What Causes Elk To Come In Downwind?

Marble

WKR
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May 29, 2019
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These animals do not just smell people or elk. They smell in such a distinct, descriptive method, its similar to us watching a movie. They get a descriptive analysis of what's going on root hearing or seeing anything. They can recognize individual animals, how old they are, sex, rut status, if they've been to a wallow etc. Think of it this way. When a dog smells an apple pie, he smells each individual ingredient, apples, cinnamon, flour, egg, baking powder, egg, milk, sugsr... you get the point. This includes the person who made it, if it was cooked with gas or an electric oven and if the apples were ripe.

The level an animal can smells us is beyond what we can comprehend. They are circling to get the entire untold story and prepare them for what they may face.

So expect them to do this. Plan your set ups so that if they circle, you can too.
 

Marble

WKR
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May 29, 2019
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"Experience," -- Absolutely!

That's the beauty of Forums as this! Those of us with years of experience in calling elk do our best to share things as in DownWind Elk encounters! I've been in on over 1000 call ins of bulls so I do my best in sharing real world results so you don't have to error as I have, or at least reduce your chance of erring! (grin)

1st - Bottom line in most encounters is Aggressive Bulls throw caution to the wind as long as you have a good tight setup & they come in on a string or the shortest route where there's few obstacles to negotiate.

2nd - Bulls that slip in silent or ones that become suspicious are more apt to use the wind to their benefit to reduce stepping into a threatening situation. With these basic thoughts we can now setup accordingly & have the advantage in most encounters.

Last year we took 9 OTC public land bulls, 8 came straight in to us.

Some bulls are fired up & defensive on contact, this means they either responded to our location bugle or were bugling on their own in a protective/defensive manner, this is an aggressive bull, he generally is a bull with cows.

Other bulls with much less emotion or intensity to their bugle need to have their temps raised, that's up to us as hunters. (Slow Play can do this) we work them until they elevate their bugles showing those aggressive tones. Once we've achieved this they will now commit & could care less about wind direction. So setting the stage is very important to attract nearly every bull, it's a challenge but a hoot in doing so!

ElkNut/Paul
Well said brother!
 

Beendare

WKR
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May 6, 2014
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Corripe cervisiam
Good posts Paul....I would agree.

I think one of the main reasons they come in downwind in hard hunted OTC is hunter pressure.

I was hunting a remote canyon in MT last year where an outfitter moved in and had hunters stationed every 1/2 mile down that canyon. Of course the wind was bad in there- swirling- so the elk no doubt knew there were people in there...that weren't in there prior to the season.

Those elk were real suspicious of any calling.....I don't care how good you are.

...
 

Swede

WKR
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Mar 24, 2012
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Warren Oregon
I was just about to skip this thread as it appeared to be just another watch the wind discussion, but it really is good. Elknut's experience and some of the others are what I too have observed. So, I have another question along these lines. If elk are coming in from downwind often, can you automatically say it is due to poor setups?
 
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