How long can an area smell and look elky?

[Bearshirt]

How long after the elk leave can an area still smell elky and sign look fresh? Last year due to the high heat and insane amount of flys and mesquitos the elk moved out of areas we normaly found them. It appeared they had moved out very recently. Since we couldnt find them we spent more time learning the areas we have found them in. There was a huge pile of fresh green elk poop and it looked fresh and green for over a week. There was a small amount of rain almost every day and it was in a dark timber spot. So it got me thinking how old was it realy. . The area also smelt elky this whole time too. We found beds and they had a strong elk smell. I think we just missed them but we kept thinking they were in there from all the fresh sign.

So any one have any ideas on how long that elky smell can linger? I know realy green wet elk poop can look fresh for a week if its not in the sun and rained on.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Places can stay "Elky" for years. They have a large impact on game trails. Plus that musky smell stays for a long long time.

Usually they will still be in the general area. But it doesn't mean they're still pissing on and rubbing the same spots like a whitetail.

It's safe to assume there will be elk utilizing these spots unless something drastic happened. There's obviously resources they want there.

Edit: A fresh place a bull has been rubbing and pissing on will smell almost overwhelming. It's a good smell.

 

[AGPank]

Great topic. I’ve never thought to ask. So many years sneaking through the dark timber I just assumed they had been there that day and I had just missed them.

Last year I had worked on calling more. The three times I smelled elk, I called and had bulls come in.

Now I’m thinking when this happens to either use an advertising sequence or breeding sequence to get that local bulls curiosity. (Assuming I didn’t push him out on my way in).


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[Sapcut]

Places can stay "Elky" for years. They have a large impact on game trails. Plus that musky smell stays for a long long time.

If that's the case, look how much real estate that elk NEVER use.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

In my experience, if you can smell them, they’re close by.

 

[5MilesBack]

In my experience, if you can smell them, they’re close by.

Or a bull pee'd on the ground nearby.......I can smell that for days.

 

[A-Brakke]

Really good question. Beds, game trails, rubs, can be prevalent for years as these animals are huge and establish areas over decades at times. That said, typically green poop if smearable for better terms is usually pretty fresh and by fresh I mean minutes - days depending on weather. If your smelling the sour/musky barn yard smell I tend to believe they are using an area at least somewhat regularly. When elk hunting a old time friend who since passed exclusively looked for fresh rubs…..everything else was just part of elk hunting. If you can find fresh rubs, I’m talking orange bark at the base you know they are using an area currently. My opinion would be these are the areas to stay in. This is just my opinion but elk hunting changed for me when I adopted my buddy Bills mindset. Hope this helps.

 

[Pony Soldier]

My best indicator is the moist glaze on the elk pellets and the internal moisture. Squeeze them and you will see.

In the winter, I check to see the depth of the freeze. An hour or two and they are only frozen on the surface.