Early September archery. No good with calls and will leave them in the truck. Have found elk 2.5 miles back in a bowl with a creek running out of the bowl and out the valley/canyon in the very bottom. Somewhat steep on both sides and no real flat land in bottom. Maybe 25 yards wide the whole way. It takes about 1.5 hours to hike in all the way going slowly and quietly.
You have seen, heard and smelled elk in the bottom and half way up the 2000’ “walls” of the bowl during your summer scouting. Weather is still fairly warm. How would you seasoned elk hunters hunt this, and/or should I say get into the bowl area for a day’s hunt?
You have a bull tag in your pocket. There are no meadows or openings anywhere. Just large trees and forest everywhere. You can see 40-90 yards throughout the area. Do you sneak in hours before sun up using your head lamp and following your gps track and hope to not blow out anything on the way in? Wait till sun up and slowly start the hike?
Once in, do you sit on a trail and wait a few hours till mid morning? Start low in the bowl and move higher in elevation as the day warms. How do you deal with your thermals? Move around in this bowl throughout the day sitting an hour here and an hour there. Wait it out all day till dark to start your hike back to camp?
I am a whitetail hunter. This elk thing is new to me. Just trying to learn with some hypothetical situations. I know there are more variables than what I have described but hopefully you can give a little advice.
Thanks
