Hunting From the Top

[WapitiTalk1]

So campers, your elk camping spot is high in the area you end up hunting in (insert state here). It is what it is and there is no other way to hunt the area besides being on top. For this scenario, let's say there is minimal to zero hunting pressure. There are bulls bugling in at least 3 or 4 major draws within a few miles. There are game trails and some older, minimally maintained USFS trails at various contour levels in each draw. How do you plan on hunting from up high to maximize your chances? Oh, there are some spots to glass but the hillsides are mostly thick.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Depends! . Thermals, wind, and terrain? Usually I'd locate bugle from spots where sound carries. Check the map and do a little planning then pounce like a rat on a cheeto. In close tactics depend on weather we are chasing a satellite or herd bull.

[Swede]

I do not like hunting from the top. I have to hunt what is out front and forget the animals behind me on the side of the ridge I have just passed by. I have used a technique I call ridge popping. With ridge popping, I advance up on side of a ridge then pop over and call or glass. After that I stay on that side, and advance along the side of the ridge then pop back over. That way I get a lot of territory that has not been polluted with my scent.

[WapitiTalk1]

John, classic thermals moving down till late morning, then shifting up till late afternoon/early evening, then back down. There is a herd bull in each draw (not necessarily a honker but a herd bull nonetheless) with one to three satellites singing like they're practicing for a RMEF calling contest .

Swede, no choice. You're hunting in an area from high. There is no reasonable access from the bottoms. I do like the ridge popping method.

They're in there tasking you! How are you gonna hunt them?

[flystrait]

We do it every year. Top down is our specialty.

[WapitiTalk1]

We do it every year. Top down is our specialty.

Ha . I know you do and you know where I hunt. It is possible. Anybody else have ideas or potential game plans? Newer elk hunters, what are your thoughts?

[JohnFitzgerald]

Locate, decide on easiest bull, then drop in 200 yards+ either side. Side hill it over and then pounce like rat on a cheeto.

Or locate bugle until they bed, drop in 200+ yards either side. Side hill it over and then pounce like a rat on a cheeto.

Tactic depend on which bull I choose to hunt.

Can I insert, trolley ride back to the top.

[flystrait]

Or locate bugle until they bed, drop in 200+ yards either side. Side hill it over and then pounce like a rat on a cheeto.

Bingo! Maybe even more than 200 yards

[BrentLaBere]

200+ yards to the side to watch your scent? or you are expecting to be even with the bull by dropping 200 elevation?
I am assuming to the side to watch your scent, but then whats the approach on where this bull is headed....challenge from above?
Last year I waited for the thermals to switch and go up and dropped in above a bull I had located in the morning. He was a lot higher on the slope then I thought and bumped him out of his bed. Luckily it was thick enough so he didn't see me or smell me with the thermals in my favor. I was able to bring this bull back to me at 23 yards by giving him some pleading cow calls as though I was lost and looking for a companion. He came back up silent.
Had another bull located across a draw when I was on the opposite ridge. It was 10 am and the thermals were switching soon.....hurried up and went to the side and up an old creek bed hoping the scent wouldn't blow to this bedded bull. It worked out and walked by this bull, within 100 yards, started calling 150 yards or so away and had him coming in only to snag up in the middle of an opening behind a pine tree. Big no no from what I hear to hunt the bedding areas but so far its my go to tactic and seems to work.

So to explain my tactics to this one would be understand the terrain and know where the bull is heading to(north facing slope, 3/4 way to the top, look for a small bench). Play the wind and get in close and start calling accordingly.....shoot strait.

[Mikeha33]

So we have at least 6 bulls that are hot and ready for action. 3 or 4 herd bulls with at last 1 satellite hanging around each herd bull. If I can get a visual on any of these animals, I would assess and try and figure out if they have cows with them. For my hunt, early September, the bulls are probably just getting going, and may not have their harem's built up yet, so they may be gathering cows. I'd locate a "huntable" bull, (one that doesn't appear to have cows with him), and drop below him, hopefully finding a nice break on a sidehill or big bench, 2-300 yds upwind and below, and get to cow calling, mixing it up until I find a good cow call that gets him hot, with my partner 75-100 yds behind me, giving a non-threatening bugle with chuckles every few minutes, or as the target bull responds, letting him know that there is a responsive cow near, but another bull is adamant about getting to her first. I'd sit tight if the other bull keeps responding or goes silent, each of which lead me to believe that he is going to try and lay stake on the "cow", before the other bull does.
That's what I'd do, not knowing very much about it, but success or not, hell, I don't know any better. Is that a good plan???

[flystrait]

200+ yards to the side to watch your scent? or you are expecting to be even with the bull by dropping 200 elevation?
I am assuming to the side to watch your scent, but then whats the approach on where this bull is headed....challenge from above?
Last year I waited for the thermals to switch and go up and dropped in above a bull I had located in the morning. He was a lot higher on the slope then I thought and bumped him out of his bed. Luckily it was thick enough so he didn't see me or smell me with the thermals in my favor. I was able to bring this bull back to me at 23 yards by giving him some pleading cow calls as though I was lost and looking for a companion. He came back up silent.
Had another bull located across a draw when I was on the opposite ridge. It was 10 am and the thermals were switching soon.....hurried up and went to the side and up an old creek bed hoping the scent wouldn't blow to this bedded bull. It worked out and walked by this bull, within 100 yards, started calling 150 yards or so away and had him coming in only to snag up in the middle of an opening behind a pine tree. Big no no from what I hear to hunt the bedding areas but so far its my go to tactic and seems to work.

So to explain my tactics to this one would be understand the terrain and know where the bull is heading to(north facing slope, 3/4 way to the top, look for a small bench). Play the wind and get in close and start calling accordingly.....shoot strait.

Brent, We like to run ridges and locate, it allows us to cover many miles a day. If we locate a bull depending how early it is in the day the thermals are going up or down as RJ mentioned. If the bull is down off the ridge 300 yards as a example and the wind is going down we will drop down to hopefully the same level and side hill into him maybe 150-500 yards away terrain dependent. still will not make any call sounds until we are in the golden circle within a 100 yards or closer. If the thermals are going up and its a little later then we will go right at him straight down if the terrain will allow the approach. Most of the time for us the thermals are going up by the time we locate and are able to close the distance. At this time in late morning they are in their bedding area and are more hesitant to run out on us when we make the approach and challenge the bull for dominance. There all all kinds of different ways to get it done, this is just the way we found that works very well for us. I find it very hard in the terrain we hunt to keep up with them when they are on the move so we find them when they quit moving in the AM and go after them. Another thing I wanted to bring up why we try and cover as much country as possible is that we don't hunt a particular herd. We like to hunt several small herd and lone bulls either looking for companionship or showing dominance.

[elkmtngear]

We did this for years in a couple of different drainages. As John said, we would move laterally to avoid the elk getting our wind before dropping down on them.

If they were sounding off in the morning, we knew which direction they were heading, so we could often get around them.

That being said, we were busted going in many a morning, by non-vocal elk near the top!

[ishy]

John just how does a rat pounce on a cheeto? Never seen that.

[BrentLaBere]

200+ yards to the side to watch your scent? or you are expecting to be even with the bull by dropping 200 elevation?
I am assuming to the side to watch your scent, but then whats the approach on where this bull is headed....challenge from above?
Last year I waited for the thermals to switch and go up and dropped in above a bull I had located in the morning. He was a lot higher on the slope then I thought and bumped him out of his bed. Luckily it was thick enough so he didn't see me or smell me with the thermals in my favor. I was able to bring this bull back to me at 23 yards by giving him some pleading cow calls as though I was lost and looking for a companion. He came back up silent.
Had another bull located across a draw when I was on the opposite ridge. It was 10 am and the thermals were switching soon.....hurried up and went to the side and up an old creek bed hoping the scent wouldn't blow to this bedded bull. It worked out and walked by this bull, within 100 yards, started calling 150 yards or so away and had him coming in only to snag up in the middle of an opening behind a pine tree. Big no no from what I hear to hunt the bedding areas but so far its my go to tactic and seems to work.

So to explain my tactics to this one would be understand the terrain and know where the bull is heading to(north facing slope, 3/4 way to the top, look for a small bench). Play the wind and get in close and start calling accordingly.....shoot strait.

Brent, We like to run ridges and locate, it allows us to cover many miles a day. If we locate a bull depending how early it is in the day the thermals are going up or down as RJ mentioned. If the bull is down off the ridge 300 yards as a example and the wind is going down we will drop down to hopefully the same level and side hill into him maybe 150-500 yards away terrain dependent. still will not make any call sounds until we are in the golden circle within a 100 yards or closer. If the thermals are going up and its a little later then we will go right at him straight down if the terrain will allow the approach. Most of the time for us the thermals are going up by the time we locate and are able to close the distance. At this time in late morning they are in their bedding area and are more hesitant to run out on us when we make the approach and challenge the bull for dominance. There all all kinds of different ways to get it done, this is just the way we found that works very well for us. I find it very hard in the terrain we hunt to keep up with them when they are on the move so we find them when they quit moving in the AM and go after them. Another thing I wanted to bring up why we try and cover as much country as possible is that we don't hunt a particular herd. We like to hunt several small herd and lone bulls either looking for companionship or showing dominance.

Thanks for the explanation. I remember our discussion on this and how the bull responded what would dictate the approach as far as calling went. It was the actual approach to that bubble that gets me nervous and unsure. Wind and cover seem to be your best friend when walking into the bulls bedroom. First few times doing this I was surprised how quiet and unnoticed you could move in on them.

[Trophyhill]

I prefer "ridge running" especially when the elkwoods are quiet. calling from or near saddles or narrow ridges with thick black timber on one side and sparse - heavy cover on the other where elk "could" hear me from both sides is producing results for me. and also I can cover more ground with less physical effort once on top. I can also traverse on either side of a ridge depending on wind, thermals and difficulty of terrain on one side vs the other. a lot of advantages and options imo.

[>>>---WW---->]

The way I see it, you have two choices.

1) Wait for the thermal to shift and then slip in from the top.

2) Pick the bull you want. Then slip down one of the other drainages until you are slightly below him and cross over into and below where the bull is. You said all the drainages had bulls in them. So you are probably going to spook the lesser bull out of the drainage you go down in order to get position on the one you are after in the next drainage.

It really isn't all that much of a problem if the drainages are close enough together. If not, you will have to give him a wide birth before you start your decent. Understanding thermals and how they work is the key to your success either way you do it..

[Wyo67]

After last year, the best thing I like best about this scenario is there's little to zero hunting pressure...

Depending on the other usual factors (weather/hunting days left etc..), there are a few options:
1) Find drainage your bull is in and quietly drop down and side hill it to within 100-150 yards before calling.
2) Wait for the thermals to shift and come in from the top.
3) Check you map for potential bedding areas and try and intercept them on the way to or from, monitoring the wind/thermals.

[WapitiTalk1]

Some very good battle plans and tactics offered here based on the scenario provided gentlemen. This exact situation typifies several of the areas I hunt in both ID and MT, year dependent.

1. These types of areas, including several major draws are not reasonably accessible from the bottom. Some are accessible by driving to a high ridge trail where you ruck up and head out on a series of old ridge trails that skirt the clouds which ultimately leads to some of these spots, many miles from the truck. Some are rough quad trails (old gated roads but legal for ATVs) that take you way, way back to the head end where you camp up high with the pine martens.

2. Many of these areas are so steep and choked with alder and huckleberry brush, the locals don't even hunt there. Visibility for glassing in many spots is limited. I like these areas because they consistently hold elk and as mentioned, have minimal hunting pressure.

3. What's great about hunting up high during SEPT is that more often than not, you can hear unsolicited bugles due to your positioning. This is obviously a benefit as it provides not only a bull(s) to hunt that day, but a solid target spot to head towards. This said, it is paramount a hunter must spend time in these areas to know the trail systems (ridge trails and game trails that cut through the sidehill jungles). Without this knowledge, you have a diminished chance to travel the distance towards the vocal bull, relatively quietly and not beat down from battling 10 foot high brush, to get close to said bullwinkle(s).

4. The predominant tactic consideration I saw in the posts here is elevation and wind.. Yep, that's the ticket. I know where these guys hang in the different major draws at night (after dark location bugling), where many of their travel routes are, several major bedding areas, and a handfull of wallows. This knowledge of ingress/regress routes and target spots all come into play before each day's trek/adventure begins. Often times, you can pattern their travels from afar and effectively plan your trek to intercept.

5. Oftentimes you're so far above the vocal elk in these situations, you can quickly walk a trail above them with the morning thermals flowing down, and not spook them as your scent dissipates before it hits their snouts. Sometimes traveling above them to get to a trail on a finger ridge that takes you down to their approximate level, or, in the direction they are heading is the ticket. Sometimes a mid morning break is necessary to allow thermals to switch before you move in closer.

We need more emoticons John.... I can't find a "rat on a cheeto" figure

[>>>---WW---->]

Rat on a Cheeto! Sounds like a great new handle for John

[JohnFitzgerald]

Rat on a Cheeto! Sounds like a great new handle for John

I don't like cheeto's or rat's!