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Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

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Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Camptravis » 07 29, 2021 •  [Post 1]

Hi, I just found this forum yesterday after seeing a link on another forum about hunting elk from a tree stand. A little background about me. I live in North Idaho and have never harvested an elk. This will be my 4th year buying an elk tag and I'm really interested in using a tree stand to get the job done. In my area it is mostly thick forests and brushy areas with a few clear-cuts. It is mostly rolling terrain but there are a few deeper canyons and some steep ridges. It seems like most of the hunters in my area are road hunters and either call or glass from the road maybe trying to get one standing in a clear-cut. That is not really my style. I am originally from the east and have hunted deer from a tree stand many times so I thought I may give elk hunting from a tree stand a try, but I am admittedly a total noob and would like to learn all I can about this strategy. I did just buy the tree stand book so I'm hoping that can give me a good foundation for this strategy when it comes to elk. But in the meantime I am itching to learn all I can and was wondering if you know of any podcasts or YouTube videos, etc where you have heard this hunting style covered? I've listen to a lot of elk hunting podcasts and it seems like they are always focused on calling and maybe one day I will try that technique, but to me shooting an elk rom a tree stand seems a lot more intriguing especially since I am used to the tactic when used for deer.

Also a few basic questions I have is first it seems like elk are way more concentrated on the landscape than deer. I can usually sit in a deer stand and expect to see at least a doe walk by because deer seem to be pretty spread out and live at higher densities. Elk on the other hand, at least in my area, seem to be a lot more sparse and sporadic, but when I do find them they are in a pretty good size group so it seems they are just more bunched up than the deer. This worries me when hunting them from a tree stand because it makes me think I could go days or even weeks without seeing a single elk from a stand if the "herd" isn't even in the area, let alone walking by my stand. Is this something you guys have witnessed as well? and if so how have you pinpointed areas where you have a high percentage chance of seeing an elk? I'm trying to figure out different funnel points and one thing I've heard reading some other threads on this forum is sitting on water holes and wallows. My only concern here is my area is pretty wet and most places have plenty of creeks and springs from what I've seen and I've put a few cameras on some last year, but only got the occasional elk here and there. I actually found a really nice wallow last year, but it turned out to be a moose wallow as I got several pics of different bull moose including some really nice bulls lol, but almost no elk. So yeah I don't know if water would be much of a concentrating feature in my area as it would in maybe some drier places. But to me that seems like I would have to focus on trails and other funnel points so any advice you guys could help me with on how to pinpoint those features would be awesome.

Anyways I'm looking forward to learning from you guys and hopefully I can make some good use of your knowledge and get a bull down this fall. Thanks!
Camptravis
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Swede » 07 30, 2021 •  [Post 2]

Welcome to the forum Camptravis. Your book is going out this morning after I finish posting this. You ask some good questions and have made some good observations.

You are right that you can sit for days is some areas before the elk come around to "your" tree stand spot. If you have a few trail cameras out you may be able to pattern them better and decrease your time waiting, but I seem to miss trying to schedule them. Find a good location where several well used trails come together. Well used trails are not always beat down with Fresh tracks. Since the elk don't come around every week, the tracks get old and even rained on. Between herds coming through the area, you may find individuals coming around too. Just be patient.
I hunted north Idaho a few years ago. It was a long hunt, but I finally got one. If there is any consolation in the matter it was that the tree stand technique worked where calling did not. I got the only elk that season. I was not sitting over water. There it was a ridge saddle along the edge of a brushy old burn that offered me the opportunity to fill the elk tag.
In areas where there is no great concentration point, I rake a tree or something and let out one, two second long elk bugle before I climb into my tree stand. Elk will come around, often two hours later, to investigate. Be careful to find a location where elk must come into your shooting range before the can determine what made the call. Otherwise they may stay back too far and just observe. I try to find some good cover to rake and call from.
I will PM you with my phone # so you can call if you want to talk tree stand hunting some more.
Swede
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Camptravis » 07 31, 2021 •  [Post 3]

Awesome. Thanks for the advice. I have been studying funnel points the past few days on topo maps of my area and I feel like I'm starting to see what you're talking about. I'm finding quite a few saddles on some ridges, but it seems like most of them have roads going right through them lol. I guess it makes sense as that's the easiest place for them to build a road just like why an elk would use them because it's the easiest path. I'm kind of curious if elk may still use the saddles with roads especially if they are not very heavily traveled roads.

I'm also looking at some more canyon type terrain, but I'm having a tougher time seeing how elk would use them. My guess would be to find the least steep route from one side to the other even if it's still pretty steep. I've seen elk trails on some pretty steep areas so I'm sure they can still find a way across them. Guess I just need to put in the footwork and try to look for trails in areas that look good.

Anyways thanks again for the advice and I'm looking forward to reading your book and maybe I'll give you a call sometime and pick your brain a little more.
Camptravis
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Swede » 07 31, 2021 •  [Post 4]

Elk can be patterned, but they are not like Whitetail deer. Their territory is much larger and they are often gone for days at a time. In these situations, don't get excited about seeing fresh tracks all over. That is where the elk were recently. They may still be close by, or they may be a day away and will not return for a couple of weeks.
Elk have no problem using a road, especially is they are not getting disturbed there. A closed road could have a good crossing for elk. The problem is that hunters like to walk old roads and call from them.
Another place I like to ambush elk from is their bedding area. A good bedding area can be especially good in areas where it is limited. Look for multiple rubs and beds with good trails coming in. Only go there early in the morning before they arrive. You don't want to go in late and kick them out. If you kick out elk when you approach your stand, it is not likely they will be back for days. Spooking elk as you approach your stand happens every once in awhile regardless of how careful you are. For those situations, I prefer to have another stand in a separate area as a back up.
You are certainly welcome to call if you want to discuss elk. I also talk about the things of Christ, but have no interest is discussing politics. :D
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Elkhunttoo » 08 05, 2021 •  [Post 5]

Welcome to the forum. Best elk hunting forum on line!!! A couple of thoughts I got while reading through the posts was (and Swede probably mentions this in his book) if you hear a bugle while in the stand don’t call back. That bull is doing his best to see if there are no elk at that water hole. The other thought I had is that Swede is spot on about if they get bumped out of there bed they aren’t coming back for a few days…I’ve been there and tried that with no luck… I’ve only killed one elk from a tree stand with my bow but it is honestly the only day I ever sat in a stand. I’ve sat in ground blinds a lot though… my extended family has been hunting elk for 25+ years from tree stands though and have killed a lot of really nice bulls and plenty of elk.

It sounds to me that in your area water in anything but a guarantee and that travel routes and bedding areas might be best. Good luck to you in finding the right spot
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Camptravis » 08 09, 2021 •  [Post 6]

Yeah I've already finished reading the book and it was very thorough and well written. I've also been out scouting and found some promising spots. I think I found a pretty good funnel on the edge of some steep bluffs. I found a really good trail with some fresh sign and I followed it and it led straight to a little pool of water in an otherwise dried up creek bed. There were several other trails coming in and out of that spot at the water hole. So I put up a trail camera and if it looks good over the next few weeks I'll probably put up a stand. I'm getting pretty pumped so hopefully I can make it happen this year.
Camptravis
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Re: Newbie elk hunter wants to try tree stand tactics

Postby Swede » 08 10, 2021 •  [Post 7]

Even a good stand location will often test your patience. Still it beats running around in the jungle like Tarzan, tooting on a grunt tube. Keep us posted on how things go. I will be gone to hunting camp within two weeks. My patience will get tested again too I suppose.
Swede
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