First elk season, am I clueless or is this elk hunting?

[Bob-WY]

We are hunting in north/central WY in the big horns. Wife and I both have cow tags.

New to the area we are hunting, scouted 3 sections, 2 up higher between 8-9K feet, one lower for later when snow moves them down. All had sign of some age.

We've been focusing higher up. In one scouting trip late August we found lots of sign, old, new and even found elk! We left a camera in the bottom of a drainage and for 2 weeks have pictures of cow elk every other evening.

We've been most afternoons since 9/15. Wife in a tree stand where the camera was, she's seen nothing, heard nothing while hunting.

I either drop her off and hike or she goes in on her own and I hike in the other direction. spent yesterday in the other spot. Same exact things happening:

No bugles, I've heard one bugle just as we got to the truck on opening day. I heard one cow call, fairly close with an opening between us where I couldn't get to her and couldn't get her to come to me. Only other action is first evening I did call in a spike who hung around looking for about 10 minutes. got some cool video. Everywhere I go I am finding LOTS of trees beat up this fall, and earlier years. A mix of droppings some very old, some fairly new, nothing "smoking hot" yet. I have found and followed tracks that looked fresh.

My "method" has been "wandering" with periodic quiet cow calls, then setup every once in a while, cow call several times (different calls) and bugle once, maybe twice (this is how I called in the spike).

Nothing answers, aside from the spike nothing. It has been warm.

I haven't found a good glassing spot, the areas is not flat, but not real steep, mostly lodge pole pine with apsens. Ground has green browse. It seems like elk should be there, but either I have no clue what I am doing, or heck, maybe this is just elk hunting!

Any suggestions on what to change?

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

Sounds like elk hunting, in my experience anyway. When I scout, I like to find where they are, then visualize where they would go from there once they start getting pressured. For instance, this summer I found where the elk were calving in the unit I hunt. Then I looked at trails that lead to the area (or close to it), and started marking interesting spots far away from those trails. Finally, within those spots, I look for steep draws, rock piles, deep drainages, the kind of stuff hunters don't like to walk into. Find escape routes in and out of those spots, then be there when season opens. Sounds almost simple when you write it out, but it never is. Don't get discouraged, you'll find them.

I hunt highly pressured public land and rarely put animals on the ground, so take this all with 180 grains of salt.

 

[wytex]

Once bulls start gathering harems single cows are few and far between.
We don't call for cows either.
Try to find a travel area or good game trail maybe near feeding area.
Don't give up, elk can be frustrating.
Good luck !

 

[dgc1963]

Maybe be a bit more mobile instead of sitting Id climb and glass then move and glass and keep it up untill you find some
finding them is the tough part

 

[2rocky]

Usually is process of elimination for me. In Late September they are going to be herded up. So you are looking for a big group moving 3-6 miles a day. Big herds seem to have a circuit they cover once hunting season starts. Between multiple drainages as they get bumped by hunters. When possible, I like identifying main ridges and looking and listening in the fingers that come off them. When the herds are moving you can here the cows talking on a still morning. Listen for bugles in the dark and try to catch them headed to their beds at daylight. You have to think in terms of miles when hunting elk. At least a mile from an open road, and about 3 miles from a trailhead seems to be where the elk are relaxed.

 

[ntodwild]

Spikes tend to be thrust from the herds during the mating season. Mama doesn't want them around nor do the bulls. You will typically see spikes just wondering around like clueless teenagers this time of year and season.

Cameras can only tell you that animals have visited but depending on time of year elk use vastly different areas. Just because you see them on camera in an area one month does not make it so that they will be there during hunting season. The best way to use cameras in my experience "With Elk" is to leave them up year round and check them year round to give you a solid idea of "how and when" elk are using a specific area. I know,...... a lot of work and time!

My personal 40+ year of hunting elk tell me unless you are hunting bulls, keep it quiet. Use a cow call to either stop an animal for a shot or as a "last resort" when an animal you have spotted is just not following the script and desperation time ensues. Once you blow elk out of an area (hunt pressure, laying scent down, cow calling, walking through the woods day in and day out) they tend to bounce for days if not a week or more. Patients can ware thin when you are seeing animals but just not getting shots but patients is what is required. It's not worth blowing a small herd out of an area by pressure hunting or cow calling at every corner.

Yes what you are describing as you say "Is Elk Hunting". Given your situation and time of year, no bugles or animals I would pick up and hunt an entirely different drainage or area. As they say, "Elk are where you find em".

Good luck and be patient now and every season.

 

[diamond hitch]

Looks like a normal search to me. Elk react to the weather, food conditions and time of the year. Elk in September likely aren't where elk are after late October. On top of that they move miles - daily. Sometimes they follow a cycle but its not predictable - especially in the fall. In my experience scouting gives you a place to start hunting /searching. Some years 5 wks are not enough. Other years you fall into them. In a nutshell - they ain't whitetail.

 

[SBAHunts]

don't over work an area just because it should have elk......keep moving around until you find the elk

 

[OntarioHunter]

I would suggest sleeping on it ... literally. Camp out up there on a moonlit night and you'll probably hear plenty of elk talking. I vividly remember running out in the dark to bring my picketted horses off the meadow and into camp when a bull was screaming at them at 2:00 a.m. Can give you some idea of the area they're frequenting. Also, they usually won't be far from water at this time of year.

Give shady areas just below saddles between basins special attention. Those spots have been especially productive for me.

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

This is a great thread. I'm learning a lot and love to hear others' perspectives.

 

[BigE17]

Hunting the Flat Top Mtns in CO October 10-14, first trip to CO and first elk hunt. Any tips, suggestions for the hunt itself or the gear and packing is appreciated.

 

[MNElkNut]

BigE17, lots of good info on those topics if you use the search feature. As for gear, mountain hunting is not like out east (no idea where you are from). Get quality gear like merino wool (especially socks), and good mountain boots. Dress in layers, avoid cotton, get good optics and be patient. Game densities in the west are less than out east, so dont expect to see tons of game every day. Two last things. One, keep a good mental attitude. Two, enjoy your hunt in ways not measured by game harvested. Good luck.

 

[BigE17]

appreciate that. I have been getting top quality clothing and gear and watching videos and reading as much as I can.

 

[AceJiggy19]

@BigE17 I'm from Colorado and hunted the flat tops for a long time when I was younger. Guessing there will be a lot of hunters, since the place has only gotten more popular than when I used to hunt it. Biggest thing is getting away from the roads and trails - just get as far from that stuff as possible, or you'll be incredibly frustrated and probably not even see elk. Also, weather - flat tops is notorious for trapping hunters in nasty winter storms. If it starts snowing (and mid-October wouldn't surprise me), bail!!!!!! So many people have to leave campers and RVs up there over the winter because they don't bail in time and have to go get them in the spring. I remember one time, roughly 15 years ago, when it started snowing as we were going to sleep one night (in tents). We were woken up to our tents collapsing on us, around 2AM, and over 12" on the ground - that was honestly the most scared I've ever been, and we packed tents and GTFO quicker than I have ever seen us do before.

 

[Bob-WY]

Wanted to update this since archery is now closed in our area in WY.

15 days, more often than not we were out there for at least part of the day. Wife saw nothing, heard 2 bugles, her achilles tendon injury sure kept her from exploring with me as she stayed in her treestand.

Last night was our last evening. What a day! No elk, but lots of fun.

Wife heard a bugle just at sunset, unfortunately that set off coyotes, the bugle she thought was down the creek bottom trail from her stand, right where we expected elk to come for her, but nothing showed, maybe the coyotes?

Me on the other hand, I actually found elk! Finally!
Moving up through lodge pole pine, the kind with undergrowth but lots of dry dead stuff on the ground. I was approaching a flat spot with big rocks, from 100 yards I was looking at the rocks figuring 'that middle one doesn't look right'. So I glassed it and it was a cow! Then saw 3 others, none seemed to know I was there, they were feeding, actually one was bedded. Wind was coming from the side, so I was good there and had a decent amount of small pines I could move from tree to tree to close distance. This might actually work!

Over 10 minutes I made it in to 65 yards. They still didn't show sign of knowing I was there. This might REALLY happen. Well, then it happened, as I was about to move to the next tree and it happened, the wind swirled, I felt it hit the back of my neck, so froze. One elk head popped up looking down the hill towards me, then 3 others. Oh crap. They didn't see me, but felt something was up. They got nervous and one by one walked over the hill top around the rocks. I cow called and they stopped and turned for a few seconds, they walked again, i cow called again and the biggest cow stopped and looked, then went over where I couldn't see. I ran around to the right into some thick pines, found beds, puddles of urine, droppings. I knelt into some trees and cow called a few times and let out a bugle. HOPING they'd come back. I gave it 20 minutes of silence, but nothing.

They most likely went the direction I was going anyway, so off I went. Found tracks, fresh dropping etc. Followed the tracks for about 300 yards, always walking tracks never running. I was at the top of a knob and a bull bugled, then I heard 2 cow calls! I settled infront of a clump of small pines behind a blowdown, I could see about 75 yards in all directions. I let out a cow call and the bull bugled, so I bugled. He bugled over me and chuckled. I had to switch calls because i can't chuckle with my power bugle, had to pull the end and use my diaphram. I gave it 30 seconds and bugled. Immediately he answered with a chuckle, so I went back over him with a chuckle. I figured he was out about 150 and i think what was happening is that he stumbled into my cows and bugled at them, then when I cow called he thought there was another one. Then when I bugled I was hoping the fight was on. I can't shoot him, but hoped he'd either bring the cows over, or he'd come alone and at least I get the experience!

After about 15 minutes of this going on, it was now about 5:00 and he was coming closer. I could hear branches breaking and it sounded like he beat up a tree. Then it happened again, wind shifted and he went silent. Dead quiet for about 5 minutes, then he bugled again much further away. I moved up and around 150 yards to fix the wind issue and get closer but never heard from him again.

Was fun though!

 

[JLS]

Hunt where the elk are, not where you think they should be. If you aren't finding fresh sign and/or hearing/seeing elk, go somewhere else. Good elk hunters hunt elk where the elk are. That's why they are successful.

 

[WesternRookie]

Hunting the Flat Top Mtns in CO October 10-14, first trip to CO and first elk hunt. Any tips, suggestions for the hunt itself or the gear and packing is appreciated.

How did your hunt go? I am looking at the Flat Tops for 2021 so would appreciate any advice you may have