which water holes to set up on?????

[82ndreddevil]

So this is a situation I am hoping I will have to deal with this September I have a basin picked out that I would like to hunt in late September, it is about 1.5 miles across from rim to rim. On the Northern end just below the top there is two lakes; 1 is nearly 200 yards x 100 yards, the other 100 yards away and it is 100 yards x 50 yards. The vegetation is a mixture of scrub oak, pines, and strips of meadows. Exactly half a mile away from these two lakes is a small secluded water hole that is tucked away. So my question is, where are the bulls going to be hitting in late September?

My thoughts:
-It would take an epic set up to know where to nail a bull on those bigger water holes. I would have to find the trails leading to the water and make my best guess on which one is most active.

-Elk might hit those big bodies of water at night, but during midday they will probably be hitting the little secluded water holes.

Am I right in thinking I should focus on the smaller secluded water holes versus these giant mountain lakes?
Or is it worth it to try to guess which trail to these mountain lakes is most active and just make the best of it?
Is my way of thinking that elk would most likely use those bigger water areas at night and the small secluded ones during the day seem sound or not?

Any feedback is appreciated!!!

[stringunner]

In Oregon where I hunt, there are a few ponds that I know about, not nearly has big as what you describe though, and I have not had much luck with these in relation to elk activity. More activity on these ponds seem to occur during the summer months both bulls and cows, but once the season starts they go stone cold. Some of this is because the cattle tend to invade the ponds about the same time as the season opener, this has to do with the grazing schedule more than anything else, BUT I also believe the bigger factor is humans in the woods that cause the elk to go more in stealth mode. Therefore I focus on small pockets of water, springs the size of bath tubs +\- with good cover going to and from the water.

I have watched hunting shows in New Mexico where big ponds or small lakes attract elk during the season, but these are on private ranches and or perhaps in areas with much less water. Just guessing.

There is a drainage where swede sets a stand (up a finger drainage from the river) that is in a river bottom, the river isn't flowing during the season but there is still pockets of water present, I think the elk hit these areas at night but more for the feed than the water. Just up a finger of this river bottom, is a small spring like I describe above that gets elk more than the river bottom during shooing light. Hopefully swede will chime in with his thoughts as well. I tend to do what he has taught me in relation to this subject as he has been sitting water for way longer than me.

[Swede]

Stringunner seems to have figured things out very well on his own. I have been amazed at how quick he figured things out and how well he has done.

82nd, Hunt where you see the most use. A trail camera may help you determine if you are getting mostly night use. The problem with the river Stringunner writes about is the lack of concentrated use anywhere. They come in to water, but the location varies a lot. I have found the bigger ponds get used mostly by cows and calves. Sometimes a lone bull, or a small bull with the cows will come to them, but not very frequently. Often there is a small spring nearby that the bulls will slip in on.
In your situation, I would like to have several trees ready, or at least selected, and after checking your cameras, place your stand where it looks the most promising. Keep monitoring water holes to see if use patterns change, and move if it appears to be worth the extra effort. Just don't change locations unless the sign dictates a change would be probably more productive.

[82ndreddevil]

Thanks for the replies guys! I was hoping this thread would get more traction but I got some good info from you guys. I can definitely throw out a camera on the big hole if I can find a solid game trail to the water hole. Heck maybe only the cattle use it.

[Tigger]

I think a key here is pressured or not pressured elk. The more the elk are pressured, the more likely they stay in cover during shooting hours. Also, consider likely feeding and bedding areas. Is the secluded water available to them easily or do they have to cross an opening/light cover to get there? I think I focus on the secluded one personally in most situations.

[welka]

Assuming you are in the mountains, focus on waterholes higher up. Wallows and water holes down low are used mainly at night and your chances are higher having one hit one of the high ones on the way down before dusk. Good luck.

[82ndreddevil]

That is the one issue I am having, there is not many high mountain water holes (That I know of). There is definitely some topography in this area, but it is mostly rolling hills and gradual inclines over long distance. So I can find water that is of a higher elevation than other water holes, but not in the sense of high mountain water holes. Correction, last year I had one water hole that was up high just below a ridge. I had a camera watching one of the trails for the summer. There was bachelor groups and cows going in and out during all hours of the day and night, but it went cold on August 16th and did not pick up again until the last couple days of the archery season. So that area is not going to be a part of my plan A,B,C, or D.

[Swede]

Bulls often leave the high country to find cows by late August or early September. They usually come back later after they have gathered up their herd. If the bulls leave, just plan to look there for them later. It could very well pay big.

[longbowelk]

I like Tigger would look at the pressure in the area and then what kind of cover there is around each waterhole. Also if you can find any seeps of water that bubble up out of the ground and then feed these waterholes that might be an even better place to plan to look for elk.

[Indian Summer]

How scarce is water in general? Aren't there any small streams or springs at some elevation? Unless water is really hard to come by I wouldn't make that a key factor in your strategy. But if it is limited it could be a gold mine since obviously they have to drink.

One thing though... those larger bodies of water are probably not their preferred watering hole. I know lots of lakes that size and the elk barely use them. I would bet that there are other secluded water sources that you don't know about. I'd hunt the smaller holes and keep looking for somewhere that is pounded with tracks with trails coming from every direction.