Elk Noses

[bisblue]

Hey folks I was out today checking on some country I want to pack into with my llamas next week.

I had an bull do a location bugle fairly close but at the worst time and location. This is steep timbered country that has lots of downhill wind pockets that seem to fight warming uphill thermals and create swirly wind most of the day.

It got me thinking how far is too far for an elk to smell you? I played cat and mouse a bit with him but couldn't get a consistent wind to really set something up. Often the places I hunt it's not reasonable to go up and over and around them.

I got my first traditional archery elk, a cow, on Sept 1st so I got a second idaho archery tag to not miss the rut.

 

[dtrkyman]

Conditons will change how far they can pick you off, as well as the crazy swirling mountain winds, I could not tell you a specific distance but it is a long azz ways!

I have approached elk often with the incorrect wind from a long way off knowing it will not be the same once I get there anyway.

I try and decide which way I think the wnd is traveling where they are and go from there.

 

[Falro]

I saw a cow once 800 yards down wind of me feeding lift its head and take off running. Makes you wonder.

 

[87TT]

I watched a young bull catch my scent from 300 yards as he walked into it. Immediately went into overdrive and took off. Just a slight breeze blowing east and as he walked into it he bolted not even looking up.

 

[Marble]

I saw a cow once 800 yards down wind of me feeding lift its head and take off running. Makes you wonder.

Same for me. I've been burned at way kess than that too, but under the right conditions, they can get you from pretty far away.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[justin davis]

They got good sniffers that’s forsure

 

[dusky]

Depends on whether it's day 1 or day 7 of hunting without a bath. JK. IDK. I assume any wind in their direction is an automatic fail. But I do use scentless (to human) deodorant just in case.

 

[JustCortisol]

Complete rookie here but went out a few times last week. 2 of the 3 times the wind kept shifting and I thought I would for sure be busted by the wind and wouldn't see anything.
The first time was mid day in pretty thick timber. The wind was switching/swirling but I realized it was moving so slowly that my scent might not have been migrating much faster that I was walking, and I managed to bump a pair of deer from 30yds and an hour or two later bumped a pair of elk from 30yds, and it seemed like the noise I was making alerted them rather then smell.
Two days ago as the thermals were transitioning from up to down before sunset, the wind kept switching from left to right on me as I was hiking up the hillside. Thought the winds would carry my scent hundreds of yards in all directions and I would for sure be busted but I still bumped some moose and deer from varying distances of 30 - 100 yds, consistently getting on animals every 30ish minutes or so for 3 hours until dark.
I think in this case the wind might have mixed up my scent so much my scent was either too diluted or that it was too hard to tell which direction I was in so they didn't try to run away because they weren't sure which direction was "away". But those are just guesses, not sure what the real explanation is, but I learned that even if I think I'm busted by the wind, maybe I'm not so just keep on moving.

 

[SwiftShot]

Elk have a better nose than a dog. I had a bird dog that could wind a pheasant downwind at 75 yards easy. You are way bigger than a pheasant.

My buddy had a stupid pet bull once, long story. He loved me as I made it a habit of giving him cool ranch doritos. If I was hunting archery within afew thousand yards of his place I could expect a visit. He would track me down like a dog.
The question is not how far for them to smell you, but do they smell people on a regular basis. If you hunt where they will smell people in fields ect, you will get a mild reaction. If you hunt wilderness areas where they do not encounter people. If they catch a wif at 100s of yards they are gone.

 

[CAElkhunter]

And that is one of the reasons we love hunting them bastards.....

 

[innerdinosaur]

Pretty crazy how good their smell is.

Not sure on max distance, but if it’s swirling you already know you are in trouble.

 

[trophyhill]

I think this debate is very dependent on several factors. Not sure what those factors are but I think pressure or alertness play a role. I had a small bull come to my calls the other day and bed down 20 yards from me with the wind or thermals going right to him. A week ago I called in a raggy who came in with my wind/thermal going right at him. He was 25 yards. Yesterday I had a spike come in the same way. Under 20 yards and the thermal right at him. The night before last a small bull comes in to 16 yards and arent winding me? 4 bulls total that came in and couldn't care less about anything but finding that cow they heard. In each circumstance my scent was blowing in their direction. I knew that my set up could bring elk in behind me but the overwhelming number of bulls I've called in this area have come in below me where I have had the wind/thermals in my favor. I've had quite a few elk throw caution to the wind over the years actually. My experience is hit or miss on this subject......

That being said, I use a windicator religiously and try to keep the wind/thermals in my favor. Nothing I can do when the elk go against everything the experts say should or should not be happening based on the wind/thermals

Edit: it should be noted all 4 of those bulls were young bulls. Maybe they just hadn’t had the experience yet?

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

Was above a little valley, sitting on a rock outcropping looking at the floor. Had a dozen deer below me about 200 yards, a young bull fed out from the side at 3-400 yards. He caught my, wind turned looked at me and and ran until he was out of site.