baiting elk

[WA hunter14]

the elk im hunting bed on the top of a ridgeline and there is a buck that lives about a 1/4 mile away, should i put a bait station inbetween them or two seperate ones?

[Hockdo7]

Try Buck Jam, or deer cocaine...the elk love it our here!

Elk hunt

[huntnnw]

I dont think u can consistently pull elk in with bait till late when the snow falls and dump out alot of alfalfa

[JLS]

I don't personally do it, but forget the oats and apples and just stick out a block of salt. Bowhunters in Idaho have used this trick for years.

Ha, even though it's illegal in ID!

[huntnnw]

and how many guides in ID do this? 

[JLS]

None, I'm sure....

[Button Nubbs]

I just set out 2 sites with cams. Each had a 50lb bag of wet cob one had a 50lb selenium block and the other a 50lb trace mineral block. They are both between feeding and bedding areas next to water on some heavily used trails. I let ya know how they work in a couple weeks when I check the cams.

[baldopepper]

Hunting over Salt licks is illegal in several states, but in many states (Idaho and Utah for sure) sheep men put out tons of salt to keep the sheep herds somewhat in order (not unusual in both those states to go into the back country and run into herds of 3,000 - to 4000 sheep!)  I once trailed a herd of elk about 7 miles and they were bee lining straight to a  salt lick.  Elk love the stuff-just a personal thing, but I'm opposed to baiting of any type for elk or deer.  Lots of bow hunters in particular in those 2 states don't put out the blocks themselves, they just find one that the sheepmen have put out and the elk are also using.  Not accusing anyone, but guides in both those state have a pretty good idea where the salt licks are in their area.

[Matt]

I have 6 licks that I put out in my area.  I use 50lb bags of SE-30 Sellenium/mineralsalt.  The elk do not come into these like bait but it does keep them in the area.  If the weather is hot they will hit them regularly.  But usually by opening day it cools off and they don't want it as much.  They stomp it into the ground and will come back to them each spring.

I don't use a block for 2 reasons.  First and foremost it is too easily seen by other hunters and will gain their attention for a place to hunt.  Second is a group of elk can move a block a long ways especially if it's on a hill.  Like it has been said before a good salt lick will attracted every animal around.  You can get some cool pictures if you put a trail camera up.

[DoubleJ]

What's going to be the best bait to put out Sept. 1 for the archery opener then?  I can't get to my elk spot before then

[DoubleJ]

Bueller?   Bueller?

[Button Nubbs]

thought id report on my findings. 3 weeks ago i put out a 50lb trace mineral block and a 50lb selenium block, each had a 50lb bag of wet cob spread around it. the elk at the first site didnt touch the cob but had a bull and a cow come in to lick the selenium block. also had a couple pass by on the trail and not even look in that direction. at the second site i had some cows that ate a little cob but they were digging on the 50lb trace mineral block. i had one cow stay for over an hour and a couple others stay for 1/2 hr. also had a bull come in a lick it and another bull just walked by on the trail. the cows are loving the minerals right now. one mistake i did make was i put the cob around the blocks in a blair witch lookin circle, it mostly just sat  there and rotted. if i put cob out again it will be in a feeder. theres my expierence. as august come tho i will be dumpin some apples!

[Elkrunner]

pics?

[Button Nubbs]

The pic in my avatar is a bull that was licking the trace minerals

[rebal69972]

OK guys stop hoggin all the fun. just joking kinda. i have salt and mineral blocks out and they've been set for over a month i also put out 50 lbs of apples out 2 weeks ago and all i got were 3 deer, a doe and fawn they stopped at the salt but didn't touch the apples and the other was a small buck i think and it didn't even stop. other then the deer a got few yotes. what am i doing wrong or have i just not given it enough time