Early Archery Gambel Oak Elk

[pfraze]

This year my buddy and I are going to an area with a lot of Gambel Oak in early archery season. Just curious if anyone has had much luck hunting elk in this stuff? Thanks for any advice, this will be a lot different than what we are use to.

 

[Grant K]

I've done really well in the oak over the years, a couple of things I learned:
make sure your clothing and pack are buttoned up tight, nothing hanging off of your pack or bow unless you want to lose it, if you have a bow quiver keep an eye on it or figure out adding a ski strap or similar to keep arrows in it while bushwhacking...
Getting elevation to glass is really helpful, if you can look down you can see pretty well even into tall oak.
if you are calling having your set up well thought out is key, try to find lanes before you call or be prepared to have elk at 6 feet with no shot, I use onX satellite photos to see meadows and lanes in real time as it can seem like a jungle when you are in flat oak. bulls love to circle downwind just out of sight, set up to prevent this if possible.

everything makes a ton of noise in oak, act like an elk and just crash through, sneaking won't get you anywhere fast enough to get on elk.

 

[pfraze]

I've done really well in the oak over the years, a couple of things I learned:
make sure your clothing and pack are buttoned up tight, nothing hanging off of your pack or bow unless you want to lose it, if you have a bow quiver keep an eye on it or figure out adding a ski strap or similar to keep arrows in it while bushwhacking...
Getting elevation to glass is really helpful, if you can look down you can see pretty well even into tall oak.
if you are calling having your set up well thought out is key, try to find lanes before you call or be prepared to have elk at 6 feet with no shot, I use onX satellite photos to see meadows and lanes in real time as it can seem like a jungle when you are in flat oak. bulls love to circle downwind just out of sight, set up to prevent this if possible.

everything makes a ton of noise in oak, act like an elk and just crash through, sneaking won't get you anywhere fast enough to get on elk.

Thanks for the info. We had luck in the oaks one time, but it was a few years ago. Haven’t found elk in there since.

 

[pfraze]

Anyone else hunt the oak brush?

 

[Gapmaster]

Hate that stuff!! I’ve hunted it on occasion with mixed results. Definitely a different dimension. All the terrain types are though. Like was said above, button/strap everything down tight… I’ve got a few arrows laying around out there somewhere in that jungle. I wouldn’t expect a lot of company in my experience. Good luck

 

[Dos Perros]

Some kind soul placed reflective push pins to mark the trail in a unit I’ve hunted. Real handy to find your way back.

 

[dtrkyman]

I always find game around oak brush.

 

[TAGPUNCHER]

BE KICKING MULIES UP LIKE RABBITS TOO, SCARE the shit out of ya.

 

[MTtrout]

BE KICKING MULIES UP LIKE RABBITS TOO, SCARE the shit out of ya.

Hahaha and bears too! I’ve never targeted elk in the scrub but have lost lots of elevation after glassing them up in that stuff

 

[tdhanses]

Some kind soul placed reflective push pins to mark the trail in a unit I’ve hunted. Real handy to find your way back.

I wonder if every unit in the oak brush has trails like that, I’ve found a few as well.