Beginner archery elk hunter

[mporter012]

This is my 3rd year hunting elk, first year with a bow. Hunted the first 5 days, was in an elk-y area, but the pressure pushed out the elk To the thickest blowdown shit you’ve ever seen. Couple questions for the more experienced folks. PM if you wanna know any specifics, like location. I’m trying to decide my next play here in a week or two.

1. The unit I was hunting is on the border of a draw unit, and it seemed like the elk were primarily bedding in the draw unit (you can glass the top of the draw area) which was on a northern facing slope, and then they would venture around the OTC unit some in the am. We mostly saw bulls, and they didn’t seem to be rutting at all. Last Wednesday there were apparently 18 bulls feeding, but then once the pressure was on, they disappeared. I was told by a guy that says he hunted this unit for 30 years that “There are no cows in here and when the rut kicks in, the bulls disappear.“ Do you think he is full of shit, or was he giving me good intel? The area was completely torn up with elk signs, tracks everywhere, elk smells everywhere, wallows, water, etc.

2. The elk weren’t making any noise. So I was doing some cow calling, but nothing major. Should i be calling a bunch of not at all? I kept hearing other dudes calling here and there.

3. Can someone tell me where to go to kill an elk? Lol joking. Being a 25 year successful whitetail guy, Elk hunting is Tough.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice.

Mark

 

[wildhorsetrail]

I can't offer much of an opinion on 1 except that I have a hard time seeing all the bulls leave the unit unless it offers no cover for pressured animals. Regarding 2, I don't know if this is the best way, but I usually only call enough to keep tabs on the elk. If I can find them and stalk them without any calling I will gladly be quiet. I think the biggest personal difference I think of between Elk and Deer hunting is in how aggressive one should be. I've had my best success with elk being very aggressive. It would totally backfire hunting whitetails.

 

[Gerbdog]

With regards to 1.) Those bulls are gonna go looking for cows right about... now. or real soon. They cant help themselves, they're driven by instinct to fulfill their only real goal in life which is pass on genes to offspring.

Now are there really no cows in that unit? I dont know... that seems unlikely .... but those bulls are going to go where the cows are for the rut, that i'd be willing to put money on.