Archery Elk

[smitty8202]

Hello everyone. I just have a few questions on archery elk. I just recently purchased a bow and have been practicing. i have never hunted for elk before and would love to get my first elk with a bow. something about possibly calling in a elk and taking him down with a bow draws me in. like i said i have never hunted for elk before and would like to know what are some of the techniques used when bow hunting for elk. also would anyone be willing to take me hunting with them this elk season? all transportation and gas on me. any info will help thank you.

[sebek556]

might be helpful if you list your area and some hunting background.. 

[Crunchy]

It is a lot of fun that is for sure.  Not quite as easy as it would seem.  I would find a unit that you can hunt both cows and bulls to increase your odds some. 

[smitty8202]

might be helpful if you list your area and some hunting background.. 

i live in silverdale, wa. like i said i have never hunted elk before mainly modern deer.

[bloodhound]

good elk rut hunting is a two person sport. have to have one guy to call and one to shoot. when bugling never assume the elk is going to come to you always get at close as you can to them until you piss them off and they come running. a big heard bull wont leave his cows to mess with a rag horn sounding you unless you get close enough that feels he needs to run you off.when your not getting responses or its not the rut cover a lot of ground till you find good sign then slow way down and be very patient. its almost impossible to spot and stock on a heard of elk in western wa. i just try to put myself in a spot where i think there coming through at and build a ground blind. i keep a piece of camo fabric in my pack so i can make a quick blind. never walk down a elk trail because thats where the focus of the leed cow is gonna be. so if you can silently walk off the trail 30 yards or so that your best bet. when walking down a road always walk on the inside edge of the turns. not down the middle of the road or the outside edge. it puts you closest to the animal and gives you cover and an evac route behind you if you need to back out and get set up cuz a elks is walking down the road towards you.
                thats just some but i could go on and on about mistakes ive made and all the things ive learned in the 15 years of elk hunting ive done. ohh and always be dry and warm, an elk can spot a cold shaky you from a hundred yards away.

[smitty8202]

thanks for the advice bloodhound. i just need to find an area to hunt elk.

[bloodhound]

an easy way to find a good spot closest to you is to go to the department of fish and wildlife website and look at the success reports. figure out which area closest to you has the best success rate and start looking there.

[Fullabull]

Check the regs first and see what kind of hunting you want to do (spike only or 3 point or better) this will tell you where you want to hunt (east or west). Once that decision is made then you need to pick spot and start scouting and hunting.

The east side has most of the elk from the 90 south.
Same on the west side but on the west side you need to decide wether to hunt the Rosies on the coast or Rocky Mountain elk (and rosie mix) on the east side of highway 5.

Then you need to look up Elknut (search) to start learning how to hunt elk with a bow
Elknut has a web site where you can purchase everything you need to be successful at hunting these great animals...

Good luck
Fulla

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

Smitty you can be successful elk hunting by yourself.  You dont need a partner!!

[kalamasasquatch]

Smitty you can be successful elk hunting by yourself.  You dont need a partner!!

 

never killed an elk while hunting with some one. killed 4 bulls and 2 cows in 8 years all archery. PM me if interested in southwest wa elk hunting

[sebek556]

damn with your success rate I might be changing where I am elk hunting 

[smitty8202]

still loking into everything thanks for the help. kalamasasquatch i will pm you tonite.

[sebek556]

also there are some very good call makers on here, got a phelps call and my 9 yr old son can do pretty good cow calls with it even, also start practicing to read wind..

[PlateauNDN]

also there are some very good call makers on here, got a phelps call and my 9 yr old son can do pretty good cow calls with it even, also start practicing to read wind..

Well Devil Dog you shouldn't have any trouble doing this one right?  Good luck and keep us posted.  Semper Fi!

[Little Fish]

I suggest picking a unit or two in SW Washington and then sticking with a few years. Its surprising how often those elk are in the same general area year after year.
 
 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

No Elk in SW Washington, they all went to the Colockum!!   

[colockumelk]

No Elk in SW Washington, they all went to the Colockum!!   

Dang it we've already been over this.  Yes they went to the Colockum but then either fled to the Blues because of Bigfoot that the BMM planted or were eaten by said big foot.      I still get heated thinking about what the BMM did to my presious Colockum Elk herd.   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

In all seriousness though, good luck on finding a hunting partner, it kind of tough.
just meeting someone really does not tell you enough.
After you spend the time to show a "new partner" around only to find out that someone is a jerk,
or unreliable can kind of put a damper on inviting the next guy.
I am planning on hunting alone, as I find it real hard to find someone with the same level of commitment.
Had too many last minute "no shows", or cannot go, gotta work (after telling me the vaca requested in February)