Archery Elk with Team of Three?

FlyGuy

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I thought this might be a good topic to discuss since we are all just itching to talk elk hunting while pretending to work for the next 3 months while we scour google earth and inhale all the info we can until September gets here...

My past experience with Archery Elk has either been solo or with a group of 4 hunters operating out of a base camp and paired off for the day in two teams of two. Each pair was typically alternating with each elk encounter between shooter and caller.

This year I'm changing things up and we will have 3 hunters. We are planning on all hunting together for the most part, potentially just splitting up to cover more ground in order to locate elk. The two guys I'm with this year are no strangers to mtn hunting but this will be their 1st archery elk hunt ever. The question was raised today by one of them about what is the role of the 3rd guy? Obviously there is a Shooter and a Caller, but what is the role of the 3rd guy?

I have my ideas on the subject, but it got me to thinking more and more about it and I realized there could be a number of scenarios where three could be more useful (or more problematic) than two. For those of you who have experience hunting in a group of three, what are some of the ways that you like to utilize that third person (aside from the obvious extra set of glassing eyes, smaller pack-out loads)? What are some of the unexpected ways that a 3rd person has gotten you into trouble or cost you opportunities?

Do you now prefer to hunt in 3's, or have you changed to 2 or solo, and if so for what reasons? Hope this stimulates some conversation and that I can learn a thing or two in the process.
 

RallySquirrel

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Signing up to follow this one. We hunt in a group of three and it has worked out pretty well. Most of the time we set up with one caller and two shooters. If we can get the wind right it allows us to cover more approach angles. One possible downfall is that it also gives more opportunity for the wind to good us up. The other thing setting up in a triangle let's us do is rotate the caller if the elk comes around from a different angle.
 

Brendan

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The biggest problem / issues you'll have: Equal preparation, equal ability, equal dedication and agreeing how and where you hunt when together. If someone isn't fully in shape, doesn't want to tough it out as much, or anything like that - makes for a not so fun trip.

Regarding calling: Another option is to take advantage of two callers, one cow calling, one bull calling, while the third maneuvers for a shot.
 

cnelk

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Hunting elk with 3 guys is a fun and deadly way to kill elk.

We use the "Triangle Setup'

Two guys go out front - about 40-50yds and spread out about the same.
Once they are set, they give a mew or two.

Then, all 3 guys call. Mewing, stomping, breaking branches every couple minutes.

The trick is to listen and answer each others calls. When someone sees an elk, they stop calling. The other 2 guys keep calling and that will bring the elk right into the setup.

All 3 guys are shooters - and several times we've killed 2 elk at one time doing this.

Here is a short video when we killed 2 elk - doing the 'Triangle Setup' - 2014_Sept 1 double archery elk - YouTube
 

5MilesBack

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I don't care for more than teams of one. In each and every case where I had a "caller" with me, they did something that screwed up the opportunity. Even when things started out great, at the moment of truth they bugled or cow called at the exact wrong moment and the bull was gone or moved eternally out of view. More than once I've been at full draw at close range waiting for the bull to take 1 or 2 more steps........and he's moving......and the caller makes a sound, and the bull stops and then turns back the way he came and no shot. In one case I was just starting to settle into my anchor on a broadside bull when the caller bugled, the bull took two steps forward, and I never did get another shot opportunity at him.

IMO, the more people you put into the equation, the more chances of something going wrong. I'm sure there are encounters where 2-3 guys might be an advantage, I just haven't experienced that yet......and most likely won't, given my other experiences.

I can screw up my own opportunities just fine on my own, I don't need someone else to do it for me.
 

cnelk

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Thats the beauty of archery elk hunting - it can be a group sport or a solo venture.
It all depends if you have friends with like-minded goals
 

Beendare

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I agree with Brad....but I've seen it done poorly too.

I came on a group of guys that were hunting together 2 years ago.....blowing the same call over and over. At least 2 of them had the same Sceery cow call too....terrible. They were blowing the same note over and over....sure made it easy to skirt around them and follow the herd that was doing the same.....sneaking away.
 
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Ive resigned to the fact that solo is the way to go, hire a pack horse if u need it
 
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The third person can be raking, or splashing while the second person is cow calling and the shooter is in position.
Duos work better in my opinion, though. Just one less chance for scent or movement being detected.

After many years of duos and trios....I too have come to the conclusion that solo is best.
My encounters increased, and you don’t have to discuss or decide the next move...you just move.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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and you don’t have to discuss or decide the next move...you just move.

That's the hard part. Even if you find two other guys that think exactly the same way, everything can be perfect in a setup.......until one little sound at the wrong moment. And it may even be a great sound.......just a sound done at the exact wrong time.......especially on big bulls. You can get away with a lot of mistakes chasing younger bulls, but with mature bulls everything has to fall into place pretty well.
 

cnelk

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Im not saying that 2-3 guys is better than solo, especially since the OP requested info about hunting with 3 guys.

Just offering a suggestion, because it really can be a lot of fun watching 2 elk fall at once
 

Ross

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For two decades my brother and hunting buddy did this for the morning hunt then would branch out for the evening. We had great times and it worked well at times but the dense country we hunt made it difficult to communicate at times. For the most part we thought alike but once in a blue moon one of us would call or move when the other thought no you dumb ass. I have killed several with others but more solo and am always the caller😀 depending on the vegetation 3 can be good but I prefer two in dense country. Definitely makes for more great stories with three back in camp
 

ElkNut1

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Well cnelk, I'll say it! 2-3 hunters will blow away a solo hunters opportunities at close encounters anyday any year! I say this from years of experience, it will cover herd bulls too 5miles! When you have things dialed in it will trump a solo hunter anytime anywhere!

In dark timber country it's all about calling! If you're not calling you are relying heavily on luck!

ElkNut/Paul
 
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Paul, do you hunt with many other guys beside your son? You and your son seem really in sync as a team from reading your write-ups of encounters.
 

bmart2622

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There is no question the caller-shooter set up is far more effective than solo. Ive had good encounters solo and nearly every one would have been better with a caller and every amazing encounter involved a caller
 

cnelk

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Well cnelk, I'll say it! 2-3 hunters will blow away a solo hunters opportunities at close encounters anyday any year! I say this from years of experience, it will cover herd bulls too 5miles! When you have things dialed in it will trump a solo hunter anytime anywhere!
In dark timber country it's all about calling! If you're not calling you are relying heavily on luck!

ElkNut/Paul


There ya have it... HE has spoken
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Well cnelk, I'll say it! 2-3 hunters will blow away a solo hunters opportunities at close encounters anyday any year! I say this from years of experience, it will cover herd bulls too 5miles! When you have things dialed in it will trump a solo hunter anytime anywhere!

Oh, there's no doubt that it "should" work better, I just haven't experienced that yet. And trying to find even one other guy that thinks the same way is hard enough, let alone finding that same guy that can also call worth a darn. Multiply that times two and I might as well be hunting unicorns.....before the season even starts. Then throw in the years of experience and encounters that you'd need with those same guys.......and I'm too old to start trying that now. But from every video I've seen from Corey, he and I could hunt together pretty well as we seem to hunt very similarly.

But then again......why make things easier? Aren't we out there for the challenge?;)
 

bmart2622

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Wow, I guess I've never found it that difficult to find a guy to hunt with and its never taken yrs of encounters to make it work but to each their own
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Wow, I guess I've never found it that difficult to find a guy to hunt with

There's a big difference between this ^^^^ and what I posted above. Sure, plenty of guys to hunt with if you want. I've never really looked for someone else to hunt with. All the guys I know around here that bow hunt, hunt solo.
 
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