New to elk

[ihuntforchrist]

Being from Wisconsin i have never hunted elk before. I've deer hunted all my life and consider myself to be a fairly good hunter/outdoorsman. I would like to ask for a few pointers on hunting NE Wa, but it seems nobody is willing to give any solid info other than "go look for yourself." I know how to walk around the woods and scout, and i think i've found a spot that will hold some elk for the fall. I'm not looking to shoot a huge elk. I will shoot anything other than a calf. Just having the opportunity to hunt elk is a dream come true for me.

What i want to know is some general elk hunting tactics/calling? I'm going to go early season archery hunting and i am wondering how well the animals actually respond to calls, or will i be better off stalking silently?

Plz don't give me any dumb answers. I already think this forum is almost useless for learning due to the fact that most people on here don't give up their "secrets"

[ellensburgpo]

Plz don't give me any dumb answers. I already think this forum is almost useless for learning due to the fact that most people on here don't give up their "secrets"
[/quote]

The why are you here? The why are you asking questions? There are answers to most of your questions on lots of other posts. Start there.

[wraithen]

People get offended that others make a post just for themselves to rehash information that has been posted tons of times. There is a search bar. There's probably TONS of advice about your intended area and tactics and everything and writeups about hunts. If you truly believe this forum is useless why let it into the address bar? Just stick to amazon.com or something similar. Books won't be smart alecs. I'd check out The Elk Hunter. There's also already topics on good hunting books if you use the search button.

[ellensburgpo]

I wasn't trying to be a smart alec, I don't get his post. He comes on asking others for their knowledge. To learn I'm guessing, and in the next paragraph he says the site is useless for learning. That confuses me.

[wraithen]

I wasn't trying to be a smart alec, I don't get his post. He comes on asking others for their knowledge. To learn I'm guessing, and in the next paragraph he says the site is useless for learning. That confuses me.

I wasn't calling you one. I was trying to explain to the thin skinned OP why he sees people being smart alecs to posts like his. Sorry for the confusion.

[ihuntforchrist]

i'm really not thin skinned i do appreciate some of the sarcasm, i just wish it was surrounded by good info. I know there are guys on here that can kill some animals, i've seen the pics. i just want to know how they did it. They had to start somewhere.

my "plz no bs" line was to avoid the conversation we're having now and just talk elk hunting.

I also know how a forum works and have spent a lot of time searching for info on NE wa elk, and have read just about every thread. But most of them get info like, "they're there, you just have to find them," or "everyone knows there aren't elk in NE Wa."

I get the sealed lip mentality, (there is no way i would tell anyone where i'm hunting) i just want to know the basics of hunting elk. What has worked for you guys in the past?

[Button Nubbs]

Tree stand for me but I hunt the wetside.

[ihuntforchrist]

i assume on the wetside you are setting up over food sources/ travel routes to-from?

does anyone else treestand hunt the eastside?

[shoot-em-dead]

honestly- nothing for me.

[Austrian Hunter]

Very simple, there are no Elk or very few on the East side!!! Unless you have a special permit??? So your best chance is West side, yes, hunt the rain forest they have tons of elk!!!! 

[wraithen]

If you go into an elk area there are elk there. How many miles you have to put in for a successful hunt depends on a lot of factors. People are tight lipped because there's smart people out there that can hone in on a good area from something as small as a tight shot of a trail cam pic. Combat hunting is like combat fishing, only more likely to end in a more scary situation. It's why I only fish my local spots when it's a bad time to fish them. Rather catch one and be alone than watch 5 people catch when they're a few feet from me and have to deal with all that bs.

As far as actual tactics, I'm in the same boat. I have a buddy that knows how to hunt elk but he won't be around for the season. I'm on my own. Just remember, there's some really dumb people that aren't great shots that get animals all the time. Persistence seems to be key.

[WonkyWapiti]

I started archery hunting for elk probably 8 years ago.  My life changed after reading a book titled, "Radical Elk Hunting" by Mike Lapinski.  The premise of the book is basically about getting in close to call shy bulls and you basically piss them off enough to bring them in on ya.  I would also suggest the Elknuts playbook.   I need to purchase it myself and they are here on the forum and have gotten nothing but rave reviews.

Elk generally cover a much larger range than deer.  Where I hunt, if not pushed the deer tend to stay in a general area and can be somewhat patterned.  ELk on the other hand will often cover alot more ground and depending on the area may even have a route that they work and may be out of an area for a few days to a week til they come back through.  Elk  will go into the nastiest, steepest, and craziest places that you would never imagine an animal so large would travel.

As far as calling, alot of it depends on how the rut is going and the area.  One thing I'll definitely suggest is practice practice practice and spend more time practicing your calls.  Learn how to change things up and not just do the same all over and over again.  Also stay in an area for a bit once you start calling.  Don't be in a rush to call and move on right away.  Think about staying in a spot for 45 minutes or so before you move.  I've made the mistake of getting up and moving on and all of a sudden the woods erupt in front of me as a bull that was sneaking in silently takes off while I begin crying.   

I'll write more later but here's a start.

[Button Nubbs]

Yes, food sources and travel routes and a freaking TON of scouting.

[wraithen]

Is setting up off of their highways a good idea? What's a good setup location?

[WonkyWapiti]

Is setting up off of their highways a good idea? What's a good setup location?

For me this depends on the scouting you've done and knowing what elk are in your area.  I've done this alot in the evenings.  Hell I had a beautiful two by two standing at arms length for about five minutes a couple of years ago while I was watching several intersecting trails one evening.  He never knew I was there and the whole time I was hoping his bigger brother was following.