Post by: wooltie on July 01, 2014, 07:43:04 AM
How do you sneaky quietly through this stuff?
When I go through it, there's so much stuff to brush up against, over, under, around and just about any other way that creates a lot of movement and sound.
Post by: headshot5 on July 01, 2014, 07:51:44 AM
Post by: Tbar on July 01, 2014, 08:01:49 AM
And when you think you are going slow enough, SLOW down! They are in there for sure and some times you almost step on them before they move. Good luck.
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on July 01, 2014, 08:01:49 AM
Post by: _TONY_ on July 01, 2014, 08:13:11 AM
Elk hunting I'll grab a stick and beat the trees around me. I archery elk though. I call and if I need to close distance I'll make a lot of noise doing so. The elk think another elk is in the area so they expect noise. I've heard a lot of guys say I'm too big for archery hunting I can't sneak in the woods. Funny thing is you don't have to sneak just stay out of sight and down wind.
:yeah:
When I'm hunting elk in the archery season, being quiet is far down my list of crucial things in the elk woods... first on that list is wind.
Post by: Mike450r on July 01, 2014, 08:19:28 AM
If you don't get winded or spotted you can stumble right on into the elk even if you are being loud. With deer you tend to bump them around the nasty stuff. You can chase a deer around the thick stuff all day long and never be farther than 50 feet away. The deer will bust every time you get too close but stop and wait for you to do it again. Very frustrating but you should get a shot opportunity at some point.
Be aware of where you are though because following a deer around like that will get you turned around and confused in a hurry.
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 01, 2014, 08:30:27 AM
Elk hunting I'll grab a stick and beat the trees around me. I archery elk though. I call and if I need to close distance I'll make a lot of noise doing so. The elk think another elk is in the area so they expect noise. I've heard a lot of guys say I'm too big for archery hunting I can't sneak in the woods. Funny thing is you don't have to sneak just stay out of sight and down wind.
:yeah:
When I'm hunting elk in the archery season, being quiet is far down my list of crucial things in the elk woods... first on that list is wind.
:yeah: I've been learning this over the last few years - lots of noise makes them settle down. The occasional twig break means PREDATOR. :yike:
Post by: grundy53 on July 01, 2014, 08:45:43 AM
sent from my typewriter
Post by: Bookworm007 on July 01, 2014, 09:55:50 AM
Post by: wooltie on July 01, 2014, 01:13:15 PM
I watched a head of about 12 elk move through the timber last year, from as far away as 350 yards.
You could hear sticks breaking and all sorts of stuff crashing from that far away....
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on July 01, 2014, 02:53:35 PM
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I watched a head of about 12 elk move through the timber last year, from as far away as 350 yards.
You could hear sticks breaking and all sorts of stuff crashing from that far away....
I bumped about 60 head of elk last year from 40 yards or so and I couldn't believe the sound they made. It was an elkalanche! Sounded like all of them fell over and rolled down the hill. It was the loudest noise ive heard in the woods beside the f-14s that fly over rimrock. :yike:
Post by: cbond3318 on July 01, 2014, 03:06:05 PM
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I watched a head of about 12 elk move through the timber last year, from as far away as 350 yards.
You could hear sticks breaking and all sorts of stuff crashing from that far away....
I bumped about 60 head of elk last year from 40 yards or so and I couldn't believe the sound they made. It was an elkalanche! Sounded like all of them fell over and rolled down the hill. It was the loudest noise ive heard in the woods beside the f-14s that fly over rimrock. :yike:
:yeah: I remember when I first started hunting Elk and got into them thick. Without seeing them I bumped the heard and I remember thinking to myself it sounded like 100 horse drawn carriages bombing down a cobble stone road. Strange comparison I know, but it actually registered in my head for a moment!! it was AWESOME!!
Post by: coachcw on July 01, 2014, 05:37:42 PM
Post by: Old Man Yager on July 02, 2014, 09:46:09 AM
Post by: Pete112288 on July 05, 2014, 08:02:32 PM
My experience with deer is purely blacktail. When I sneak they will slip out long ahead of me or cirlce. When I try being sneaky and double back later I almost always see tracks over mine. The biggest bucks I have seen have been going care free and noisy through the brush and they freeze. Then I happen to look in the right spot and see the big ol grey face and red rack for half a second before it dissapears silently through the greenery. The amount of animals I see in the thick brush greatly increases if elk are near by. Seems like they all know elk are pretty noisy.
Same thing goes, watch the wind like nothing else and keep scanning as you move.
Post by: Damnimissed on July 07, 2014, 08:57:28 AM
Post by: Stizz on July 08, 2014, 06:33:08 AM
Post by: TheHunt on July 08, 2014, 07:23:26 AM
Post by: Johnb317 on July 08, 2014, 10:01:26 AM
Post by: RadSav on July 08, 2014, 10:24:39 AM
Does it hurt to do a little cow mew?
No it doesn't. When we break a twig or make a noise we try to cover it up with elk like noise. Popping leaves off huckleberry bushes or salal, mewing, even the occasional cough. Also good to make a turn or two as if you are wandering for available feed. It can surprise you how close you can get in the thick stuff.
My buddy Channon and I working together one day and killed a cow at about 20 feet. For about 20 yards we could see her head. Every time she looked in our direction he would pop leaves and I would calf mew. I think we could have gotten 10' if we had the patience and were willing to fail. I've killed three or four elk at less than 30' in the thick coastal brush. But that was the only time we actually stalked up on one I could see the whole way. It's pretty cool!
It gets really exciting after one of you shoot and they run at you not knowing what's going on. I've had the bow knocked out of my hand, my brother was knocked backward and another friend had a three point bull run off with his Larry D. Jones Persuader bugle rapped up in his antlers! You'll never forget those moments, I promise you that! :whoo:
Post by: Optimusprime on July 08, 2014, 10:09:41 PM
Post by: RadSav on July 09, 2014, 06:08:31 AM
So if you guys stumble into a sort of open area with several cows or whatever just kind of staring your way, you try to make some natural sounding elk noises, ie branch breaking, leave pulling, ground stomping, soft calling kind of sounds?
Each situation is different. Really need to read each situation as uniquely it's own. Even then if you are right 50% of the time you are doing good. Nice thing about the thick stuff is when you happen onto one of these open areas you are usually in range already. If you can find a hole shoot first and make noise later ;)
I try never to break a branch or stomp the ground. Quiet feeding noises and very docile movements seem to be the key in most circumstances. But, if I think they are just looking without any fear or undue curiosity I try to keep quiet.
I think the most important thing about hunting the thick stuff is scenario playing as you go. You can never be successful and in a hurry at the same time. Just doesn't happen in this type of hunting. So I stop every step or two looking at all possible places I can get a shot and all possible places one might come through the immediate area. I ask myself, If they come through here how do I get a shot off? Do I wait and take him there or try to get an arrow through here? Any indecisive nature on the hunters part will cost opportunities in thick cover. So playing these games helps with your absolutes when that opportunity comes. A half second delay can be the difference between frustration and success!
I also sit down quite a lot when I know I am in elk. That is when the best opportunities have usually come.
Post by: wooltie on July 09, 2014, 06:42:27 AM
What I'm gleaning from everyone's responses is that the right "noise" itself is not undesirable, and can actually be a good thing given the circumstances?
But avoid being ultra quiet for you might be mistaken for a kitty cat sneaking through...
Post by: RadSav on July 09, 2014, 07:00:21 PM
But avoid being ultra quiet for you might be mistaken for a kitty cat sneaking through...
If you can be ultra quiet that is always my preference! However, in that environment it is nearly impossible. The idea is to embrace the noise you accidently make by trying to make them appear natural instead of frightening to the animals. Cats are pretty successful killers! If I could get through the brush like a cat I'd be happier than Tom in a fresh sand box :chuckle:
One thing I find important as an archer that has spent a lot of time in the thick stuff. Practice shooting without the use of your sights! At close range it is often hard to determine the flight path of your arrow when looking through a peep and having a low anchor. My friends and I found an old screen door someone had dumped in the woods. We cut a small hole in the screen and practiced shooting targets at close range putting the arrow through the small hole. It's shocking how difficult that is until you've had a bit of practice. It's also shocking how effective it is once you get the hang of it! It's really quite fun to shoot a target at a known distance (say 15 yards) but move the screen distance in 2.5 yard increments!
Post by: huntnnw on July 09, 2014, 09:24:58 PM
Post by: RadSav on July 09, 2014, 11:22:30 PM
However, I always have a backup plan for those times when my ferret of the furrier skills end up being more like old fart in the brush pile skills :chuckle: My grandfather would call it "Tool Box Planning". Meaning - bring the whole tool box even if you think all you are going to need is a pair of vise grips and a roll of duct tape.
Post by: wooltie on July 10, 2014, 06:41:10 AM
There is just too much crap in the way. You can tread lightly, but pushing through all the brush, twigs, limps, leaves, needles, vine maple, thorns, listening to your hunting buddy whine, the cursing, etc..all generate movement and noise.
So do the best you can, but pause at times, make cow mews, and be "strategic" about how you "break" the things in your way...?
Post by: RadSav on July 10, 2014, 07:11:15 AM
listening to your hunting buddy whine, the cursing, etc..all generate movement and noise.
So you've hunted with that guy too :chuckle:
Post by: wooltie on July 10, 2014, 08:33:33 AM
He's all about the shortest distance between two points--a straight line. Even if the line resembles playing monkey bars on logs, crossing the creek then going vertical up a hill while army crawling under deadfalls.