after you kill it. It's a ton of work and can get crazy if you are not prepared. It's not like cleaning a 150 lb whitetail. Get a good meat pack.
As for as a handgun for bears....Every year I do the same thing, I bring one and carry it the first day and leave it in the truck after that. I just get tired of carrying it around. Lots of walking up and down some tough terrain. That brings up another story, better get in shape this ain't deer hunting on the river bottom or on food plots. Good luck and let us know how you do.
06-14-2009, 04:57 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Altmar New York USA
Posts: 1,247
RE: so many questions, please help
Well Crowe, I can tell by your questions your a very inexperienced Elk hunter. My friend your in for a whole new world of bowhunting. This will be the toughest form of hunting you've ever encountered in your life. Forget all those deer techniques. Mountain Elk hunting is nothing like it. Starting out green on a DIY, you'll definitly have your work cut out for you. How many days are you planning on going west? You'll need a couple extra days just to locate your base camp spot & setup. Its very important to set it up where you can walk to the action. Unless you plan on getting horses. Which isn't a bad idea, also its a big plus for packing out any game. You'll need to know how to quarter out a Elk, and pack it out. Plus you'll need to get climate adjusted depending on how high up you are. If you know anyone whose been on a DIY, you'd be alot better off to have that experience with you. I'd get in touch with the states game department for info. If this is a Colorado Hunt as I presume, they have some great info.
06-14-2009, 05:38 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: McCall Idaho USA
Posts: 753
RE: so many questions, please help
Crow31, check out this thread here, it's about a First Time Elk Bowhunter Hunter too! Similar questions are asked there as well.
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforum...ES=22&FF=5
ElkNut1
06-14-2009, 05:40 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
RE: so many questions, please help
Best advice: shoot the first legal elk you get within range, bull or cow. It will most likely be the only chance most of you get.
Also, you can buy a lot of elk videos that show 90% action and only 10% teaching. Here is a link to a guy that makes tapes that are 95% teaching. If you want to see video of shooting big bulls, these are not the tapes for you, but if you want to really know what the elk are saying and how to respond, these are great.
http://www.elknut.com/
Also, you can buy a lot of elk videos that show 90% action and only 10% teaching. Here is a link to a guy that makes tapes that are 95% teaching. If you want to see video of shooting big bulls, these are not the tapes for you, but if you want to really know what the elk are saying and how to respond, these are great.
http://www.elknut.com/
06-15-2009, 06:09 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elizabeth Colo. USA
Posts: 4,413
RE: so many questions, please help
1. How do I find a good spot to hunt and camp? you can camp anywhere in National forest that you find suitable, without cutting down trees, and hopefully, you're not far from your hunting area. Finding YOUR majic spot can be a daunting task for a newbie.
2. When starting out in the morning how do you locate? i.e. is there a locator call like turkeys or doyou spot from high ground.Getting high and glassing will work in some areas, but also by covering ground and calling on and off, much like turkey hunting works very well too. Being new to an area means you will most likely need to cover a lot of ground. The better you learn the terrain, the better your chances of killing an elk.
3.Can you hunt elk all day long? Are mornings better than evenings? If the weather is warm and dry then mornings and evenings will be best, but if it's cool and snows any time of day can be as good, or better.
4. Should a sidearm be carried in case of bear? not really necassary, black bears aren't aggressive for the most part.
5. Do I have to tie everything up in a tree, in camp, to keep bears out? Need to have it covered and hanging to cool any ways.
6. I am under the assumption that the wind is the most difficult obstacle is this true? The winds seem to swirl worse in the mountains then they do any where else. In general, the breeze moves down hill until the warming of the day begins and then the thermals move up hill.
2. When starting out in the morning how do you locate? i.e. is there a locator call like turkeys or doyou spot from high ground.Getting high and glassing will work in some areas, but also by covering ground and calling on and off, much like turkey hunting works very well too. Being new to an area means you will most likely need to cover a lot of ground. The better you learn the terrain, the better your chances of killing an elk.
3.Can you hunt elk all day long? Are mornings better than evenings? If the weather is warm and dry then mornings and evenings will be best, but if it's cool and snows any time of day can be as good, or better.
4. Should a sidearm be carried in case of bear? not really necassary, black bears aren't aggressive for the most part.
5. Do I have to tie everything up in a tree, in camp, to keep bears out? Need to have it covered and hanging to cool any ways.
6. I am under the assumption that the wind is the most difficult obstacle is this true? The winds seem to swirl worse in the mountains then they do any where else. In general, the breeze moves down hill until the warming of the day begins and then the thermals move up hill.
06-16-2009, 02:07 PM
#10
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cheyoming
Posts: 870
RE: so many questions, please help
WOW! 1st time in the Rockies?You're in for the time of your life. But elk hunting is a lot different than white tails and turkey. People die out here in pusuit of the mighty wapiti.
Don't come out here with too high a hopes. On average, elk hunters harvest an elk once every 5 years! That's even if you live here! Be realistic, expect your first trip to be an educational experience.
Also . . . Be aware of the posibility of altitude sickness (Google it), among other things.
Lets take your ???'s 1 at a time.
1. Know the local regs. Some states don'tallow non-residents to hunt in Nat'l Forest Wilderness areas without a licenced guide. Most states G&F sites have past hunting success reports listed by hunt area(s). Might be a place to start.
Get quadrangle maps for the area(s) you will settle in. If you get lost easily, at least bring a good compass or even better, a GPS with maps.
2. Most hunters over-bugle. In the hands of a novice(as well as seasoned elkers), buggleing can run off more elk than you will ever see.Use a cow call. Get a cow call or two or three and practice, practice, practice. You may like the diaphram type, or reed, or the handy squeeze type. Cow calling at first light can locate bugleing elk just as well as a bugle. Locating can be done many different ways. One of my favorites is to take a late evening and/or early (4am-ish) scouting trip and cow call/bugle or just listen to locate active elk. Like turkeys, they will likely be in the same area the next morning if not pushed.
Your local library is a good sourse for books andvideos or DVD's.
3. Hunt all day if you can. First and lastlight are usually the most active. But glassing from high vantage points is very helpfull, if you can find one. That enables you to maybe ambush them coming down or up depending on the time of day.
The middle of the day I still cow call low and try and find bedding areas, water, wallows, trying to stay in dark timber on north facing slopes. Move slow, then stop and glass the timber. Those bastards can be lying right there and you'd never see them! But good binocs might help spotan antler tip, piece of hide, or an ear twitch. Locate fresh sign. Rubs, hoof prints, fresh scat, etc.
4. Again, check local regs. Not all places allow guns while archery hunting. If you are in Grizz country, you will be told by the G&F when you get your license. They will likely make you carry pepper spray. Black bears will likely not bother you.
5. Always a good idea. If you don't want them destroying your tent to get to your "Swiss Miss" . . . hang 'em high.
6. Much has been written about scent-blocking-clothing-while-you-spray-your-specially-laundered-camo's-in-elk-urine . . .
Bottom line . . . always hunt (or plan your hunt) with the wind in your face.
Keep your head on a 360 swiveel. Elk are notorious for coming in silent. It's unbelievable the way a huge animal can sneak in on you and your senses.
Don't wait for a trophy. Shoot the first legal elk you can. Meat in the freezer and lots of stories to make 'em jeolous back home.
Don't come out here with too high a hopes. On average, elk hunters harvest an elk once every 5 years! That's even if you live here! Be realistic, expect your first trip to be an educational experience.
Also . . . Be aware of the posibility of altitude sickness (Google it), among other things.
Lets take your ???'s 1 at a time.
1. Know the local regs. Some states don'tallow non-residents to hunt in Nat'l Forest Wilderness areas without a licenced guide. Most states G&F sites have past hunting success reports listed by hunt area(s). Might be a place to start.
Get quadrangle maps for the area(s) you will settle in. If you get lost easily, at least bring a good compass or even better, a GPS with maps.
2. Most hunters over-bugle. In the hands of a novice(as well as seasoned elkers), buggleing can run off more elk than you will ever see.Use a cow call. Get a cow call or two or three and practice, practice, practice. You may like the diaphram type, or reed, or the handy squeeze type. Cow calling at first light can locate bugleing elk just as well as a bugle. Locating can be done many different ways. One of my favorites is to take a late evening and/or early (4am-ish) scouting trip and cow call/bugle or just listen to locate active elk. Like turkeys, they will likely be in the same area the next morning if not pushed.
Your local library is a good sourse for books andvideos or DVD's.
3. Hunt all day if you can. First and lastlight are usually the most active. But glassing from high vantage points is very helpfull, if you can find one. That enables you to maybe ambush them coming down or up depending on the time of day.
The middle of the day I still cow call low and try and find bedding areas, water, wallows, trying to stay in dark timber on north facing slopes. Move slow, then stop and glass the timber. Those bastards can be lying right there and you'd never see them! But good binocs might help spotan antler tip, piece of hide, or an ear twitch. Locate fresh sign. Rubs, hoof prints, fresh scat, etc.
4. Again, check local regs. Not all places allow guns while archery hunting. If you are in Grizz country, you will be told by the G&F when you get your license. They will likely make you carry pepper spray. Black bears will likely not bother you.
5. Always a good idea. If you don't want them destroying your tent to get to your "Swiss Miss" . . . hang 'em high.
6. Much has been written about scent-blocking-clothing-while-you-spray-your-specially-laundered-camo's-in-elk-urine . . .
Bottom line . . . always hunt (or plan your hunt) with the wind in your face.
Keep your head on a 360 swiveel. Elk are notorious for coming in silent. It's unbelievable the way a huge animal can sneak in on you and your senses.
Don't wait for a trophy. Shoot the first legal elk you can. Meat in the freezer and lots of stories to make 'em jeolous back home.