New-ish to elk hunting.

[kbutt94]

All,
   
  I am newer to elk hunting (Second year archery hunter) and just wanted to ask for some advice on the topic. I have found a lot of old sign in some spots i've been looking but nothing too fresh where as a friend of mine has a spot that he literally has thousands of photos. Any tips and experiences on where you like to find elk? I've had cameras on game trails near creeks and trails through tall open timber. Really seem to be striking out this year. I'll be hunting the last week of elk. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.

[yakimanoob]

Welcome to the forum!  I've only ever hunted rifle so I'm not sure how much help I can be.  I wouldn't put too much stock into old sign.  Elk behavior patterns change pretty dramatically from summer to early fall to late fall to winter, so if you find an area where they were a few weeks ago, that doesn't tell you a whole lot about where they'll be next week. 

Personally, if I'm not seeing fresh sign, it's time to burn boot leather until I do. 

As far as tips finding elk, others will have better advice than I do since I'm new at this.  I can tell you I've learned a tremendous amount from Randy Newberg's shows on Youtube and Amazon Prime.  His hunting episodes are super entertaining (to me at least) but he's also got quite a number of instructional videos about finding elk and e-scouting. 

[kbutt94]

Yakimanoob,
  Thank you very much! I've been kinda thinking that for the most part. I know i've seen a lot of elk in the area im in but it seems as if they aren't there this time of year. I may need to get deeper in to my unit that im in. Guess its nerve racking because season is here and i have no more scout time. Time to make the call on where im setting up camp and hunting. Friend was in the area I was and saw a nice 5x5 in there. but again, no fresh sign......kinda gives you that empty gut feeling that you know what you're doing but for some reason....ya just can't find them lol

[vandeman17]

You say you have seen elk in the area you are in? Was it during season or summer? We are in the pre rut phase now so bulls are out searching for and rounding up cows. Look for good feeding areas that cows will want to use and bulls will follow. As pressure from hunters gets more intense, the elk will move into the deeper and darker timber.

[kbutt94]

Vandeman17,
 
 My friend was in last week and saw that bull. There is lots of old sign (weeks/months old) almost all in timber. Issue im running into is the bull he saw was down by a creek bed. I like the area and have been in there recently after he saw that bull (which he tried to claim as his for rifle season. lol I told him my season is first lol) however its filled with waste high thickets that you cannot move through without making a whole lot of noise. there are some trails in that area and another i was in. these trails look like walking trails. they are BEAT UP and clearly used. trail cameras and scouting turned up deer, no elk beside the old sign.

[vandeman17]

Vandeman17,
 
 My friend was in last week and saw that bull. There is lots of old sign (weeks/months old) almost all in timber. Issue im running into is the bull he saw was down by a creek bed. I like the area and have been in there recently after he saw that bull (which he tried to claim as his for rifle season. lol I told him my season is first lol) however its filled with waste high thickets that you cannot move through without making a whole lot of noise. there are some trails in that area and another i was in. these trails look like walking trails. they are BEAT UP and clearly used. trail cameras and scouting turned up deer, no elk beside the old sign.

Is this eastside or westside? When you say walking trails do you mean human walking trails?

[kbutt94]

West side. 520 (winston). game trails. not actual hiking trails. just beat up by animal that they look like hiking trails.

[vandeman17]

West side. 520 (winston). game trails. not actual hiking trails. just beat up by animal that they look like hiking trails.

Sounds like a decent spot to set up an ambush location if possible.

[kbutt94]

Even with no fresh sign? I'm a very patient hunter lol I sat a cut for 4 hours waiting for my buck i shot last year lol

[vandeman17]

Even with no fresh sign? I'm a very patient hunter lol I sat a cut for 4 hours waiting for my buck i shot last year lol

Elk move depending on the season. If you have seen elk in there in the past and there are lots of trails, it might not hurt to give it some time.

[kbutt94]

You sir are giving me faith. My friends spot in there has been getting HAMMERED with elk. 2200 pics in 2 weeks on two cameras in the same general area. I've felt behind compared to him and know i've seen elk in the past in these areas....just not yet this year.

[vandeman17]

You sir are giving me faith. My friends spot in there has been getting HAMMERED with elk. 2200 pics in 2 weeks on two cameras in the same general area. I've felt behind compared to him and know i've seen elk in the past in these areas....just not yet this year.

If you aren’t far away you are in the game. Good luck

[kbutt94]

oh im 10-15 miles from him. thats as the crow flies too.

[yakimanoob]

Take this with a big honkin' boulder of salt -- I'm an eastside rifle hunter -- but if you've got cameras on those trails with no elk on them, and no fresh sign, I would say that bull your buddy saw might have just been wandering through.   

[kbutt94]

Kinda what I would typically lean towards as well. We have always seen elk in there in the past. be it cows or bulls all times of year, but this last month or so its been a ghost town