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Old 10-19-2019, 09:59 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Default Elk tactics

For alk the guys asking for where can I find an Elk / don't give me your spot just tell me where I can start looking. Here's some advice. Elk hunting is hard it takes patience and hard work. So here's my tips ( understand I don't hunt mountain ranges so classing is not a method I use)

#1 locate an area that has Elk close to home. This is important because it's rarely a drive out Saturday morning / shoot / load / head home type of deal. It takes hours of scouting to find if the area has Elk population.
In areas of high pressure you need to focus your efforts on the places no one wants to go. If you can drive/quad in the Elk probably won't hang around once hunting pressie increases, but often just off of these easy spots are the toughest blowdown nastiest bush patches that a you could imagine. Often times within earshot of roads or trails. Elk will bed in these areas in relative safety. ( tip if it's warm look on the north facing hill sides) use Google maps to locate prospective areas to scout/ hunt.

#2 practice your calling. Spend hours perfecting your sounds. Try to use mouth reeds instead of commercial bugles and bite down calls. The sounds you can make with the reed will be unique and can put inflection and feeling into your call instead of the simple meeyou that often sounds more like a duck than an Elk. Along with learning how to make good Elk sounds dedicate time to learn what the Elk are saying when they make sounds. I should go into huge detail here but I would suggest you look up Elk Nut in the app store and down load his app. Well worth the money if you want to learn to speak Elk.
Calling IMO is the most important part in punching your Elk tag so make sure to spend the time to get it right!

#3 tactics...
Early season ( late Aug/early Sept) start getting into the area you have selected well before light and start locate bugleing. Once a bull is located understand what he is saying by his responds and react accordingly. Close the distance and using all your Elk knowledge call him to you for the harvest
Mid season ( mid Sept to late Oct) locate bugleing might not get much response but your listening for ANY sound that a bull will make to give away his location ( it's not always a bugle...learn ALL the sounds Elk make and what they mean) once a bull is located use your knowledge and sounds to call him to you for the harvest.
Late season ( late Oct to late Nov) is when tracking and cutting trails is used. Bull Elk will usually be alone at this time so learn how to identify a bull from a cow track. There are tones of tricks here. Did the track go wide around a tree or right up beside? Learn how to track that's all I'm going to say. It takes time and there's tones of resources out there to help you learn. Plan to walk a pile of clicks around in a loop looking to cut tracks once on a track use your bushcraft skill to cut distance. A straight line track means the Elk is heading somewhere so you can speed on your pursuit. Once the tracks start meandering around it usually means its looking to bed. Go SLOW use your optics. once really close, calling techniques can be used to get a shot.

Tips
Elk usually feed at night and head back to bedding by first light. By 9:30 or so they are likely in their bed for the day. Bulls will bed close to water as they need to get up and water a few times during the day and won't want to expose themselves while doing it. They don't always bed in the same spots. By last light they are usually heading to their night time feeding area.

Elk usually act out of 2 major needs. staying alive, And food. Breeding is a fairly short time frame in their year but a smart hunter will exploit that time to their advantage. If you can't hunt the rut their are other ways to get it done.
Bulls usually put staying alive above everything else and pic their bedding areas based on this premises. Don't expect it to be easy to get to them!! They will pic the best feed available in the area based on security. Locate these spots and put leather to dirt

I am a 100% self taught hunter ( first in my family) I put in the time to learn the skills and sought out resources that have helped make me successful at filling tags. Anyone can learn this stuff and be successful thou just need to make it a priority to learn.

I can't recommend the Elk nut app enough as a resource for calling sounds and sequences.

There is a pile more info that could be talked about and I'm sure there are guys on this board with other proven tactics and tips.
Who knows maybe this will become a sticky for all the Elk hunting info / tactics

One last tip. Learn how to do a nervous grunt. It's the best sound for locking a bull up to get that shot.
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Old 10-19-2019, 10:25 AM
Z7Extreme Z7Extreme is offline
 
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From one self taught hunter to another: On one hand I commend you for sharing your hard earned knowledge on a public forum. But on the other hand I have to ask why you would share this HARD EARNED knowledge on a public forum? Personally I have lived and breathed elk hunting 365 days a year for the last decade, and only the last few do I feel confident that I will kill a bull every year. Im not calling you out by the way, just asking why make it easier for everyone? Only going to make it harder for yourself lol... Anyways good luck to you and everyone else for the rest of the season. Shoot straight!!
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Old 10-19-2019, 10:51 AM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Z7Extreme View Post
From one self taught hunter to another: On one hand I commend you for sharing your hard earned knowledge on a public forum. But on the other hand I have to ask why you would share this HARD EARNED knowledge on a public forum? Personally I have lived and breathed elk hunting 365 days a year for the last decade, and only the last few do I feel confident that I will kill a bull every year. Im not calling you out by the way, just asking why make it easier for everyone? Only going to make it harder for yourself lol... Anyways good luck to you and everyone else for the rest of the season. Shoot straight!!
Some hunters like to share their knowledge
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Old 10-19-2019, 11:27 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Z7Extreme View Post
From one self taught hunter to another: On one hand I commend you for sharing your hard earned knowledge on a public forum. But on the other hand I have to ask why you would share this HARD EARNED knowledge on a public forum? Personally I have lived and breathed elk hunting 365 days a year for the last decade, and only the last few do I feel confident that I will kill a bull every year. Im not calling you out by the way, just asking why make it easier for everyone? Only going to make it harder for yourself lol... Anyways good luck to you and everyone else for the rest of the season. Shoot straight!!
Dude I get your question. I enjoy helping others. I HATE MOOCHES. I have two hunting obsessions Elk and Coyotes. I live eat and breath hunting both and have spent almost two decades learning how to call/ hunt them. I love helping other people achieving success on both these species. I HATE being treated as a guide without pay. Guys asking me to take them to get their Elk.
I have no problem teaching someone how to call or track. But I'll be darned if I do it for them. I have no affiliation with any one or product I am not a guide or outfitter. If you are willing to put in the work you can have success. Some people just don't have any idea where to start so they come on here and say.....I've been tromping around for 4 seasons and havent seen anything where should I go to het an Elk? My advice and tips can give these guys a starting point.
Don't bother even trying if you can't make good Elk sounds.
Don't bother if you haven't done you're own e scouting or be willing to hike back in and work..
If any one punches a tag because of my advice here it will be because THEY put in the effort. All I am trying to do is give them a starting point. The rest is up to them.
It won't make it harder for me to punch my tag because there will still be Elk out there and if they are there its possible to tag them

Last edited by obsessed1; 10-19-2019 at 11:46 AM.
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Old 10-19-2019, 11:41 AM
Athabasca1 Athabasca1 is offline
 
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Dude I get your question. I enjoy helping others. I HATE MOOCHES. I have two hunting obsessions Elk and Coyotes. I live eat and breath hunting both and have spent almost two decades learning how to call/ hunt them. I love helping other people achieving success on both these species. I HATE being treated as a guide without pay. Guys asking me to take them to get their Elk
I have no problem teaching someone how to call or track. But I'll be darned if I do it for them. I have no affiliation with any one or product I am not a guide or outfitter. If you are willing to put in the work you can have success. Some people just don't have any idea where to start so they come on here and say.....I've been tromping around for 4 seasons and havent seen anything where should I go to het an Elk? My advice and tips can give these guys a starting point. Don't bother even trying if you can't mage Elk sounds. Don't bother if you haven't done you're own e scouting or be willing to hike back in and work.. If any one punches a tag because of my advice here it will be because THEY put in the effort. All in trying to do is give them a starting point. The rest is to to them.
It won't make it harder for me to punch my tag because there will still.be Elk out there and if they are there its possible to tag them
Thanks for posting obsessed1. All good information you are sharing.
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Old 10-19-2019, 12:32 PM
Z7Extreme Z7Extreme is offline
 
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Originally Posted by obsessed1 View Post
Dude I get your question. I enjoy helping others. I HATE MOOCHES. I have two hunting obsessions Elk and Coyotes. I live eat and breath hunting both and have spent almost two decades learning how to call/ hunt them. I love helping other people achieving success on both these species. I HATE being treated as a guide without pay. Guys asking me to take them to get their Elk.
I have no problem teaching someone how to call or track. But I'll be darned if I do it for them. I have no affiliation with any one or product I am not a guide or outfitter. If you are willing to put in the work you can have success. Some people just don't have any idea where to start so they come on here and say.....I've been tromping around for 4 seasons and havent seen anything where should I go to het an Elk? My advice and tips can give these guys a starting point.
Don't bother even trying if you can't make good Elk sounds.
Don't bother if you haven't done you're own e scouting or be willing to hike back in and work..
If any one punches a tag because of my advice here it will be because THEY put in the effort. All I am trying to do is give them a starting point. The rest is up to them.
It won't make it harder for me to punch my tag because there will still be Elk out there and if they are there its possible to tag them

I agree with you 100%, you are right and good on you for trying to teach others. I posted almost exactly the same info on a thread here a few years back. But it never decreased the "elk help" threads.. the info is out there for guys to learn if they search for it and want to be serious elk hunters, trouble is they only think about hunting elk for a few weeks of the year during september lol. They couldnt be bothered to put in the dedication, time and effort it takes to better themselves at calling, scouting, physical conditioning or learning elk behaviour. And Im fine with that because all it means is less competition, pressure, and educated elk for me to hunt. I do still share tips and tactics with people that are starting out but only the ones that show enthusiasm and drive. I guess Im a little tired of sharing with people that are going to forget what I said or couldnt be bothered to listen anyways. Thanks for replying to my question, nice to see another guy out there that is as obsessed as I am lol. Shoot straight
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Old 10-19-2019, 12:58 PM
FQ2 FQ2 is offline
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Thanks for the read
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Old 10-19-2019, 03:30 PM
wildwoods wildwoods is offline
 
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I agree with you 100%, you are right and good on you for trying to teach others. I posted almost exactly the same info on a thread here a few years back. But it never decreased the "elk help" threads.. the info is out there for guys to learn if they search for it and want to be serious elk hunters, trouble is they only think about hunting elk for a few weeks of the year during september lol. They couldnt be bothered to put in the dedication, time and effort it takes to better themselves at calling, scouting, physical conditioning or learning elk behaviour. And Im fine with that because all it means is less competition, pressure, and educated elk for me to hunt. I do still share tips and tactics with people that are starting out but only the ones that show enthusiasm and drive. I guess Im a little tired of sharing with people that are going to forget what I said or couldnt be bothered to listen anyways. Thanks for replying to my question, nice to see another guy out there that is as obsessed as I am lol. Shoot straight
I can get where you are coming from. I understand completely. What you fail to realize is the more hunter recruitment= the better chance you and your offspring will have to continue hunting. Teaching rookies should be everyone’s mandate- no exception. If you aren’t taking the time to get people out there and interested- you’ve failed to make sure this incredible past time has a future. It’s a numbers game through and through. Not to mention piles of fun watching newbies succeed- whether on this forum or in person. We need the casual weekend warriors too. I am sorry to jump on you a bit. I am guessing I’m not telling you something you don’t know. Just keep slugging!


OP: great thread. I’ll add a couple pointers as well. These again are private land, prairie tips.

1. Don’t give up. It usually takes about 4-6 years to really get to know an area and where elk circulate.
2. Mark all your sightings on your iHunter app or your paper map. Include date, time of day and direction of travel. I’ve been able to build an amazing visual on my maps from the years of hunting elk. You will see patterns develop.
3. A very underrated aspect (in all big game hunting) is the ability to shoot accurately at longer distances. This takes time to develop as well. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Get out there and shoot from different positions. There is zero sense in having everything dialed in and planned out if you can’t make it count when your reticle is on fur. Know your capabilities and practice practice practice!

There’s so much more. Lots was covered by the OP. I’m eagerly waiting for others to chime in here too
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Old 10-19-2019, 05:10 PM
gman1978 gman1978 is offline
 
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Every area is obviously different. Elk are one thing I don’t have to think about 365 days of the year. If I know where some cows are during the rut the game is on. If your in elk and if you can call adequately you will have encounters. I can blind call and have encounters in those areas. Nothing in this thread is top secret. Now a big mature whitetail that’s where you have to do some homework lol!!!
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Old 10-19-2019, 05:39 PM
Mountainaccent Mountainaccent is offline
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Well I will have to disagree elk are not hard to hunt at all specially in the rut. You can be an inadequate caller and get responses, elk on public land I find go back to an area every 3 days and I find over hunting an area is the biggest mistake most make.
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Old 10-19-2019, 07:09 PM
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Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
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Hardest part of elk hunting is finding the elk, once you know where the elk are you can kill them. You might have to think outside the box to get it done consistently however.

LC
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Old 10-20-2019, 04:32 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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What wmu are you guys hunting that it's so simple to get your Elk every year? My experience is 357, 358 only as that's where I live. During bow season its possible to be sloppy and still get a chance problem is off you don't kill it took just made it harder to call in next time. Our Elk herds get hit hard buy hunting pressure and for the last 5 or so years the wolves have hit the area pretty hard as well. 10 years ago I could sit on my deck morning or evading and listen to the bulls screaming. Now not so much. They are still there but they are a lot more savvy. By seconds wrk of rifle season the Elk are fully nocturnal and really skiddish. I know folks who shoot an Elk every year of their quarter but they just wait until they see them .If you don't have the luxury of unlimited time to shut pin a quarter it's tough to tag out year after year. Lots of these owners won't give permission so for lots of guys it's crown bush hunting only. Way back when, I did harvest a few Elk with sloppy calling/ tactics but couldn't do it consistently. The tips I'm sharing are based on my experience hunting the saddle hills. But I'm sure they can be used in any wmu in the province. Most of what I know has come from first-hand experience but reading and learning from other great Elk hunters has helped lessen the learning curve.
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Old 10-20-2019, 04:58 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Default Another tip

Observations have found while tracking.
Post rut satellite bulls will often pair up and travel / feed together. So if you see two sets of larger heavy prints it's worth pursuing.
Groups of 3-8 will often have spike bulls but more often not a legal bull
Groups larger than ten animals will often have a herd bull among them even into November.
This info can help when you cut fresh tracks and are trying to decide a plan of action.

Larger groups are really tough to pick out a specific animal as there are many more eyes and ears. I can't count the times I have tracked a herd( 10-15 ) into third bedding and know full well there's a bull( can hear his head gear banging on trees) but get busted by the cows before I can put eyes on him. Often when this happens the Elk will push 100 or so yards then stop and re group. You will hear regathering mews from the cows as they try to make sure every one is there. if the wind is right you can use this opportunity to get among the herd with your cow calls and " search out" the bull. There's not a high chance you will call him into you so it's a spot and shoot type of deal. I have bumped the same herd every100 yds or so up to 5 times in the past. But you have to keep the wind right or they will be fine before you are able to see them.

I mentioned a truck for getting Elk to lock up for a shot.
I found this but of info a few years back from Elk nut youtube episodes. I used to just cow call to try to get them to stop and it works sometimes. But I love Paul's logic on the sounds. A mew asks nothing of an Elk it's just a sound. A nervous grunt however asks something of them. It's like saying "what are you" in Elk talk. It invokes a response since using this sound even at long distance ive witnessed Elk stopping and responding immediately. As a coyoter I use a whistle or howl with my voice to stop an incoming coyote for the shot. The nervous grunt is used for the same purpose. I've only used out for the last two seasons but it made the difference on my last year's harvest ( late season cow )and I've used it three times this year with the same effect. 1st on a 5x5 in archery( no shot cause of my own mistakes) and on two called in spike bulls in early October.
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Old 10-20-2019, 10:53 AM
dalewig dalewig is offline
 
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Great advice, much appreciated, helps build the excitement for getting out this Friday!!
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Old 10-21-2019, 09:43 AM
Big Grey Wolf Big Grey Wolf is offline
 
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Default elk

Obsessed, excellent elk advice. Unless a elk hunter has spent many years in high density WMU's like 357/358, worked real hard, burnt much shoe leather he will never learn half the skill you have developed. I would also suggest good books by very experienced elk hunters.
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Old 10-27-2019, 09:30 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Default Camo or no

Next tip is wind us FAR more important than camo.
I usually wear camo ( mostly because it's the TYPE of clothing I need) but breaking up your outline is the most important part. Brown pants with grey sweater with coyote brown bino harness gives the effect of break up needed.
Carry a wind checker and use it often while hunting/ tracking.
Your wind will bust you long before your even within view of the critter
Thermals are also something that you should keep in mind.
A large portion of the Elk I haven't got is due to bad wind decisions.
I have never used any of the scent lock spray products as im not convinced they give any advantage. If the wind is bad your going to get busted period. I do however wear one of those scent pucks ( esterous cow Elk) have done it for years now just cause.....
When i am locating Elk ( Calling) I don't worry about the wind at all because I have no idea where the Elk are to begin with. Once I locate a bull I try to get within 200 yds with the wind in my face. I then begin my calling sequence trying to pull the bull in for a look. If your successful at getting him worked up rarely do they circle top wind you.
Still hunting them I don't worry about wind until I notice the track begins to mil around. This is when I make my way around to the down wind side.
There's no need to be silent ( Elk make lots of noise moving around) working the wind in your favor will give you a chance to get in close enough for a shot. Most times a bull will hear you and give a nervous bark. This is your cue to give him a soft cow response. Remember he can't smell or see you he just heard you and asked what you are. You let him know your just a cow Elk and no threat to him. It's now possible to work your way right in for a shot reassuring him all the while you're a Elk. In this scenario if he winds you, he's gone. He won't give you the nervous grunt he will just slip away. After he gives you the grunt if you don't respond he will bugger out. He asked what you were and he didn't get an answer. In his mind it's danger, get out quick. If he sees you but can't figure what you are letting him know your an Elk puts him at ease for a few seconds giving you a possible chance at a shot.
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Old 10-27-2019, 11:14 AM
buckman buckman is offline
 
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Originally Posted by obsessed1 View Post
What wmu are you guys hunting that it's so simple to get your Elk every year? My experience is 357, 358 only as that's where I live. During bow season its possible to be sloppy and still get a chance problem is off you don't kill it took just made it harder to call in next time. Our Elk herds get hit hard buy hunting pressure and for the last 5 or so years the wolves have hit the area pretty hard as well. 10 years ago I could sit on my deck morning or evading and listen to the bulls screaming. Now not so much. They are still there but they are a lot more savvy. By seconds wrk of rifle season the Elk are fully nocturnal and really skiddish. I know folks who shoot an Elk every year of their quarter but they just wait until they see them .If you don't have the luxury of unlimited time to shut pin a quarter it's tough to tag out year after year. Lots of these owners won't give permission so for lots of guys it's crown bush hunting only. Way back when, I did harvest a few Elk with sloppy calling/ tactics but couldn't do it consistently. The tips I'm sharing are based on my experience hunting the saddle hills. But I'm sure they can be used in any wmu in the province. Most of what I know has come from first-hand experience but reading and learning from other great Elk hunters has helped lessen the learning curve.
There's elk shooting then there's real elk hunting.

In my observation most of the hunters that kill an elk every year have access to strictly controlled land or can get into remote areas on horses.

For most of us we compete with high pressured educated elk,especially in the high foothills area of Alberta.

The Bulls I have shot have been on public land in the mountain zones,in my experience this is the most challenging elk hunt out there.

For me its much more than harvesting a bull but more about the hunt.
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Old 10-27-2019, 06:01 PM
elk eater elk eater is offline
 
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All seems to be good advice. Get in the bush with them. One other piece of advice is carry bear spray and be vigilante in checking your surroundings. If your calling elk your calling predators. Be aware of bears and cougars. If you sound like an elk and smell like an elk you may just taste like one too. Be prepared. Bear spray on hip and backpack full of gear just in case. Working in tandem can be very effective too, but know where your buddy is. Look out for each other.
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Old 10-27-2019, 07:13 PM
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Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
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Originally Posted by buckman View Post
There's elk shooting then there's real elk hunting.

In my observation most of the hunters that kill an elk every year have access to strictly controlled land or can get into remote areas on horses.

For most of us we compete with high pressured educated elk,especially in the high foothills area of Alberta.

The Bulls I have shot have been on public land in the mountain zones,in my experience this is the most challenging elk hunt out there.

For me its much more than harvesting a bull but more about the hunt.
I don’t know many people who can just go out and shoot elk, maybe a few with the rifle that have crop land the elk frequent. If you hunt with a bow you pretty much have to hunt them and not just shoot them.

LC
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Old 10-27-2019, 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck View Post
Hardest part of elk hunting is finding the elk, once you know where the elk are you can kill them. You might have to think outside the box to get it done consistently however.

LC
Problem being, once they get shot at, they disappear to places you can't get at them. They know whose land is posted and hate hunters.

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Old 10-27-2019, 10:02 PM
snowman160 snowman160 is offline
 
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I love reading this stuff..thanks for everyone’s tips
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Old 10-27-2019, 10:19 PM
Joe Black Joe Black is offline
 
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If you really want to be successful, year after year, get out almost every weekend of archery. You may have a shot at tagging out early. If not, you will(should) have the knowledge to tag out during rifle.

All good info started by op. You still need to log your hours in the bush to really know what works and what doesn't.

Private access is great. If you want a real big one, high draw public Wmu with horses or such. For the majority, a nice meat bull will do. You can do it on public land. Be prepared to boldly go where no man has gone before,,,,

Spend enough time out there and you will know where that is.
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Old 12-11-2019, 05:06 AM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Default Off season hunting

For you elk hunters, what skill are you working on this winter that will make you a better Elk hunter? One thing I fell into way back when I first started was thinking I could buy my way to a successful Elk harvest by getting the latest greatest gadget/ Call/ scent....ECT. After a few seasons I realised gear wasn't what was going to get the job done. Skill was the thing most necessary for harvest. Sure you need good quality equipment..pack,calls ECT. But how you implement them and general woodsmanship is far more important. I have usually identified a skill/ weakness every year that I work on during the winter/ summer in prep for the hunting season. This past season my biggest difficulty was health. This winter summer I am putting much focus on getting my body(herniated disk in back) back into a state where I will be fit enough to get anywhere the Elk are. This was my biggest issue last season. Even still I did manage multiple bow encounters at ranges less than 30 yds and cut a tag during rifle season on a 5x5. I will also be on the lookout for any scrap of insight/ practising on tracking. Both in snow and without snow. As I feel developing this skill will make me a better hunter all around.
What skill are you wanting to develop or weakness are you able to work on this off season to help you have success? For those who want success it will take effort
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Old 12-11-2019, 07:54 AM
last minute last minute is offline
 
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Has anyone ever written a book about elk hunting in Alberta or just elk in Alberta .?
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Old 12-11-2019, 09:08 AM
Just4hugh Just4hugh is offline
 
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Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll admit I wouldn't have found it if you guys didn't bump the thread back up.

Other than getting a Reed and practising over the winter, practising taking longer shots, what other skills would you guys recommend honing? Hoping to give elk a try next season, fingers crossed.
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Old 12-11-2019, 09:14 AM
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well little of this advice applies to me this year for a late season cow on rolling foothills . Wind a big factor and having them in the right section . We are planning on getting in in the dark . I have yet to seal the deal though . We've seen them in area which is encouraging
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  #27  
Old 12-11-2019, 10:18 AM
Mb-MBR Mb-MBR is offline
 
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Originally Posted by obsessed1 View Post
Next tip is wind us FAR more important than camo.
I usually wear camo ( mostly because it's the TYPE of clothing I need) but breaking up your outline is the most important part. Brown pants with grey sweater with coyote brown bino harness gives the effect of break up needed.
Carry a wind checker and use it often while hunting/ tracking.
Your wind will bust you long before your even within view of the critter
Thermals are also something that you should keep in mind.
A large portion of the Elk I haven't got is due to bad wind decisions.
I have never used any of the scent lock spray products as im not convinced they give any advantage. If the wind is bad your going to get busted period. I do however wear one of those scent pucks ( esterous cow Elk) have done it for years now just cause.....
When i am locating Elk ( Calling) I don't worry about the wind at all because I have no idea where the Elk are to begin with. Once I locate a bull I try to get within 200 yds with the wind in my face. I then begin my calling sequence trying to pull the bull in for a look. If your successful at getting him worked up rarely do they circle top wind you.
Still hunting them I don't worry about wind until I notice the track begins to mil around. This is when I make my way around to the down wind side.
There's no need to be silent ( Elk make lots of noise moving around) working the wind in your favor will give you a chance to get in close enough for a shot. Most times a bull will hear you and give a nervous bark. This is your cue to give him a soft cow response. Remember he can't smell or see you he just heard you and asked what you are. You let him know your just a cow Elk and no threat to him. It's now possible to work your way right in for a shot reassuring him all the while you're a Elk. In this scenario if he winds you, he's gone. He won't give you the nervous grunt he will just slip away. After he gives you the grunt if you don't respond he will bugger out. He asked what you were and he didn't get an answer. In his mind it's danger, get out quick. If he sees you but can't figure what you are letting him know your an Elk puts him at ease for a few seconds giving you a possible chance at a shot.
A lot of sage advice being shared and cannot disagree with what has worked for other hunters. One of my favourite techniques is once I locate the bull and as long as he's bugling I remain silent and work the wind in my favour and if I can get in close enough, I locate a stick and start scraping the ground and scraping/thrashing (gently at first) a nearby bush...…...this has brought many curious elk within bow range....I should clarify long bow range.
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  #28  
Old 12-11-2019, 10:57 AM
gman1978 gman1978 is offline
 
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Location: Alberta
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Don't over think it, most important is know where the elk are, second most important is know here the elk are, and third most important is know where the elk are. Have time to hunt, watch the wind and know how to call somewhat. You will have action. If you chasing the herd bull that's a little more complicated.
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  #29  
Old 12-11-2019, 10:05 PM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Just4hugh View Post
Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll admit I wouldn't have found it if you guys didn't bump the thread back up.

Other than getting a Reed and practising over the winter, practising taking longer shots, what other skills would you guys recommend honing? Hoping to give elk a try next season, fingers crossed.
Where are you planning to hunt? Pre rut?'peak.rut? Post rut? Get in good shape. Learn how to locate the pockets that will hold elk e scouting then put some leather on the trails. Peak rut is easiest if your vocalizations are rough. Practice practice practce. Hunt as close to.home as possible and try to do multi day hunts until you are able to find areas that hold elk. Learn every shred of info you can.
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  #30  
Old 12-30-2019, 07:36 PM
obsessed1 obsessed1 is offline
 
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Learned something new today. Out for a hike and cut a bull trail. I followed it for a few hundred yards as it was really fresh. It started to wander around a bit and I noticed it was maybe twisting in its tracks every once in a while. I thought it was getting ready to bed and just looking for a good spot but as I followed it circled back on its self taking to a slightly higher elevation. It backtracked to a spot where when I stood where it stood I was looking at my track through the dead falls. Sucker probably stood there and watched me following its tracks. I stuck to the trail for another 2-3 km and it circled back 2 more times. Each time my trail was visible from where it stoped. Most times it was higher up than I was.
What I learned. When a track starts wandering and "twisting" keep a lookout on the uphill or down wind side of the trail. The sneaky sucker might just be looking at you on his backtrail.
For you trackers out there, do you guys stick to the trail for the most part or do you like to swing in semi circles down wind keeping track of the track and trying to intercept the critter as it swings to watch it's backtrack?

I never did see the bull this time before I headed back
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