Bumped a bull, can I go back?

[IDspud]

Well damn. Went back and came in from above. After a few hours calling and moving in closer I went into the bedding and feeding areas. Looks like no ones been back.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Well, I'd say then, for now... they've moved out. Could easily have been pushed even more by other hunters also though.

 

[IDspud]

Well, I'd say then, for now... they've moved out. Could easily have been pushed even more by other hunters also though.

I’m so sick of this unit. Talked to another hunter who was parked there today and said six of the guys have been him back and forth. Tons of boot tracks up there and no new sign.

I did another 12 miles without seeing any sign and hearing nothing.

 

[Gerbdog]

I’m so sick of this unit. Talked to another hunter who was parked there today and said six of the guys have been him back and forth. Tons of boot tracks up there and no new sign.

I did another 12 miles without seeing any sign and hearing nothing.

It's the game these days, had the same issue in one of my honey holes this year also. There arent many secret spots left , especially in these easy to draw / OTC units, just keep using up the boot leather and cross your fingers you figure out where they went, or just pick up camp and try a new spot. Seems daunting with the season closing up but... may be the best option to find an elk that wants to play.

Dont fall into the "married to this area" trap. If you put in 12 miles and saw zero fresh sign they got the heck out of the area, you should too

Soon as i fly back today, go to this wedding (life outside of hunting responsibilities? I guess. who has a wedding during hunting season, honestly.) i'm gonna be in a similar situation : gonna check a honey hole that produced for me and if they havent moved back into the area (i'll know first morning) im going to move mountains completely

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

I’m so sick of this unit. Talked to another hunter who was parked there today and said six of the guys have been him back and forth. Tons of boot tracks up there and no new sign.

I did another 12 miles without seeing any sign and hearing nothing.

I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been watching it deteriorate for decades. Today certainly is not 1975. The internet is great but it has done a lot of damage in regard to areas that were once undiscovered by nearly everyone.

There are areas though, that still have not been discovered by the masses. Fortunately, it requires a lot of work and a lot of leg-work to find such areas; that might keep them somewhat undiscovered for a few years yet, maybe. Keep in mind, the masses do not like work; use that to your advantage.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that “hunting” should be a yearlong “hunt.” The vast majority of people who want to think of themselves as “hunters,” don’t even think about hunting until a week before opening day.

If you want to be serious about this game and become a professional at it, you must “live” it… that means being in the woods at least a couple of times per month, every month of the year… live with those animals… learn those animals!

Work on keeping yourself hidden... scent, thermals, winds, temperatures, noise, etc. Stay hidden, don't spook them, but live with them during the off-season and become part of the wild!

During the off-season, if you are trying to live with elk, don’t overlook high elevations early; 13,000 and above should not be overlooked… yes, for elk! Early, they will be just as high as mule deer. If there is something that is 14,000, with a basin/bowl next to it that holds water and feed, elk can certainly be up that high; a small basin/bowl such as that will be completely hidden.

“Live” in the woods/mountains/high country and hike, hike, hike, hike, and hike more! We all need the exercise anyway. Live in the woods. You will learn the areas and you will learn how the animals live.

Certainly don’t forget the spot that you have mentioned in this thread; that is one spot that you know of that is a feeding area and a bedding area. Keep your mouth shut about that spot. Mark it and hunt it every year. Over time, you may learn when that is being used and when it is not being used and you can hunt it accordingly.

Stay at it! Live it!

 

[IDspud]

I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been watching it deteriorate for decades. Today certainly is not 1975. The internet is great but it has done a lot of damage in regard to areas that were once undiscovered by nearly everyone.

There are areas though, that still have not been discovered by the masses. Fortunately, it requires a lot of work and a lot of leg-work to find such areas; that might keep them somewhat undiscovered for a few years yet, maybe. Keep in mind, the masses do not like work; use that to your advantage.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that “hunting” should be a yearlong “hunt.” The vast majority of people who want to think of themselves as “hunters,” don’t even think about hunting until a week before opening day.

If you want to be serious about this game and become a professional at it, you must “live” it… that means being in the woods at least a couple of times per month, every month of the year… live with those animals… learn those animals!

Work on keeping yourself hidden... scent, thermals, winds, temperatures, noise, etc. Stay hidden, don't spook them, but live with them during the off-season and become part of the wild!

During the off-season, if you are trying to live with elk, don’t overlook high elevations early; 13,000 and above should not be overlooked… yes, for elk! Early, they will be just as high as mule deer. If there is something that is 14,000, with a basin/bowl next to it that holds water and feed, elk can certainly be up that high; a small basin/bowl such as that will be completely hidden.

“Live” in the woods/mountains/high country and hike, hike, hike, hike, and hike more! We all need the exercise anyway. Live in the woods. You will learn the areas and you will learn how the animals live.

Certainly don’t forget the spot that you have mentioned in this thread; that is one spot that you know of that is a feeding area and a bedding area. Keep your mouth shut about that spot. Mark it and hunt it every year. Over time, you may learn when that is being used and when it is not being used and you can hunt it accordingly.

Stay at it! Live it!

Thanks for the advice.

I planned on doing that until I went back and saw another hunter parked there. I talked to him and he said he was going to check the wallows. I asked him if he hunter here much and apparently he was friends with the 6 other people there that had been hunting that spot for the last week.

Im late to the party and that area is no secret for sure. I’d rather go somewhere else and not try to skunk them.

Next year I’m going to try McCall. And do a lot of pre season scouting so hopefully I have a better idea of where to start.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been watching it deteriorate for decades. Today certainly is not 1975. The internet is great but it has done a lot of damage in regard to areas that were once undiscovered by nearly everyone.

There are areas though, that still have not been discovered by the masses. Fortunately, it requires a lot of work and a lot of leg-work to find such areas; that might keep them somewhat undiscovered for a few years yet, maybe. Keep in mind, the masses do not like work; use that to your advantage.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that “hunting” should be a yearlong “hunt.” The vast majority of people who want to think of themselves as “hunters,” don’t even think about hunting until a week before opening day.

If you want to be serious about this game and become a professional at it, you must “live” it… that means being in the woods at least a couple of times per month, every month of the year… live with those animals… learn those animals!

Work on keeping yourself hidden... scent, thermals, winds, temperatures, noise, etc. Stay hidden, don't spook them, but live with them during the off-season and become part of the wild!

During the off-season, if you are trying to live with elk, don’t overlook high elevations early; 13,000 and above should not be overlooked… yes, for elk! Early, they will be just as high as mule deer. If there is something that is 14,000, with a basin/bowl next to it that holds water and feed, elk can certainly be up that high; a small basin/bowl such as that will be completely hidden.

“Live” in the woods/mountains/high country and hike, hike, hike, hike, and hike more! We all need the exercise anyway. Live in the woods. You will learn the areas and you will learn how the animals live.

Certainly don’t forget the spot that you have mentioned in this thread; that is one spot that you know of that is a feeding area and a bedding area. Keep your mouth shut about that spot. Mark it and hunt it every year. Over time, you may learn when that is being used and when it is not being used and you can hunt it accordingly.

Stay at it! Live it!

I'm one of these adult onset hunters. Drawn in by living in incredible elk country and sexy hunting shows. Even I have seen it change over the last 5+ years. I see more hunters every year. But, it's not undoable. I fill my tag every year.

I think the key is knowing about 5 spots that elk use that time of year. Easier said than done, and easier done when you live in the mountains with them. I would fail miserably if I had to move into a new area cold and just start figuring things out.

That said, even in the places I know that are filled with elk there are a few general rules of thumb. They feed on south slopes with less dense forest, so that's a great place to start each morning and watch them move from feeding to bedding. Then use that info to move into the denser stuff from maybe 10am to evening. Even if I don't see elk moving to bedding areas it's a good place to start each day. So in new area that's what I'd do, identify 3-5 nice north/south combo slopes and work the south side morning and evenings and the north side during the day.

Other thing to consider is this is a "rule of thumb" not a law. Elk sleep where it's comfy and flat, and they're always always always hot so look for cool spots for them to sleep during the day regardless of norths south rules.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

I'm one of these adult onset hunters. Drawn in by living in incredible elk country and sexy hunting shows. Even I have seen it change over the last 5+ years. I see more hunters every year. But, it's not undoable. I fill my tag every year.

I think the key is knowing about 5 spots that elk use that time of year. Easier said than done, and easier done when you live in the mountains with them. I would fail miserably if I had to move into a new area cold and just start figuring things out.

That said, even in the places I know that are filled with elk there are a few general rules of thumb. They feed on south slopes with less dense forest, so that's a great place to start each morning and watch them move from feeding to bedding. Then use that info to move into the denser stuff from maybe 10am to evening. Even if I don't see elk moving to bedding areas it's a good place to start each day. So in new area that's what I'd do, identify 3-5 nice north/south combo slopes and work the south side morning and evenings and the north side during the day.

Other thing to consider is this is a "rule of thumb" not a law. Elk sleep where it's comfy and flat, and they're always always always hot so look for cool spots for them to sleep during the day regardless of norths south rules.

Yes sir. 100%! I agree on the "they're always, always, always hot" also.
They're sort of like me. Warm day in December? Time to turn the A/C on. Most days, I keep it 63 degrees inside.
And no, I'm not 478 lbs. I just like it cool. Works out great when I get caught in a blizzard and -10 also. I "kinda" like that. On the flip side though, I can't take the heat very well. I love, love, love those high elevation temps.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Thanks for the advice.

I planned on doing that until I went back and saw another hunter parked there. I talked to him and he said he was going to check the wallows. I asked him if he hunter here much and apparently he was friends with the 6 other people there that had been hunting that spot for the last week.

Im late to the party and that area is no secret for sure. I’d rather go somewhere else and not try to skunk them.

Next year I’m going to try McCall. And do a lot of pre season scouting so hopefully I have a better idea of where to start.

You'll do fine. Just stay at it. Keep hammering through the mess.

The regulations might change also... never know what happens.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Yes sir. 100%! I agree on the "they're always, always, always hot" also.
They're sort of like me. Warm day in December? Time to turn the A/C on. Most days, I keep it 63 degrees inside.
And no, I'm not 478 lbs. I just like it cool. Works out great when I get caught in a blizzard and -10 also. I "kinda" like that. On the flip side though, I can't take the heat very well. I love, love, love those high elevation temps.

Me too! I was hot my entire life, until I moved to Wyoming where it's winter 11.5 months a year. During archery I see guys hunt open burn areas (which are amazingly productive) and open fields during the day when it's 85 degrees. I'm sweating my ass of in my $100 merino t-shirt, $200 super pro high tech pants, carrying around 175lbs of body and 25lbs of pack and gear. I can't imagine how hot the elk are in their massive fur coats carrying around 700lb bodies. My experience is they just aren't in the easy to see spots (aka where the sun shines) and they like to find flat, comfy valleys where it's dark and cool. The only times I see them in open areas with sun is when there is snow on the ground. And even then 75%+ of the time they're within 25 yards of some dark stuff, and often still in the shade. Elk are hot, go where it's cool, especially during archery and early rifle before the first big cold.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Me too! I was hot my entire life, until I moved to Wyoming where it's winter 11.5 months a year. During archery I see guys hunt open burn areas (which are amazingly productive) and open fields during the day when it's 85 degrees. I'm sweating my ass of in my $100 merino t-shirt, $200 super pro high tech pants, carrying around 175lbs of body and 25lbs of pack and gear. I can't imagine how hot the elk are in their massive fur coats carrying around 700lb bodies. My experience is they just aren't in the easy to see spots (aka where the sun shines) and they like to find flat, comfy valleys where it's dark and cool. The only times I see them in open areas with sun is when there is snow on the ground. And even then 75%+ of the time they're within 25 yards of some dark stuff, and often still in the shade. Elk are hot, go where it's cool, especially during archery and early rifle before the first big cold.

Yes sir!