My Very First Elk Hunt

[jimboslice]

Hey forum. I'm new to the forum and to big game hunting! Looking forward to learning a lot from you guys. I'm currently in law school at Gonzaga. Past couple years I've developed an irresistible urge to get in the woods and hunt something. So I did hunter's ed, got my deer and elk license (west side tag). Both modern firearm. I've got a buddy with a few hundred acres near Spokane where he said I can take the deer.

ANYWAYS, I wanted to get some general advice on my elk hunt. I've been doing a lot of research on my own. I have a Tikka T3 30-06, and plan on hiking through South Rainier (GMU 513) to find something. I figured that way at least I have a beautiful hike since realistically I'd be lucky to even see an elk. That's really all I have planned right now. Any suggestions? I'd be willing to hunt any land, I'm not looking for secrets, but just something that wouldn't be a total waste of time. I'm a professional athlete (of sorts) so I'm in great shape, I do a lot of backpacking/mountaineering, so I'm totally willing to put in some work and pack out a quartered elk if I'm so lucky.

Also, since modern firearm elk season is post rut, are calls still effective? Cow calls or bugles? Again, I'm really green, so any basic advice for planning my hunt would be super helpful and super appreciated.

Thanks for taking time to help out a newbie!

[RadSav]

Welcome to the site!

One thing to remember is to hunt where the elk are.  I know that sounds simplistic but all too often great athletes rush right on past the elk going high, deep or too far back.  At that time of year it is all about feed, cover and positioning for migration.  Don't be in a hurry to get a long way from the roads, no matter who tells you how much greater your social standing will be with every mile you put between you and the bubba hunters.  In the end success is the ultimate goal.

When you see fresh sign, work it!  If it's two hundred yards from the main road or two miles doesn't matter, fresh sign equals elk.  Be prepared to hunt harder than the next guy.  But don't allow that preparation to inhibit your ability to hunt smart.  The fat guy on a stump where the elk are is likely to be more successful than the human mountain goat that is hunting three miles past the elk.



Next three things are wind, wind and wind!  By the time bulls have survived archery and muzzy seasons they are well tuned to the presence of hunters.  Their biggest defense system is their nose.  I try to plan my day by working uphill in the morning and down hill during mid-day.  Unless there is a storm or a constant breeze this usually gives me the most time with wind in my face. 

Atlas Mike's Fat & Fluffy yarn is a great wind detector.  Cool thing about it is that you can see what the wind is doing 10, 15, 20+ yards from your position.  Cut it into 1" pieces and pack it in an old 35mm film case or even a ziplock baggie.  Grab a few strands and toss into the air.  It's amazing stuff!



Final thing I will say is, Use Those Field Glasses!  So often I see guys with binoculars in their pockets or tucked into their jackets.  They carry them all day long and use them two maybe three times a day.  Field glasses are your equalizer!  If you use them only to identify what you think you see your missing the point.  They should be used to find the elk before they find you.  You should be using them to glass every break before you get to it.  Checking every edge before you step into an opening.  So many of the elk, deer and bear that I have killed are because I identified a single tine, a single ear or a glimpse of a tail long before entering that animals sensory zone.  Sometimes a mile away.  Sometimes 75 yards away.  Without binoculars in constant use your just stumbling into an encounter instead of positioning yourself for success.

Good Luck   Hope you feel the excitement and enjoy the experience!

[SniperDanWA]

Did you mean east side tags.  If you have west, you can't hunt Spokane.

I'd give you advice, if I thought mine was good.  So, I'm only in my 4th year in WA hunting.  I've tried West and East.  It's really about the scouting.  This year I spent solitary time in the unit I'm hunting.  It should pay off.

Btw, good luck to you too.

[Thehowler]

He has west side tags, hunting deer in Spokane.

[schnitrr]

Welcome to the site!

One thing to remember is to hunt where the elk are.  I know that sounds simplistic but all too often great athletes rush right on past the elk going high, deep or too far back.  At that time of year it is all about feed, cover and positioning for migration.  Don't be in a hurry to get a long way from the roads, no matter who tells you how much greater your social standing will be with every mile you put between you and the bubba hunters.  In the end success is the ultimate goal.

When you see fresh sign, work it!  If it's two hundred yards from the main road or two miles doesn't matter, fresh sign equals elk.  Be prepared to hunt harder than the next guy.  But don't allow that preparation to inhibit your ability to hunt smart.  The fat guy on a stump where the elk are is likely to be more successful than the human mountain goat that is hunting three miles past the elk.



Next three things are wind, wind and wind!  By the time bulls have survived archery and muzzy seasons they are well tuned to the presence of hunters.  Their biggest defense system is their nose.  I try to plan my day by working uphill in the morning and down hill during mid-day.  Unless there is a storm or a constant breeze this usually gives me the most time with wind in my face. 

Atlas Mike's Fat & Fluffy yarn is a great wind detector.  Cool thing about it is that you can see what the wind is doing 10, 15, 20+ yards from your position.  Cut it into 1" pieces and pack it in an old 35mm film case or even a ziplock baggie.  Grab a few strands and toss into the air.  It's amazing stuff!



Final thing I will say is, Use Those Field Glasses!  So often I see guys with binoculars in their pockets or tucked into their jackets.  They carry them all day long and use them two maybe three times a day.  Field glasses are your equalizer!  If you use them only to identify what you think you see your missing the point.  They should be used to find the elk before they find you.  You should be using them to glass every break before you get to it.  Checking every edge before you step into an opening.  So many of the elk, deer and bear that I have killed are because I identified a single tine, a single ear or a glimpse of a tail long before entering that animals sensory zone.  Sometimes a mile away.  Sometimes 75 yards away.  Without binoculars in constant use your just stumbling into an encounter instead of positioning yourself for success.

Good Luck   Hope you feel the excitement and enjoy the experience!

 

[skeeter 20i]

Welcome to the site!

One thing to remember is to hunt where the elk are.  I know that sounds simplistic but all too often great athletes rush right on past the elk going high, deep or too far back.  At that time of year it is all about feed, cover and positioning for migration.  Don't be in a hurry to get a long way from the roads, no matter who tells you how much greater your social standing will be with every mile you put between you and the bubba hunters.  In the end success is the ultimate goal.

When you see fresh sign, work it!  If it's two hundred yards from the main road or two miles doesn't matter, fresh sign equals elk.  Be prepared to hunt harder than the next guy.  But don't allow that preparation to inhibit your ability to hunt smart.  The fat guy on a stump where the elk are is likely to be more successful than the human mountain goat that is hunting three miles past the elk.



Next three things are wind, wind and wind!  By the time bulls have survived archery and muzzy seasons they are well tuned to the presence of hunters.  Their biggest defense system is their nose.  I try to plan my day by working uphill in the morning and down hill during mid-day.  Unless there is a storm or a constant breeze this usually gives me the most time with wind in my face. 

Atlas Mike's Fat & Fluffy yarn is a great wind detector.  Cool thing about it is that you can see what the wind is doing 10, 15, 20+ yards from your position.  Cut it into 1" pieces and pack it in an old 35mm film case or even a ziplock baggie.  Grab a few strands and toss into the air.  It's amazing stuff!



Final thing I will say is, Use Those Field Glasses!  So often I see guys with binoculars in their pockets or tucked into their jackets.  They carry them all day long and use them two maybe three times a day.  Field glasses are your equalizer!  If you use them only to identify what you think you see your missing the point.  They should be used to find the elk before they find you.  You should be using them to glass every break before you get to it.  Checking every edge before you step into an opening.  So many of the elk, deer and bear that I have killed are because I identified a single tine, a single ear or a glimpse of a tail long before entering that animals sensory zone.  Sometimes a mile away.  Sometimes 75 yards away.  Without binoculars in constant use your just stumbling into an encounter instead of positioning yourself for success.

Good Luck   Hope you feel the excitement and enjoy the experience!

Love it.  Great words of wisdom in this one.  Took some of us years to figure this stuff out on our own.

[jimboslice]

Thanks for the advice so far guys! Good stuff. Any advice on where to hunt? Again, no secrets needed. Right now I'm planning on hitting up some spots in South Rainier. If there is any public land that might be a better bet, I'm open to suggestions. How about different call patterns to use in the post rut season?

[RadSav]

Elk all over that region.  Just have to put boots on the ground and find a pocket of activity.  Cover a lot of ground until you find it.  Shouldn't take too long if you keep your eyes open.  Talk with loggers and waitresses at the local café.  That's probably the best source of free information on spots to start looking.  If you can find a local mushroom picker...Golden!!

I call very little after the rut.  Maybe use a soft cow call now and again to help cover up my noise.  Beyond that the archery hunters and the muzzy hunters have been talking, screaming and bumping elk for a month.  Then rifle deer season continues to keep the animals on edge.  If you get into elk and bump them you can use cow talk to reassure them you are just another elk.  Might only work 10% of the time, but that's an acceptable ratio in my book.  Just keep it soft and non-offensive.  Remember these animals are spooked at that point.  Aggressiveness is not right in those situations, IMO.

During early archery season I'm usually packing a half dozen calls minimum.  When I take rifle hunters out I seldom have anything more than a Phelps cow call that I can very accurately call soft.  Elk will hear even the softest cow talk from 500 yards if the woods are still.  Just remember to express your emotion into the call.  You are a cow wanting to join the comfort of a group.  You are asking, pleading, to become welcome to their group/herd.

I know there are some good elk hunters here that always go aggressive. Some experience great results with this.  It's just never happened for me that late in the season.  A PM to Jason Phelps might lead you to more choices of how to call.  I'm definitely not the calling expert that he and his crew are.  So I do not claim to know it all.  Always seems more than one way to skin a hunt cat!