Tips for Chasing Elk During the Late Season?

[Little Fish]

Anyone have any advice for chasing elk during the late season? I'm hunting with a bow so am wondering what techniques you guys use to find and close in on elk when you can't bugle/call them. Oh and one more question. How long does it take the elk to settle down and resume a somewhat normal routine after modern firearm season ends?
Thanks,
LF

[Mike450r]

Cut tracks or spot and stalk is how I have got it done.  If you aren't picky and willing to stick a cow or a raghorn it isn't too hard to find a herd out there and close in on em.  The bulls with the herd this time of year are not going to be trophies.  For those you will want to look for a set (sometimes two together) of fresh bull tracks and sign which is likely going to lead you into the timber.  I think this time of year especially, 90% of the elk will be spending 90% of their time in the timber.

[high country]

find some chow, they will likely be there at night, figure where they are bedding.......that is your ambush zone.

[actionshooter]

I cut tracks and follow. You have to be willing to go where they go and know the area so you don't get lost.

[WonkyWapiti]

I'm trying to free up some time to hunt the late season in 454 myself.  Since I am also still a newer bowhunter what can I expect as far as their behavior compared to the rut?  Meaning can I expect to find some bulls still with the cows or are the bulls gonna be hiding out on their own or in bachelor groups?  Thanks in advance, Joe

[GoldTip]

Wonky, you may find the occasional raghorn 5x5 with a group of cows, however even that is rare, usually a spike or two and maybe a forky will hang with the cows, but most times any bull 2 1/2 years or older will not be hanging with the cows this time of year, unless they are pushed down by extreme snows in the high country and are already in the winter range.  This time of year if I still have a tag and hunt the late archery, for me it's all about cutting fresh tracks and slowly moving with them.

[Houndhunter]

late season i hunt for cows really, unless i get lucky enough to get close enough to a bull which hasnt happened to me yet

[WonkyWapiti]

Thanks Goldtip, I appreciate the info.  I'm still scouring for available land to hunt in 454 and been trying to spot some elk in the area as I have time away from work. 

[HuntinCrazy]

I hunt near Randle most late seasons. I agree with you guys about cutting tracks then getting on a hot trail and pray for snow. I start off in a natural ground blind well before shooting time, glassing far points and ridges. If I dont see anyone elk I am on the move.  Get in the woods early and stay ALL day. Ya cant shoot them if your back at camp naping.....lol
We are all pumped up the late hunt. 7 of us at camp this time of year. Those cows are looking yummmmmmmmmmmmmy   
I have heard bulls buggle this late in the season but it was always late at night. Listen for the cows calls and mews. Stop, Look, listen and smell.

Good luck all

GJ

[bowhuntin]

I always carry a cow call with me whether it is early or late season because if you accidently bump some critters you can calm them down a bit and try and get the sneak on them. I think how you hunt in the late season depends on the weather, if there is snow you can expect to be able to find migrating elk and try and ambush them, but if the elk haven't been pushed out of the high country you are probably going to be hunting the same critters as you did in the early season. I suppose it would matter on what side of the state you hunt to east or west.

[Broken Arrow]

This may sound a bit strange...but I have always been rather aggressive in elk hunting, and often try things other say won't or don't work. If you don't mind shooting a cow in the late season,and/or if the area permits its, I do like the other hunters have addressed and get on a trail until I find the herd ( i don't call a peep while finding them, but rather sneak quietly). After that....I do something unconventional.....I will rush in and deliberately spook the herd ( if I'm close enough and can't get a shot), splitting them up...then begin to to frantically call with my cow call in a lost cow sequence. I have good success with this in the past. The animals are so call shy that regular calling in my opinion just seems run them out of an area. Once, broken up, they become freaked out and desperately wish to get back with the herd.

[Washington M]

Focus your efforts high and low. Late season elk move down into valleys and agricultural lands (usually private property) to escape hunting pressure, try and catch them coming and going. Large herds of elk can often times be found on very small pieces of private land, but they do come and go. If you dont know of an area like this, I agree with the other guys, get up high and glass, in severe weather elk can be spotted at all times of the day and stalking is considerably easier. And last before least, that cow call is still golden! Use it to find elk, calm animals down, and even coax them in. You can still find big bulls with cows and a cow call is a great way to find the herd.

[zpoolman]

Where can you hunt in 454?

[Palmer]

DNR land, National Forest Land, Timber co. lands.  Look it up online by viewing parcels of land and who owns them such as county records and even zillow.

[WonkyWapiti]

It's gettin to be that theres not a whole lot of places left.  I hunt alot of private land that I have access to tho.

[Little Fish]

Awesome information everyone. Thanks for sharing. Here are a couple things I learned last year.

Always always always keep your bow within reach....especially when going to the restroom, eating lunch or walking a short ways from your truck to peak over a ridge. Last year at first light I stopped at a likely place to hunt, but before leaving my truck I stepped into the woods to answer mother nature's call. When I was about 100 feet from my truck I heard a bunch of breaking sticks and crashing through the trees above me.....two bulls headed downhill right at me. They both stopped 20-30 yards away before changing directions and moving off through the trees. Duh!!!

The next lesson is to only use your calls when appropriate. I think elk primarily talk when trying to regroup, when lost or when on the move and there is a chance one or more of the herd may get separated from the group. Last year I cow called to a group of elk in the middle of a wide open clear cut in a situation where no self respecting elk would ever get lost. Needless to say the elk didn't come my way. They just blew out of there. The point I'm trying to make is think before calling since calling is not appropriate in all situations.

[Chesapeake]

I dont hunt archery, but hunt the late muzzle loader seasons sometimes clear till mid of January.

I've had excellent results using cow calls to call in elk in december and january. Not real big bulls mind you, but spikes, raghorns and cows. I've called several spikes away from herds of cows, and a spike or raghorn spotted alone at distance can usualy be brought to within 15 yards or so very easily with a cow call.

One thing I dont do, maybe this played in with the above "elk bailed at my call", is call to elk, especialy groups of cows in a situation where the elk should be able to see the calling elk. My experience with groups of cows has bean that if you call when they are out in the open, and they cant see the elk calling, they will bail. The use of a decoy may help this, but I havent tried. Cows in the reprod seem pretty easy to call to, but they may just respond and expect you to come to them, rather than they go to you.

[Little Fish]

Chesapeake...you nailed it. They didn't see an elk so they bailed. I'm pretty new so my experience doubles every time I'm in the field. I've had luck calling animals in during the late season, but I just need to be smart about when calling is appropriate. I'm sure I have many many more mistakes to make