Elk hunting daily “routine”

[beforethehunt]

I am Newbie elk hunter and I’m just planning my first hunt. How many miles do U cover in a day on Average? How much elevation change? Do u prefer to hike in one big loop and make a day of it or travel in a mile or two do a spot check head back for the truck and repeat?

 

[Southforkguy]

Tell you what I would prefer to do any day for any specie. Pre plan a daily routine. Change it completely due to unforseen circumstance, wind up doing something random and end up back in the brush til near dark. Either stay put til dark or work it slowly back out.

 

[Northpark]

I do what the elk tell me. I might plan on hunting 5 miles in but on the hike in find elk at 2 miles. Or I might find them at 7 miles. Mostly I have a very loose plan with enough food and items for staying overnight if I have to. I’ve walked as little as 1/4 mile per day and as many as 15. I’ve shot elk 200 yards from the truck and as far as 6 miles. No elevation gain to 3,000+. Moral of the story is that elk are somewhat unpredictable but at the same time they have their favorite general areas in a loose sort of way.

Which state are you planning your first hunt?

 

[Jbehredt]

Tell you what I would prefer to do any day for any specie. Pre plan a daily routine. Change it completely due to unforseen circumstance, wind up doing something random and end up back in the brush til near dark. Either stay put til dark or work it slowly back out.

Some of my favorite days in the field follow that script pretty well. The best ones include kill something right after the “do something random” and then head back to camp.

 

[rambo2345]

Hearing bugling elk is so important to killing them. Get to a good listening point early. Move along to different locations making a few location calls. Continue to cover ground trying to find bugling bulls.

 

[Indian Summer]

It’s hard to answer general questions. I’ll offer some general answers. If I’m in my go to base camp at 6000 feet I’ll pick up anywhere from 1000 to 1500 feet in elevation. Once I’m up there I’ll only move up or down about 500 feet. I have another base camp that I can drive to that sits at 9500 feet. Little to no elevation change when hunting from there.

I’m not a fan of backtracking so I usually hunt a loop. I start at a vantage point where I can see and hear. I’ll end at a vantage point too, maybe the same one, unless I’m into elk in which case I go with the flow.

As far as miles covered... a hell of a lot less than in my early years. The better you get to know your area the less searching you’ll do. Not counting my initial hike to get to my starting point I might cover 3-5 miles in a day. From my spike camp just 2 is enough. I try to minimize spreading my scent up there.

 

[beforethehunt]

Thanks for the help guys. Just trying to get a feel for planning purposes


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[beforethehunt]

Planning on Idaho


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[beforethehunt]

What elevations are u finding elk in September in central Idaho? The area I aiming at is 6500-9500’ in elevation roughly. I would expect them in the 8000-8500’ elevation all else being equal


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[Don Qui Puncher]

What elevations are u finding elk in September in central Idaho? The area I aiming at is 6500-9500’ in elevation roughly. I would expect them in the 8000-8500’ elevation all else being equal


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Last two times I went to Idaho I found just as many down low on the flats as I did anywhere up higher. Pretty much the same 6500-9500 range

 

[trophyhill]

If I'm into elk, I stick around and hunt accordingly by hopefully reading the mood of the elk correctly. If elk aren't there, I keep moving. About the only thing that stays consistent as far as a routine goes is getting up and around about 5 am and breakfast and coffee by 5:30. Everything else is happening "in the moment".

 

[Coveyleader]

Early season, its all ambush, so very little walking or glassing as I know the area well. Call it two miles in, two miles out directly to water sources, trails, saddles etc.

Late season, when they're bugling, If I don't hear them from my tent, I tend to climb a hill behind my tent where I can get a good vantage point. I glass from there and normally can find a small herd to drop back down on so that could be a mile or two at best.

Other area, wake up from tent, walk 1/4 mile to a look out and wait for the first bugle, and then I move from there. That could be a 1-2 mile day as well, but some elevation changes in there.

The common them here is I know the areas so I'm not walking just to walk. I can check known areas that hold elk in a circuit and if nothing, do it again the next day as I missed them.

Key for me is being able to see. I don't know how guys can hunt sold timber, worse yet, timber with a mountain of deadfall. If they're not talking, it would make the hunt very, very difficult.

.Edit....... One tip I can give you on your mileage is that elk bugle in mid September even in the heavily hunted areas. I always say, keep walking until you hear them. If you don't hear them, keep going, somewhere they are making noise.

 

[Northpark]

Can’t stand hunting heavy timber. I have to be able to see. That being said I know some guys who are very proficient at it but they know the area well and know where the elk like to hang out in the timber.

 

[Fridaythe13th]

A good day walk is15 miles a better day is walking 2 miles.
Last year 1st day the game plan was to take hike up 600' to a ridge and take the ridge east for 3 miles or so to some dark timber and wallows easy 1st day right. My genius brother said only a quarter mile to a big valley maybe we should let out a bugle and see what happens. Good idea. 14.7 miles later we got back to the truck. Good day
Day 2 walked in 0.9 miles shot a elk, maybe 2.5 miles total for the day. Better day. Lol

 

[Steelhead]

Hunt Idaho the same time, mid/late Sept. Per GPS we hike around 8 - 12 miles per day at around 8,000' elevation from spike/base camp but we cover a few drainages, start with areas that have been good previous years and other than that...we're hiking. I don't keep track of elevation gained/lost since it might make me cry knowing I'm likely to repeat it this season. Maybe 1k here and there, but tons of shorter ventures.
Last season we killed 2 bulls, one 100 yards from spike camp, the other was 3 miles out. There was zero bugling going on by the elk, zero the entire week. we had to find them...so there's that. Was more returned bugles previous seasons but never a ton. Always lots of hiking... One came in per the "slow play" routine, early morning, the other we just found while hiking, mid-day. Just because your not hearing them doesn't mean they're not there.

 

[RCB]

As others have said, it depends a lot on the circumstances.

That being said, if I'm hunting from the truck in a reasonably crowded area, I've learned that I much prefer to plan full-day trips. Or at least 1/2 day. My experience has been that doing little 2-hour hikes and then going back to the truck, multiple times per day, hasn't worked. At least, not in heavily-pressured areas. It never gives you enough time to get away from the crowds, who will be most concentrated near the roads. Too much time in the truck, and going to and from the truck, instead of actually hunting. I suppose it might work in areas with low pressure. And you can always get lucky, of course.

Be up before daylight, and have a plan to be somewhere around sunrise to glass. Have a hiking route in mind that will keep you searching for game for many hours, covering a good chunk of miles. Doesn't need to be crazy, but you need to cover ground. Return to the truck if needed around mid day and repeat in the second half of the day, if you want to hit more areas. Or just stay out there the whole day, having a place in mind to glass in the evenings. (I'm thinking of rifle hunting, hence the emphasis on glassing as opposed to calling.)

If you don't want the daily "commute" - i.e. many hours spent walking to and from your hunting area every day - consider camping in the back country.

Take my advice with a grain of salt. Only been doing this for a few years.

 

[Marble]

When I leave each morning, around sunup, I usually have an idea where I'm going the night before. Then it all depends what I see, smell or hear.

Some days I may climb 800 plus feet 5 or 6 times,or maybe I might get pinned down ona ridge waiting g for something to move.

But when I leave camp, I plan on being gone until dark, with enough food to last through the night if needed.

 

[pdxflung]

Just remember the elk are "always there" you just haven't gotten to them yet.

 

[beforethehunt]

Another newbie question or two...do multiple elk herds share the same basin on occasion? How far can you hear an elk bugle in normal conditions?


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[Dr. Rx]

You know what I’d do..Stay as Mobile as you can
Pick an entry point and hunt from dawn to dusk
If you don’t see sign or hear elk, go yo a different spot the next day...
Keep on moving until you find the elk...

then you will know what to do

kris