Bumping elk, will they come back?

[Mkrueger88]

So I was out scouting yesterday Aug 12th season opens here on sept 2nd. Last year was my first year ever hunting I had some good encounters got close but never quite got the opportunity to let an arrow fly. In my spot I never encountered more then some lone bulls and 2/3 cows together at a time. I went back scouting to the same area I hunted last year I wasn’t paying attention to wind etc cause I wasn’t really expecting to find any live animals I was hoping for fresh sign at best. But I ended up spooking a pretty large herd of I’m assuming all cows. I thought it was a rockslide at first till I thought about it and there’s no rocks in the area and I caught glimpses of the last few cows in the group. It was the loudest thing I’ve ever experienced in the mountains, also finally got close enough to a large enough group to actually smell elk like everyone talks about which was cool.

but my question is can I expect them to be back in the same general area come opening day? Or did I blow up the spot? Also what’s your guys experience spooking elk during season do they return in a day or two or gone for the season typically? I was in some thicker timber above a nice meadow with good water, around 1/2pm so I’m guessing they were all bedded down.

thanks in advance for any info/tips!

 

[Rsully661]

It would be better if you told us all the unit and exact location so we can look at maps and see if they are just going a canyon or two over and coming back or staying over that way. You know just to give a clearer answer and not lead you astray


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[Indian Summer]

You have to realize that 90% of those elk don’t even know why they ran. They’ll be back.

 

[Huntnfish89]

I just did the same this earlier this week and was going to ask the same thing, however...

I might be wrong, but I think of it like the deer I see when running, hiking. They'll run off a bit but unless they feel they are being threatened, they will usually let you pass by and then go about their business.

 

[Laramie]

Assuming this happened on public land- rest assured you are only one of about 50 times the elk will get spooked in the next few weeks. Guys hiking and scouting, checking cameras, people out just backpacking, horse riding, checking stock, etc... Elk get bumped regularly. Yes it can have an impact on them but bumping a herd right now won't ruin a spot for the season. Will they be there in a few weeks? Really hard to say as elk don't stay in a general spot very long but rather make large loops through the country they frequent. Some of those are as wide as 6-10 miles while undisturbed.

 

[cnelk]

Some, a few, none, different ones will be back in that area.

That’s hunting

 

[mod700]

You can always circle around them, buger them back the direction they came..... lol.. think they will mosey back around, was it a bedding area?
Mike

 

[kcm2]

There are only so many places for a big herd to bed in a a defined area. They'll likely be back, in a week or so.

 

[cnelk]

Also, they won’t be in a big herd much longer.
The bulls will come in and bust them up.

 

[Mkrueger88]

I’m guessing they were in bed. It was in the timber around 1-2pm and I didn’t hear anything before I bumped them so I don’t think they were up milling around really. It was literally on top of a waypoint from last season where I called a bull in which is why I was there checking it out in the first place.

You can always circle around them, buger them back the direction they came..... lol.. think they will mosey back around, was it a bedding area?
Mike

 

[Mkrueger88]

It was on public land. National forest. The area doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic which is one reason I really like the area. I’ve never seen more then a few cars at the trailhead even during season. The herd was literally on top of a waypoint from last season where I called in a bull on opening day which is why I was there in the first place but I wasn’t expecting there to be so many because I never ran into more then 2/3 cows together at most last season.

Assuming this happened on public land- rest assured you are only one of about 50 times the elk will get spooked in the next few weeks. Guys hiking and scouting, checking cameras, people out just backpacking, horse riding, checking stock, etc... Elk get bumped regularly. Yes it can have an impact on them but bumping a herd right now won't ruin a spot for the season. Will they be there in a few weeks? Really hard to say as elk don't stay in a general spot very long but rather make large loops through the country they frequent. Some of those are as wide as 6-10 miles while undisturbed.

 

[Jimss]

Elk are one species that don't like people!

They generally head to areas with the least amount of disturbance. If they have plenty of feed and water there they may not return. There are so many different factors involved that I doubt that there is a yes or no answer. If they get bumped hard or get bumped several times and there is private land with no hunting pressure or disturbance close they may stay there until hunting season is over. Heavily pressured public land in Colo is renown for that happening. At certain times of year in heavily hunted elk OTC units the elk pretty much know the game and where to head once they sense trouble. If you are hunting a unit with hardly any hunting pressure it may not matter. As mentioned above a lot of things can also change once the rut kicks in.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

They probably left for good and took a ride to Florida.

 

[GunsAreFun]

We “soft” bumped some cows last year. I don’t think they smelled us or knew what we were because they didn’t act too worried. Went back the next day and they were in the same spot.

 

[kcm2]

I have also observed herds get bumped and then, about an hour later, circle back to bed again in the same spot. If you bump a bedded bunch, move 100 yds or so off your trail and slow way down...an hour later you may be very happy with the result. It doesn't work all the time but it does enough times to make it worthwhile.

 

[Crowmangler]

Killed a bull in a herd of about 40-50 elk (cows & more bulls) just before dark. Skinned & field dressed him, came back first thing next morning & every one of them were in the exact same spot

 

[Mkrueger88]

I have also observed herds get bumped and then, about an hour later, circle back to bed again in the same spot. If you bump a bedded bunch, move 100 yds or so off your trail and slow way down...an hour later you may be very happy with the result. It doesn't work all the time but it does enough times to make it worthwhile.

After I bumped them I just left the area and am going to leave it alone till opening morning. I don’t think the area gets a lot of foot traffic. I’ve never encountered another person in the area off season and only ran into 1 hunter on 1 day about a 1/2 mile from the area or so all last season. So I’m hoping they’ll be undistrubed till then and return.

 

[CM04]

I would hunt it, they’ll be around. Just have to find them haha


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[nphunter]

They will be back for sure. We normally hunt areas for a couple to a few days chasing elk all day before we give them a break. Even if we blow the area up big time, if we go hunt another spot for a couple days and come back they will be there.

We also have spots where you can hunt every day of the season and there are bulls running around, you can chase them all day every day and they just run in circles.

If there not back it’s because that isn’t where they spend Sept. it has nothing to do with you bumping them.

 

[WCB]

I chased a herd and got caught on the wrong side of the wind of them when the thermals switched...I felt it happen and was only 60 yards or so from the herd bull. I knew I was done for so I tried a futile attempt at rushing forward and trying to take a shot. Well besides filling their noses with my BO I was clearly seen by a dozen or so cows. The mountain side erupted and they were gone.

about 7 hours later that bull pushed his cows up the same mountain side across the same slides I chased them that morning.