Would you rather?

[Niceandkozy8]

High elk numbers and hunters mean you can hunt elk like whitetails....use pressure to your advantage.

I just like mtnbiker have 100+% average in super high pressure units.

If it works on a primos video....forget it in these units.

When you say hunt them like whitetail what exactly do you mean? Figure out bedding and where the pressure is coming from and try to intercept escaping the pressure? The unit I have been hunting is very thick with almost no glassing capability. A lot of hunters in that unit use tree stands probably because what your hinting at Wrench.

 

[Niceandkozy8]

My experience so far with this high pressure unit is that most of the animals don't talk unless they are on a private chunk and as a result are not messed with. I have gotten into some bugling action but not enough to rely on as a primary way of killing an elk up to this point. Ive had a couple close encounters with bugling bulls and a couple bulls coming in silent and getting the drop on me. Because the unit is so thick and there are no real vantage points to glass from a true spot and stalk method isn't very viable either.

With limited vocalization (not always but not something we dont count on all the time) and no real glassing opportunity, what things would you look for to find the elk. We have had many past experiences seeing elk but almost no real opportunities to close the distance and have a real encounter to get one killed.

 

[Indian Summer]

The area is thick... no vantage points to glass from, and the elk aren’t very vocal. Spot and stalk doesn’t work and you can’t rely on calling.

How in the world did you get started hunting there in the first place? I’d say relocate and pick a spot based on solving the problems you have with this area.

 

[hobbes]

If you find where the elk are, low density is somewhat irrelevant. However, that's often the biggest hurdle while elk hunting....... finding them.

 

[Young Blood]

Depends on the weapon for me. If archery hunting I would choose the low density unit as I don't like calling in other hunters and I have a better chance of getting a response (thus locating the few elk that do exist) with less hunting pressure. If rifle hunting I would choose the higher density unit knowing that finding them is a lot harder during rifle season and I actually prefer the high hunter numbers (especially with higher animal densities) to get the animals moving. I can still get a shot on a spooked elk from a few hundred yards out... that is much harder with spooked animals in archery.

 

[Niceandkozy8]

The area is thick... no vantage points to glass from, and the elk aren’t very vocal. Spot and stalk doesn’t work and you can’t rely on calling.

How in the world did you get started hunting there in the first place? I’d say relocate and pick a spot based on solving the problems you have with this area.

haha! great question. I started hunting 5 years ago and my in-laws have hunted that unit for many, many years. They have always rifle hunted only so they would just sit in little clearings and wait for bulls to walk by. In the early days they had a decent amount of success but as the unit has gotten more popular they have had worse results.

I started looking into new areas after 3 years of no success rifle and archery hunting. I did draw a rifle tag there 2 years ago and killed my only bull, a nice 6 pt at about 30 yards. Something spooked a small herd right into me, right place right time kind of thing. Ill take whatever luck I can get though lol.

 

[K.S.]

I think i would split the difference...
Not hunt the biggest/smallest elk population or the highest concentration/lowest concentration of hunters.
But try to find some middle ground