School me....

[gasman]

I had a trail cam up for a 5 day soak. I did not want to leave it to long with out a lock box. Yes, i am a little worried about some one causing damage to my one and only trail cam. It was chained and locked to a tree but i still was a bit concerned. After a 5 day soak i got 1 pic of the area (water hole/ wallow) and that was it. The camera was placed next to a well beat trail, and the mud hole was covered with track, all over the place. The grass is green and lucious, so i thought.
The area is below some old clearings, andi have seen elk, deer, and bear in the clear cuts above. I hike a few of the trails coming down from the clearing above and did find some fresh poop and urine soaked areas from today or last night. Did not find a whole lot of fresh track but did find some from a few animals.

When do elk start using wallows?
Are elk likely to visit wallows while still in velvet?
Am i just a bit early in the season to expect to see animals visiting this area reegularly?


Here is the one pic i got.



And that mud hole you see is about 3 feet deep 

[DeerThug]

I would say that any animal is just using this as a water hole.  From the bulls that I have been around they wallow in the rut.  If you find an active wallow in the rut DON'T leave it.   Stake it out as they will return.  You may not get the herd bull, but the satellite bulls hag out in places like that to try to pick up a stray cow.

I called in a trophy spike a few years ago on a place like that. 

Also you asked if you were too early.  Just because the animals are using this spot in July, does not mean that they will be there in the fall.  They go to where the food and water and shelter is for what ever the time of the year is and what their nutritional needs are. But they don't have wings so they wont be too far.  Keep that in mind and you will have the puzzle pieces to nail  something.

Shoot straight - shoot often

[gasman]

I am keeping an eye on this area for archery season this year. There are other mud holes near by but this one has water in it, where the others are just mud.

I am not looking for a heard bull, for this is on teh east side and i did not get drawn for a bull permit, so cow and spike are on my hit list.

[400out]

I would say that any animal is just using this as a water hole.  From the bulls that I have been around they wallow in the rut.  If you find an active wallow in the rut DON'T leave it.   Stake it out as they will return.  You may not get the herd bull, but the satellite bulls hag out in places like that to try to pick up a stray cow.

I called in a trophy spike a few years ago on a place like that. 

Also you asked if you were too early.  Just because the animals are using this spot in July, does not mean that they will be there in the fall.  They go to where the food and water and shelter is for what ever the time of the year is and what their nutritional needs are. But they don't have wings so they wont be too far.  Keep that in mind and you will have the puzzle pieces to nail  something.

Shoot straight - shoot often

Pretty good advice here stay there!!!!!

[jstone]

looks familiar. if that is in eastern washingtin and there are about 6 other wallows and a nice meadow at the bottom. lots of people hunt there in archery, including me

[BLUEBULLS]

use of wallows and stripping velvet go hand in hand.... usually august 8th to the 15th.

If there's signs of that hole being used as a wallow in years past then leave you're camera up... they'll be there within 3 weeks

I remember setting up a cam on my favorite wallow, through july all I got were bears and a few deer. All of a sudden about august 10th I started getting 5 to 8 bulls a day. It's like someone turns on the switch!!

[coachcw]

Check the area for predators and people , you may have to relocate.

[gasman]

looks familiar. if that is in eastern washingtin and there are about 6 other wallows and a nice meadow at the bottom. lots of people hunt there in archery, including me

Not likely, it is in the little Naches unit.


There are 2 watering holes with in 100yards of each other. Both show sign of use, but with the ground so wet and muddy, it is hard to tell from the fresh track. I hav enot seen any sign of preditor use on the watering hole either. I know there are bears in the area for i seen one a few weeks ago in the cleatings above. I plan on hunting the clearings above for bear in a few weeks, so we will see. I also found a dead cow elk in the creek, it was there last sunday and i whent to see if teh preditors have started to get at it yet , but no, the fly's are teh only thing eating at it. I expect that to change soon, for it is starting to stink.

So far i have no evidance of other people using the area. No trash, food prints, stands, blinds, etc.... Like i said, "so far".......

I will keep an eye on this placeand replace my trail cam after i build a bear box for it