Tips for Chasing Elk During the Late Season?

[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