Roosevelt vs Rocky, Rifle vs Archery

[jtmoose]

Going into my second season of hunting SW WA.  Going out for bear and deer season to hopefully find a place to bring my family during elk season.  My first year (last year) I tried to read as much as I could and talk to as many people as I could, etc.  It was hard to ask intelligent question not knowing what i don't know.  I found that I was reading mostly about archery hunting rocky mountain elk.  It seems that rifle hunting Roosevelt elk may be a bit different? Here are few more specific question I hope will help me learn this hunting skill.

1.) West side elk don't seem to need to worry about finding food and water, is remote the key thing I should be searching for?
2.) I learned that elk don't bugle during rifle season; without calling them in or hearing where they are and without being able to "glass" in all this thick forest, how the heck do you hunt them?  Still hunt remote timber?  Stand hunt meadows/clearcuts?
3.) I read about both going slow and covering a lot of ground, should I equate that to covering ground for archery because of the calling and still hunting for rifle because I understand elk to be resting and eating in cover after the rut?
4.) Does elevation play a role between the seasons?  West side seems to be about 30-70 degrees year round so I feel like they might not migrate like I read about other areas?

I appreciate the help.  I look forward to learning.

[chester]

1. Look for sign sometimes they stay close to the roads sometimes they don't. Follow tracks and find bedding areas.
2. Glass clear cuts early and late . Look for sign. Elk leave a muddy trail when they cross roads in rifle season. They really tear up cut banks. Follow the tracks into the brush. Learn to read sign .
3. Cover ground, they can walk faster then you can run and they aren't quiet. Basically try to catch them in their beds.
4. Elevation doesn't really matter much on the timberlands unless you're right in the cascades or olympics.
Good luck this year.



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[Mudman]

Your right about all.  That's why its hard to hunt em.  High country elk still migrate.  Lowland don't much.  Cover ground till you find sign then slow and locate.  All methods you mention can be good at times.  Rut is over in rifle season so not vocal.  Food and water eberywhere but they have favorites.  I think avoiding danger is the key to them.  Nocturnal and quiet when pressured.  A lot of rifle hunters hunt the pressure.  Meaning they still hunt dark timber and hideouts and let other hunters push and harass the elk into them..  My Dad has been very successful art this over the years.  Others watch cuts and feeding areas.  Some hike scout and map patterns- the best way.  Archery has the rut and time.  Calling scouting and still hunting works well.  I use my ears as much as eyes as they are loud.  Its all hard, just being in elk country is a good start, crazy stuff happens in rifle seasons.

[Humptulips]

Good advice so far IMO. I'll just reinforce the part about learning to read sign. There is a lot of country out there where the elk are not. Figuring out where they are from sign is key IMO.
When there was more big timber we would just get on some tracks and walk them down. Now with more dog hair it is a little more complicated but you can help yourself a lot by at least knowing what direction they are headed.

[jeffitz]

All good advice,also be relentless. Hunt hard every day you can,i have killed several westside bulls on the last day of rifle season when most hunters have gone home

[jtmoose]

From what I understand:

• cover as much ground as possible until I find sign (does it need to be fresh?)
• Then still or stand hunt that area (does the type of area determine which?)

[mrgoodwrench]

Once again, people these days don't know how to track elk!  Learn this and you will kill elk on an annual basis.  The ability to track elk, and being persistent in doing this day in and day out during season will lead to opportunities on Roosevelts.  Cover ground!  Watch the road and ditch, ruts off the bank, mud clumps that fall out of their tracks on rocked roads, 5' wide wet spots crossing a dry road..usually wet elk from a creek crossing, they will even leave a faint mark in a hard compacted active mainline...you just need to look.  Once you find fresh tracks, walk them down, you can do this with any weapon.  Once you bump them in the brush, they usually don't run far before they slow down....slow down and catch up to them....you can do this day after day until you get a shot.  If you run them into thick ass reprod...good luck running them out where you want them to go...that is one thing I've yet to accomplish.

[GregE]

Good comments above.
I know that 'Full time ELK' beat part time hunter most of the time

[JimmyHoffa]

It's good to know their general routine too.  Some of the herds I follow kind of make a big loop through an area taking about a week.  They have certain hidey-holes they run straight to if spooked.  Just kind of depends on where the head cow wants to take them and how spooked she is.  I kind of do what the guys above are saying--walk as fast as possible along the roads and find some sign.  Then depending on how late it is dive off the road and start following or get to that spot early the next day.  A lot of the guys I know like bicycles so much because they can fly around up and down the roads and find sign a lot faster.  Then they jump in the brush and start following.

[Bofire]

Be ready to cover more and rougher ground than anyone you know. Scout a lot, hunt deer in the same area, and grouse etc. mushrooms
Do not look for an Elk, look for an ear or foot, good Binos! It may be brushy but you may only see a 6 inch target in bad light, a good scope is a must.
Elk stink when you get close. Carry enough gun, tracking in brush is really hard. I say hit them again and again, in good spots, until they go down. I use a 300 mag
good luck Be ready to deal with a big dead animal, good knives, bags, etc.
Carl