justhuntitall

Ok lets say its the first day of bow season last week the bulls were bugling but now the weather has turned warm and you only have the next ten days to hunt so every day counts. You know where a certian group of elk are beding but you dont want to get to close and spook them out of the area.

So how would you guys hunt them?

huntnmuleys

id go in and get them! im a spot and stalker, call some but not a lot. i would wait for the right wind, and sneak in. i have done this before, works for me. maybe being really short helps hide me

thats what id do
brad

elknut1

There are many methods & strategies one can use in "early season". we've taken bulls in the first week of the season just about every year. From bugling them in, to getting between a bull & his cows purposely and hitting him with a lip bawl type scream. Too, Call & Stalk with two is one of our all time favorites. Bulls are very cooperative even early on to answer your non-threatning bugles or selective cow calls at a distance, giving the shooter time to move in on a vocal bull while the caller stays put, plus it's very intense and exciting!!

But our #1 methods of use are "BLIND SETUPS" We incorporate these around active wallows, between feeding & bedding areas, early or late in the day. Also, we setup in areas close to bedding areas, (we never hunt them in their bedroom) aprox. 300 to 500yds out. We do this because if you bump them out of bedding areas they leave & don't return for days, even weeks sometimes. Stay out of bedding areas & you can hunt those same elk daily if you choose, if they bump, don't run them down and out of the country!!

In blind setups we use a senario of cow calls, 3-4 different sounds, we start slow & build excitement within a couple minutes. We also inject a pre-estrous whine from a single cow and a random spike to raggie squeal with excitement. -- Another form is to use to mature cows battling it out for lead cow position, you also want to throw in a raggie squeal with excited type sounds as well, in all setups make natural elk noises like they're milling around by snapping twigs branches and kicking up dirt, you know imitating a scuffle or just being elk, don't be quiet!!! These setups work awesomely, but you must have patience!!! Be willing to tough it out up to an hour waiting for elk to appear, in most cases they just show up silently to check out the commotion or see who these elk are?

When using this around wallows add in a little splashing to the senario, it usually will bring them your way sooner or later. Heck, I've had bulls start screaming when only splashing the wallow with no calling at all. Too, if you find an active wallow be willing to put in your time and usually a bull will show up with in a day or two. Be sure to do light calling in addition to the splashing to give bedded elk a direction that there are elk in his wallow. Even if he's not aggressive he will mosey over your way sooner or later that day to smell & checkout who the elk were that were there. Again, be patient & willing to sit it out. Stop all calling after your short 5-6min calling method around the wallow, you want other elk to think you left, be very alert at all times. A treestand would work best, but a ground blind can work too. Watch the wind!!!!!!

Last year alone I called in 11 bulls in the first 4 days of the season with blind setups, all came in silent, they're that effective!!! I know ElkCrazy8 uses these as well and is very successfull!!!!-------------------------------Good Luck-ElkNut1

manboy

i am with u elknut! i like to know where they are bedding, then i willstay close until evening, when the elk move i move on them! i also like to set up early the next morning between the feed area and bedding. this works well if u check the wind very often. and use scent control a must if u have wind changing direction often.
do your homework and fill tags,don't and all u have is video of a REDNECK ON THE ROCKS!


sorry brad i had to!!!

gselkhunter

The first thing I would do is bugle at them around 4am. Just because they went nocturnal doesn't mean don't call. Locate them in the dark and move in and beat them to the cover they are going to go into. And because it is warm they will have to go to water mid-day. The wallows that they use, may not be the place they go for drinking water. Most of the wallows I will sit on have running water close, that way I can watch both places. I am not using a blind like Elknut1 does. And I don't use a call when sitting on water holes, I just watch. And when something moves in, SO DO I! And in the evening, when I know they are on there feet, I go into the timber and get them. But I never get 10 days in a row to elk hunt. So I am a chance taker, if I smell a chance I take it.
Gselkhunter

Dirt2

I've had this situation a few times. A real key is that there is little likelihood of another hunter boring in and blasting your elk out of the country. If you've got the elk to yourself, and you've got 10 days, I'd be real conservative the first 4 or 5 days, then get aggressive as time runs down.

I don't really buy into the notion that you've got to stay out of their bedding areas. I like to dive into a known bedding area, from above, about 10 AM every morning. You go in from above because of rising thermals. If you spook elk in there one day, you must absolutely give the elk the next day off, maybe the next two days.

This past year, I had a great piece of bedding cover (about 500 acres) above camp that had 15-30 elk bedding in it every day, including a 305ish and a 325ish bull. I dove in there 4 times in a 9 day hunt, and had the 325 bull inside a hundred yards 3 times. My point being that they didn't leave the area because I jumped them once or twice. I passed up three great shot opps and a fourth at the big boy because he was 5 yards past my personal 30-yard max range. I did give the place a day off any time I jumped an elk. If you plow in day after day they are going to get wise eventually and find a new hidey hole.

elknut1

Dirt2--Although I don't go along with your thoughts in hunting bedding areas. I do admire your discipline in not forcing a bow shot even though he was within 5yds of your kill range that you imposed upon yourself. My hats off to you!!--------ElkNut1

Dirt2

Thanks. It was tough, but if he made it through rifle season, he should be in the 350 range next year. HEH HEH HEH!

justhuntitall

Thanks for all the input guys you guys have gave me some new things to try. Come on Elk season 4 months to go.