Let's talk elk tactics

[Optimusprime]

Hey all. I just got done with my early season and it was not productive. It was actually very frustrating to say the least. I hunted 2 different westside units, each a very good distance from one another. In both areas, it was the same story. No elk chattering. Only bugling was from road hunters as they drove around bugling at every little road. We went into several very steep, thick, dark ravines, heavy timber, you name it. There was sign but most of it was several days old or more. We put in alot of work every day, dark to dark. Only ever saw one cow and she slogged off into the thickest stuff around. No one was answering back to calls, probably no elk around duh! What do you other successful hunters do when the elk are silent, and not moving? I don't have a lot of experience but I feel like I should have seen something with all the sign we saw. Any ideas? I always talk to people who are like "Oh yeah. We saw like 4 herds today. We worked them all day blah blah blah." I guess I'm just at an impass as to what to do.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Keep at it. Persistence pays!

[HUNTaHOLIC5]

 One of the most overlooked things is the speed at which you hunt. It's not just a hike through the woods with a rifle/bow. I have three speeds when hunting elk. A full on run, still hunt (step step step stop and look then repeat) and a complete stop either glassing, cow calling or in a heavy traffic area. Each situation requires a different method. If they are being vocal I like to close the distance a sap and get in their "bubble" before calling. When they aren't being talkative it just comes down to persistence.

The thing that has ultimately helped me the most is spending time in the woods developing a better "elk instinct".

[huntingbaldguy]

Too much calling seems to make them silent, especially rosies.  I try to pick a thick patch of timber to beat and follow sign when i can't find them in the open.  That said most of my animals have been seen in the open either morning or night.  All this from an unsuccessful hunter in early season as well, but we saw elk, just couldn't get close enough.

[wooltie]

Hey all. I just got done with my early season and it was not productive. It was actually very frustrating to say the least. I hunted 2 different westside units, each a very good distance from one another. In both areas, it was the same story. No elk chattering. Only bugling was from road hunters as they drove around bugling at every little road. We went into several very steep, thick, dark ravines, heavy timber, you name it. There was sign but most of it was several days old or more. We put in alot of work every day, dark to dark. Only ever saw one cow and she slogged off into the thickest stuff around. No one was answering back to calls, probably no elk around duh! What do you other successful hunters do when the elk are silent, and not moving? I don't have a lot of experience but I feel like I should have seen something with all the sign we saw. Any ideas? I always talk to people who are like "Oh yeah. We saw like 4 herds today. We worked them all day blah blah blah." I guess I'm just at an impass as to what to do.

Experienced the same thing this year.  Lots of poop and rubs everyone, but most were days old.  Rubs were mixed between last year and last month/weeks, me thinks.

This year I found an area with sign.  Area measures about 2 square miles.  I put up cams and scouted the area extensively, following the trails and such up, down, left, and right.  Pressure wasn't too bad, seen worse, but didn't bump into any elk despite going up n down the mountain and creeks.  No bugles, except for a hunter.

Elk were either barricaded in some place I didn't go or had moved out of the area.

Lesson learned: scout a larger area first and don't go too deep into figuring out all the trails, instead find the large areas where they are and note where they aren't.  Setup cams to establish places where they frequent.  A couple bulls in one spot over a 30 day soak is not a good spot IMHinexperienedO.  Come season they may not be in the area you scouted so heavily pre-season (that's what might have happened to me).

Come season all bets are off, you go where you hear em or where they seem to hang out the most.

[theleo]

Find something that concentrates them, food, water, or cover. If they are going into deep nasty stuff, leave them be. Figure out where they are going when they leave that cover and get to that spot. If you are finding fresh sign there's a reason but it's up to you to find out what that is. The pieces to the puzzle are always the same, food, water, cover, pressure. Figure out how the first three fit and don't be the fourth.

[dscubame]

Don't overlook the overlooked.  Seriously.

I walk away from known bulls in heavy pressured areas.  Was hard to do but did so last week going to a close but different drainage and got into two other bulls that had not been pressured yet.  West Central MT.

[Piscatory_5]

Hey all. I just got done with my early season and it was not productive. It was actually very frustrating to say the least. I hunted 2 different westside units, each a very good distance from one another. In both areas, it was the same story. No elk chattering. Only bugling was from road hunters as they drove around bugling at every little road. We went into several very steep, thick, dark ravines, heavy timber, you name it. There was sign but most of it was several days old or more. We put in alot of work every day, dark to dark. Only ever saw one cow and she slogged off into the thickest stuff around. No one was answering back to calls, probably no elk around duh! What do you other successful hunters do when the elk are silent, and not moving? I don't have a lot of experience but I feel like I should have seen something with all the sign we saw. Any ideas? I always talk to people who are like "Oh yeah. We saw like 4 herds today. We worked them all day blah blah blah." I guess I'm just at an impass as to what to do.

I bumped a few herds this year and a single or two but the only real shot opportunity was on the last day(yesterday) at the end of the day. None of the elk I bumped earlier in the season made any sounds, calling wise. Westside as well, near coast. I don't think breeding has started yet, most likely early october around here. I heard lots of bugles too that were hunters I'm sure since most were on the weekends. I just keep looking for fresh tracks and go from there.

[floatinghat]

I don't know it's been pretty quiet since the AR opener.  I have yet to hear a bull bugle in SW during muzzy season.  I hear people on the east side talk about vocal bulls. It's just not something I have experienced.

[kentrek]

I had 100+ bugle days on the west side, weather moved in and it slowed but then went rite back to bugle frenzies once the cold rain left

I know this isn't the norm but if your not in elk that talk I'd find different elk