South side of mountain, where to find elk?

[swNEhunter]

"North Facing Slopes" is a pretty common phrase for elk bedding. What about hunting the south side of a 13,500' mountain where there isn't any true north faces? How should I spend my time archery hunting this type of area? Do the elk seek out shady cuts during the day, or does shade not matter as much for bedding? Is closer to timberline better than not? I'd really appreciate some advice as to how you all would approach hunting an area like this.

 

[Still Hunter]

No expert here. Look at the fundamentals Food ,Water, Shelter.
Elk need to Water everyday.

Locate food, locate water, locate bedding, look for benches on topo maps, saddles where they have a points to transition between draws and ridges. Locate trails & patches between these three areas. Bedding area, primary food resource for the time of year & water.

 

[Elkfitness]

Id find a spot to glass from and make notes of where elk are, and what they do.

I think you’ll find the elk move up and down the mountain or come over to the side you see from a saddle. They will seek out a drainage/gulley with some trees/shade. You may find them up in a bowl as well. They may only feed out on high south facing slope for just a little bit.


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[Hoodie]

You aren't looking hard enough for the north face. It's on the other side of the south one

In all seriousness if the north side isn't viable because it's cliffy or something, I'd look for conditions that mimic north slopes. Like water availability, shade, cool microclimates, etc. Feed on south slopes usually dries up earlier over the course of the summer, so there's a chance areas like that just won't be getting used in September. Pay attention to feed quality.

 

[nphunter]

If it’s mostly south it’s probably open and you should be able to glass effectively to find where they are hanging out. I’ve seen elk lay in wide open fields in the middle of August when it’s 100+ so they don’t always bed in timber. Is say the majority of the time they will though. They really like thick brush as well as timber, willow patches with water are elk magnets in dry country. I will say that every mountain has a north face though and north faces tend to hold more wildlife in general unless it is too thick for them to effectively move through.

I’ve killed elk in thick nasty vine maple, big dark open timber river bottoms, open grasslands and wide open sage brush without a tree in sight. One thing they need above everything else is water, if there is no water there won’t be elk.

This bull and 20 cows were bedded in the sage brush not far from this picture. I didn’t know he had that many cows until walking over to him after I killed him. There is water in the canyon behind me. There is also about 600 acres of dense forest less than a mile away so they don’t always go to cover. Typically they are going to go where they aren’t bothered, that could be heavy cover or a wide open hard to access bench or hillside.

 

[Still Hunter]

If it’s mostly south it’s probably open and you should be able to glass effectively to find where they are hanging out. I’ve seen elk lay in wide open fields in the middle of August when it’s 100+ so they don’t always bed in timber. Is say the majority of the time they will though. They really like thick brush as well as timber, willow patches with water are elk magnets in dry country. I will say that every mountain has a north face though and north faces tend to hold more wildlife in general unless it is too thick for them to effectively move through.

I’ve killed elk in thick nasty vine maple, big dark open timber river bottoms, open grasslands and wide open sage brush without a tree in sight. One thing they need above everything else is water, if there is no water there won’t be elk.

This bull and 20 cows were bedded in the sage brush not far from this picture. I didn’t know he had that many cows until walking over to him after I killed him. There is water in the canyon behind me. There is also about 600 acres of dense forest less than a mile away so they don’t always go to cover. Typically they are going to go where they aren’t bothered, that could be heavy cover or a wide open hard to access bench or hillside.

View attachment 401278

Nice bull!

 

[cnelk]

I killed this bull 22 years ago with my 50cal Hawken and there wasn’t a mountain around for miles - North side or south side or east or west.

Find undisturbed elk and get to hunting - on any side of the mtn

 

[AaronMColeman]

Well the simple answer is north facing slopes tend to have thicker timber and south facing slopes tend to have grasses. Timber = bedding, Grass = feeding. Early and late day are great times to sit the transitions (saddles usually) that elk use to move between bedding and feeding. During the day and the hot parts especially, elk wear fur coats so they like to find cool areas in timber to sleep.

I wouldn't get too caught up in North vs South and would focus on feeding and bedding as a more critical sign.

I think it was Remi Warren I heard talking about elk wearing a fur coat. When we are comfortable in 55-75 degree fall weather, the elk are roasting in their massive coats. Look for places where they can cool off and stay in the shade and still accomplish their goals of food, shelter, water, and protection.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I killed this bull 22 years ago with my 50cal Hawken and there wasn’t a mountain around for miles - North side or south side or east or west.

Find undisturbed elk and get to hunting - on any side of the mtn


View attachment 401299

I see no high end hunting clothing so I call BS

 

[Pony Soldier]

I agree with Aaron. In the summer when they have crewcuts, I have seen them sleeping in the shade behind my barn. At that time they are nearly naked for an elk. As sept starts, the elk start growing hair. Where they are reflects the temperatures and their coats. A hot sept and I find them in the wallows and the shade- north side or edge of it. On a cold snowy sept, they often are basking in the sun on the south side. It's just a temperature control issue and what they have grown for a coat.

At that same time look at your grass. If it has been a hot dry summer and the grass is dry and crispy, look for the elk near the wet creek bottoms where there are green tender grass shoots. The dry grasses become favorable after the fall rains or snow.

Follow the elk. They will tell you what you need to know.

 

[Scoot]

1) Most south facing slopes/areas have folds and fissures that produce smaller areas that actually do face north. Those areas are worth checking out.

2) In order of coolest to warmest (generally speaking) is: north-, east-, west-, south-facing. In the absence of north facing slopes, east facing will be the coolest areas elk can find.

There will be examples of how the two above points don't always work out, but they very often hold up and are worth keeping in mind IMO.

 

[Indian Summer]

You are in for a pleasant surprise. There’s more feed on south slopes. And there’s nothing you can’t find on a north slope that you can’t find on the south slope. If your ridges running north to south meaning it only has an east and west slope, then every secondary finger that runs off of that main ridge has the north side and south side. So in reality there are north slopes all along east/west slopes. The thermals are more dependable on that side too. North slopes can be tricky during the day. I shake my head when I read countless threads of people saying “Hunt the north slope during the day”. Elk don’t pull out topo maps and look for the nearest North slope. They spend their time where they have everything they need. They can find plenty of cool shade on the south slope as well as water and security. And it’s never too far to the feed. You’re in for a good hunt. Good luck!

 

[Indian Summer]

I killed this bull 22 years ago with my 50cal Hawken and there wasn’t a mountain around for miles - North side or south side or east or west.

Find undisturbed elk and get to hunting - on any side of the mtn


View attachment 401299

You haven’t aged a bit old man!

 

[Next Ridge]

When I look after the fact at where I find elk, there is always some other “micro to medium” topography and feed,water, security aspect at play. Don’t focus on the big features and topo, like the south side of a 13,500 ft peak, the big features always have other smaller and relevant features

 

[swNEhunter]

Thanks for all the input. I'm burning some points this year and just trying to learn about the area as much as possible before going out there.

There is a lot of timber (mixed with blow-down), a couple creek drainages, and ridges running north to south off the peaks which looks to have a few nooks and crannies that seem to be thick and shaded.

The north side of this particular mountain range has closer road access and has a small basin that looks like a few hunters could blow through in a day. So, I'm preparing for that to be a bust.

 

[Phaseolus]

"North Facing Slopes" is a pretty common phrase for elk bedding. What about hunting the south side of a 13,500' mountain where there isn't any true north faces? How should I spend my time archery hunting this type of area? Do the elk seek out shady cuts during the day, or does shade not matter as much for bedding? Is closer to timberline better than not? I'd really appreciate some advice as to how you all would approach hunting an area like this.

13,500 will not have timber so if elk have had any pressure they will not linger up there past daylight.

 

[SoloWilderness]

Thanks for all the input. I'm burning some points this year and just trying to learn about the area as much as possible before going out there.

There is a lot of timber (mixed with blow-down), a couple creek drainages, and ridges running north to south off the peaks which looks to have a few nooks and crannies that seem to be thick and shaded.

The north side of this particular mountain range has closer road access and has a small basin that looks like a few hunters could blow through in a day. So, I'm preparing for that to be a bust.

Figure out the escape routes they will take from that basin. Maybe some nasty timber they will feel safe in.

 

[swNEhunter]

13,500 will not have timber so if elk have had any pressure they will not linger up there past daylight.

The 13,500 was me trying to describe the mountain/area without asking about a state/unit/gps coordinate. I will not be hunting at 13,500, but am considering hunting the south slope of the two 13,500 peaks/mountain range. I plan on hunting 11,400 to 12,000 if I can find elk there.