Tracking herds

[Predator stocker]

When looking for a bull in November and you find a bunch of elk tracks should you follow hopping to find a bull with the herd or pass them up and look for a single track ?

 

[kiddogy]

I just saw a bachelor band of 14 bulls this morning. even if the herd is mostly cows ,it is not uncommon for a bull or two or three to be tagging along with them. I wouldn't hesitate to track em down if possible. this goes for pretty much any month

 

[Bigwindymt]

Lo

When looking for a bull in November and you find a bunch of elk tracks should you follow hopping to find a bull with the herd or pass them up and look for a single track ?

Look at the tracks. Bulls leave a different print from cows.

 

[WRO]

Are you looking for a trophy or a raghorn? Rags and spikes will still be with the cows a lot of the time, but the big bulls are usually solitary or in bachelor groups.

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[Wapiti1]

Follow them and look for signs of bulls. Track size for older bulls and poop. Cows squat to poop and leave a pile. Bulls just keep walking and leave a trail. Spikes might do either, but raghorns and older leave a line of turds.

Jeremy

 

[kiddogy]

Are you looking for a trophy or a raghorn? Rags and spikes will still be with the cows a lot of the time, but the big bulls are usually solitary or in bachelor groups.

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usually but not always. elk do what elk do whenever the want to do it.

 

[Marble]

I always follow fresh elk tracks when I know they are recent enough for me to catch them. Whenever I have cut tracks in fresh snow I kill elk.

 

[Carl]

I killed this bull with two other smaller bulls and a group of 40-50 cows, calves, and spikes. The week before, him and the two other bulls were alone. Generally, if I come across a bunch of tracks, I will look for a calf track in the group, or a track or few tracks off to the side of the main herd. Often times bulls will hang near a herd, but not directly with it. Even in the late season.

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[WRO]

usually but not always. elk do what elk do whenever the want to do it.

It's been pretty rare in my experience to see a Mature bull with Cows in November. I see lots of immature bulls up to 4-5 years old with Cows. but the 8+ year old bulls seem to always be by themselves or with a bachelor group.