I know im in the minority but ...

[340mag]

I know im in the minority but when we (THE GUYS I HUNT ELK WITH) hunt ELK WE try to follow the herds, on foot, silently and as unnoticed as possiable if we don,t score on opening day I carry a medium sized backpack and tend to camp cold without disterbing the area as much as possiable, I camp where ever darkness finds me, and dont tend to go back to the main camp except every third night, for resupply, we work as a team, I hunt with one or two team members, like a sniper team,we work as a team to come at the herd from several directions, all hunters in my camp, tend to drive and stalk ELK as a team effort so that the herds trying to avoid one hunter tend to run into the other team members, as we have found that works well. it takes skill and practice AS A TEAM EFFORT! we have beaten the state averages most years so I know the system works!


(1) nobody DRIVES ELK, THEY go where THEY want too!YOU just SIMPLY FOLLOW ELK, by drive I simply meant, get them moving, if you can,t stalk close in for a shot before they detect you !and hopefully with other hunters pre-possitioned on the major excape routes
(2) snow is your best friend, it makes tracking easier and keeps you from freezeing to death, Ive spent many nites sleeping in the snow under a plastic tarp in a top quality sleeping bag, its 34-45 degree RAIN thats a major P.I.T.A, as its much harder to keep dry and warm!
(3) guys in the team stalk the herd from several directions at one time, we seldom see each other except after a kill or at pre-arranged times and places, we know approximately where the herd is located thru scouting, we split up and come in from differant points in the canyons/drainage, most of the time is spent on key terrain choke points on probable exit routes while one or more guys try to still hunt the herd, you CAN,T drive ELK but with experiance you CAN predict to some extent where they are likely to run when bothered!
look at it this way,
ADVANTAGES
ELK
know the lay of the land
travel much faster
have great eye sight
use their numbers to post many sentries
can smell you better
can hear you better
WHILE GOOD TEAM HUNTERS acting like a MODERN WOLF PACK
are hopefully smarter
can kill at over 300 yards
can plan the approach, and use the other hunters actions to their advantage
can pre-possition blockers at key terrain points
can pick when and where to a some small extent the herd is approached
can learn from years of bad decisions and mistakes
have topo maps, game surveys,use satilite location
can use spotting scopes, and little tricks to limit the elks escape options
here read this old post

link

HOW MANY OF YOU OTHER GUYS TEND TO HUNT FROM A BACK PACK,CAMP COLD, AND USE A TEAM to INCREASE YOUR CHANCES

 

[hunthog]

I too have spent a night or 2 in the wilds living out of my pack. I always prepare for it but never plan on it. As an archer you never know when you will be in the middle of a herd at the end of the day and since I'm usually quite aways from camp or the truck it's best to stay with them or sleep among them rather than have to find them the next day.

As an archer (sounds like you guys are hunting with firearms) I find that two is just right, three's company and four is definately a crowd. Since we have to get close and the rut is usually in full swing, there are just too many eyes around the Bulls. A group of 3 or 4 heavily increases the chance of a stray glance ruining a days worth of stalking, especially if the Elk are not vocal.

One thing I tend to disagree on is staying with the same group or herd for extended periods of time. My experience in just hunting the same area for too many days is that sooner or later, if they feel the least bit pressured, the herd will simply leave an area. When I say leave I mean you'll go to bed one night and find them out of the county the next morning. They are fully capable of that and should you get busted too many times in your stalks it would be best to back off, try another area, and return after a few days. This would be especially true if there are Bulls you really want in the group.

But, hey, whatever works for you. If you've been successful keep doing it. If you've found yourself suddenly losing the herd you have been pushing you might try backing off to keep them in the area and available for another day. Because, if you've hunted for very many years, you know that the hardest part is finding them in the first place. Once you do, it pays to do whatever it takes to keep them around for awhile.

Good luck and good hunting. I leave for Oregon in...........4 days

hunthog

 

[COHunter]

You dude's are "Hard Core"!!!!
I'm lazy, so when it comes to Elk hunting I got two words
"PRIVATE LAND" they just seem to be a little easier there

 

[wmidbrook]

340mag>>your party's strategy sounds a bit similar to Chuck Adams. I was reading where he spots and stalks/intercepts his quary and doesn't really try to call the real big ones in since he says they're very call shy.

COHntr, yeah, we're there's less pressure on the game, it makes locating elk repeatedly a whole lot easier.

For me right now, it's all about bringing one in within bow range with calls right now. I'll be hiking all morning along mesa rims, bugling & glassing periodically trying to locate a bull. Once one's located, I'll try to set up for a shot.

Afternoons, I'll be hunting water tanks/wallows. I'll have a backpack with me in case I feel the urge to set up a spike camp for 2-3 nights. Got 10 days to go 'til my trip.

Good luck in Oregon Hunthog.