Hey I'm new to elk hunting and bow hunting. I went out this last tues, and wed, I found a lot of trails but no cows no nothing.

What I'd like to know is I found a couple nice creeks and some marsh areas also some clear cuts. I don't have a tree stand, but where should I sit and does it matter at what time?

I tried to find stuff on the big game but couldn't find any. Any help would be great thanks.

Ask your teammates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding, The best thing you can do is get out there! Walk and learn the area, elk have habits just like deer, and in most cases in pressured areas they don't sleep in the same place two nights in a row! With the rut upon us you odds will increase, stay close to water and start cow calling, time and persistance will set you free! You will get the hang of it!

ha ha yeah I should have asked you guys sorry. Ok thanks for the answer I'll get out there and do that.

As the season moves, the elk will become more vocal. The benefit (and disadvantage) is that they will give up there location, allowing you to move in close (within 150 yards) and sound like a cow that has drifted from the herd. If the cover & wind is in your favor, you may even be able to move in closer.

I tend to start my mornings on finger ridges that run downhill, get to a good area where you can hear well, and listen. From there, I will make my move on the bull that is closest.

Best thing is to learn the area, take your GPS readings and look on Google Earth if it is an area you don't know well.

Best thing, be out there, and learn the area. That is the hardest part I believe. Also be aware of the pressure. If the area has some pressure, utilize soft bull grunts and soft cow calls...most others blow the call to hard.

Good luck

Oh ok thanks. That will be nice to know. So i'll just keep trying to scout and find out more. Thanks again

I love the "call and run" strategy as well.....move along calling every so often from a good vantage point to see if you can get one to "fire" off......can be effective after a good cold front moves in or when the elk are vocal.

over the years, your responses will tend to come from the same areas.. With all the moisture, hunting over wallows may be less effective than in the past, but that is just an opinion.

If its dry where you hunt....find a water source and sit, they will come.

Tracks cantell you a lot but can be very deceiving too. As a first year elk and bowhunter I would recommend just getting out there and learning by seeing.Sometimes they are impossible to find and other times they will be all over. It is amatterof being in the right place at the right time and then making the right move. The more you are out in the mountains the more you will learn by just being out there.

Marshy areas are not necessarily wallows for big bulls. Once again as the rut moves on tracks can tell you this.

As a beginner I would recommend listening for bugles and making your move in that direction. Even if you are not calling, most bulls will bugle multiple times. You will be able to tell if they are movingor staying still and decided how fast you need to walk to catch up. I have used this many times with sucess. Can you tell already that I don't sit very long. I am always on the move and may sit inside or outside bedding areas for very short periods of time. I do not envy tree stand hunters at all. I couldn't do it.

Another thing in my area is South facing slopes for feeding. Seems to be where they are at.

Ok thanks for the info. I'm not into sitting in tree stands long ether maybe in the am, but not for long times.

So in where I hunt in Or. I haven't heard any Bulls or Cows. Will it start to pick up? I was trying to bugle and cow call through the days I was hunting, but nothing. Ha I would be ok with just hearing a bull bugle back.

It was funny the friend that I was with has been bow hunting and elk hunting for years. Well I went into the woods one way and he went in the other way. Once I got to a nice creek and open area I bugled and sat and waited. About 5 mins later I heard cow calls coming at me. It was my friend he came up to me and asked if I heard that bull bugle ha ha i told him it was me and he was suprised to hear that I could bugle.

So I'm going this sunday or monday morning. So what I've heard is I should just try to find some feeding areas and creeks and try to get one to bugle and try to find him. Thats kind of what I was thinking but didn't know.

So the south facing hills are best: like new clear cuts and things like that?

Sorry for the newb ?'s, but thanks for the help. Those 2 days out were so much fun I can't wait for monday.

You never know when the rut is going to start. Here in southeastern Wyoming they still have not started bugling. I was out yesterday all day and night and herd nothing. Usually but not always a cold snap will trigger the rut. If you go out every weekend you will know when the rut has started. They go crazy. Sometime here in Wyoming they are still at the end of the rut when rifle season starts which is mid October. So the answer to your question is sometime in September or October. You never know but just hope you are out there when it does.

Southfacing slopes can be a clearcut or even a bare slope. I have seen them both used as long is there is good feed there.

Good luck to you there beause as of the first week of the season here I am not having any.