Joined
·
5,950 Posts
How many of you are hunting the extended areas for elk right now? My experience is that not too many people hit it this time of year, which is strange to me.
Extended elk
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
Joined
·
4,683 Posts
Actually right now I'm on the computer :wink: . But I may try and go out once the snow flies.
Joined
·
5,950 Posts
Why? I find the best time to shoot them is between 10 and 11 PM. Thank the lord for Surefire flashlights.fixed blade said:
:wink:
Joined
·
189 Posts
I hunt frequently this time of the year
Joined
·
8,742 Posts
I will be hunting it here next week for deer not elk.
Joined
·
768 Posts
I am, but not having much luck.
Joined
·
1,852 Posts
I just came in from hunting elk this morning, (ducking out of the rain). Great workout. :wink: There was a half dozen rigs parked at the trail head before me, so I took a different track in hopes of placing myself where the elk might run to get away from the other hunters. There were elk in the area...the key word being "were".
Here's a couple thoughts...
1. Hiking through the timber before first light isn't a good elk hunting strategy. Since elk can see perfectly well in the dark, most hunters find it best to hunt when they can see, too. I don't leave my truck until I can see my pins. Of course, that's just me.
2. Calling elk isn't like calling ducks. Bugling every five minutes isn't productive, especially if your bugling sounds like a 3rd grader practicing his trumpet. And when you hear a sound like a 3rd grader practicing his trumpet, that isn't an elk, so don't call back at it. This is especially true if your own bugling sounds like a fat lady being raped by an army of icey fingered midgets.
3. A cow call is best used once every 20 minutes at the most. Playing tunes on your cow call like it's a kazoo really doesn't improve the hunting for anybody.
4. Just because you can't see any elk doesn't mean they aren't there. Stealth is always a good thing while bowhunting, especially when there are other hunters in the area. Or think of it this way - if other hunters know exactly where you are, it's a pretty safe bet that the elk do, too.
Here's a couple thoughts...
1. Hiking through the timber before first light isn't a good elk hunting strategy. Since elk can see perfectly well in the dark, most hunters find it best to hunt when they can see, too. I don't leave my truck until I can see my pins. Of course, that's just me.
2. Calling elk isn't like calling ducks. Bugling every five minutes isn't productive, especially if your bugling sounds like a 3rd grader practicing his trumpet. And when you hear a sound like a 3rd grader practicing his trumpet, that isn't an elk, so don't call back at it. This is especially true if your own bugling sounds like a fat lady being raped by an army of icey fingered midgets.
3. A cow call is best used once every 20 minutes at the most. Playing tunes on your cow call like it's a kazoo really doesn't improve the hunting for anybody.
4. Just because you can't see any elk doesn't mean they aren't there. Stealth is always a good thing while bowhunting, especially when there are other hunters in the area. Or think of it this way - if other hunters know exactly where you are, it's a pretty safe bet that the elk do, too.
Joined
·
189 Posts
Sounds like where I go, I usually only see people close to there rigs, I find it funny that people never see any animals but they don't go very far into the hills, honestly what do they expect :?:
Joined
·
8,273 Posts
Sorry Finn, but I disagree with several of your points.Finnegan said:
1)You need to be in the area BEFORE light to be where the elk will be at first light. Hard to kill an elk with archery gear sitting in your truck.
2)There have been numerous times I have bugled "every five minutes" and had great success, I also have heard some God-awful sounding real elk, so I never 'assume' too much until I have 'verified' the source of the nasty sounding bugle.
3)Waiting 20+ minutes between cow calls in not a good rule in all situations either. I many times will call every 4-5 minutes and bring bulls in on a rope.
4)I agree with you here!
PRO
I have heard bulls that sounded like an awfull 3rd grader trying his dads bugle out. It is funny how we think we know what the "perfect" bugle sounds like. I try to take several things into consideration when listening to bugles and then determine if I think it is man made or not. Location of the call, do I think there are hunters in that area, how remote is it? Typically, I have found each bull has a different sound, and it changes throughout the season. I think it is funny when hunting with someone and they just know that was a hunter bugle....then it isn't! I have found also there are times when I can't cow call too much. It is amazing what sitting in one spot and cow calling will bring in. I have had bulls come in dead silent while I hit my cow call every couple of minutes. Setting up in the dark has been the most successful for me also.
I have heard some sick sounding bugles in my time, most from real elk. A few years back me & my dad were sitting on this ridge watching for the elk to come through, Anyways, about 2 hours later we hear a bugle down in a valley we were camped. the bugle sounded like a 5 year old with his dads diaphram call. the sickest thing Ive ever heard, After about 3 hours of listening to that my dad says "go down there & kick that kids a$$". I head off to see what the racket was & about a mile up the canyon I run into a nice 6 pt with one side of his rack gone. He would sit there & bugle at me even though I was only about 30 yards from him. I call my dad on the radio & he comes on down, The bull would run up around a cedar tree, & each time he would come around, he would stop & make a noise that sounded like a big dog barking. This went on for about a hour until we decided to get on with our hunt(spike only area). The best we could figure was his other antler was shot off or something & made him kinda dingy. We ended up having to throw a rock in his direction & walk right to where he was at to get him to run off. I never knew a elk could make such wierd noises. 
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
