Clueless

[Hammer]

HI everyone, this is my first post here and I'm afraid I'm going to be showing how dumb I must be.

I've been archery hunting elk in Wyoming, mostly the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre mountains for 15+ years, both of which are mostly general/over-the-counter tag areas, and have only been able to harvest 2 spikes in all that time. I honestly don't know what I'm doing wrong. I scour Google Earth and topo maps prior to hunting to find good locations, I hike what seems like a million miles during the season (so much so this year I gave myself plantar fasciitis), I've bought every video Elknut has in his store and those have helped with my calling tremendously, I just can't seem to either find the elk, get them to come in, or get them to come in close enough for a shot. I do hunt alone and several people have told me that is a huge part of my problem, but that doesn't explain why I just can't get into the elk. So for those of you that are better at this than me, please ask me any questions you need to help me troubleshoot my problem because I could go on and on and then this post would be so long no one would read it.

I can say this year in the Sierra Madres it was hot during the day, like 80+ degrees, however I know it's just as hot in Arizona and New Mexico and guys are able to harvest elk there during the heat, so I'm not thinking that was an issue for me, but who knows. I also went out to a few different overlooks late at night and listened/bugled into an awful lot of territory and didn't hear a peep (this was my last trip when the rut should have been in full swing). As a matter of fact, my last trip was 6 days long and I didn't hear a single bugle at all during that entire time. To say I'm frustrated after years of eating my tag would be an understatement, so this is my cry for help for a lack of a better way of putting it. Thank you all so much in advance for your help.

[BRazz]

Kelly I'm glad you posted this. I like to think I know what I'm doing out there but I have had my share of frustrating years, and these can make a guy go insane and feel pretty depressed at the end of a season that is a year's culmination of anticipation and hard work. In my opinion the most frustrating part of these seasons is not seeing or hearing anything. In seasons when I'm into elk but just can't seal the deal - it's a different type of depressed. But after my last season, which sounds like yours, I saw and heard nothing... it plain sucks. But usually things are better than 2015 for me, so I can offer a couple pointers.

I used to hunt a GMU in CO that sits right in the middle of the White River National Forest - touted as the home of the largest elk herd in North America, I believe, some 40,000+ animals. This was when I was 12 years old, and we got into elk most every day (shot a bull 15 minutes past first light on the opener). A few years later, for whatever reason, all our honey holes had dried up. We went several years (too many in retrospect) without seeing a single elk, until we finally decided to try some other areas. Finding the elk is - in my opinion - the most difficult part of elk hunting. But my experience is that they are out there someplace... if your hunting holes haven't been paying off then try some other ones. We have hunted several other areas since that first one, and found elk in every single one of them.

The other thing that drags down my success rate drastically is number of days in the field. Recently I've only been able to get out for an individual morning or two, and a "long" trip for around four days. Often times I read stories about guys who are just finding the elk after day number four, five, or six... which obviously makes my four days way too short. Such is life. But things can happen quickly when elk hunting, so I try to give myself as many chances as possible to be in the right place at the right time.

The third thing I think of is that after a few days of crappy hunting, it's pretty easy to go at it halfheartedly: poor setups, careless calls, sleeping in later, heading back to camp before dark... It's tough to do mentally, especially after my body gets tired and my nerves get antsy. But I could have bagged a few more elk if I had been able to keep my senses sharp and not make lazy mistakes.

Not sure if these help you out, just my humble opinions.

I'll be anxious to see what others have to say to you, I feel your pain!

[Swede]

Hammer, welcome to the site. I hope you can get some helpful ideas here.

I don't know why you are not seeing or hearing elk. I have to wonder if there are any elk around, when you are there. Do you see fresh sign? Have you tried some trail cameras? It does not matter how good of a hunter you are, if there is no game around. Some areas have elk pass through every week or two. Some places they leave for an extended period for various reasons. Are other hunters in the area getting elk when you are there? If not, or if you have the whole area to yourself, there is probably a good reason.

[Hammer]

Thanks for the replies guys!
The two regions I hunt are general license areas, so if you can afford a tag at Walmart you can hunt those areas for any elk. And these areas are hit hard during September and October during the archery and rifle seasons so they are not known for big bulls by any stretch of the imagination, but there are supposedly a lot of elk there. I know there's a bit of luck with hunting and being where the elk are when the elk are actually there, and that seems to be the problem I'm having. I do find sign, but it's usually a week or more old.
This year the Sierra Madres had logging going on for a 3 mile section of the pavement (highway 70), a few gravel roads we used to be able to drive down were closed this year and gated across, it was super dry and hot, and there was a camper or tent in every turn off the road that you came across so I think there were an awful lot of archery hunters up there. That was this year and it doesn't explain the other years I've been up there and have been unsuccessful. I guess if I could find the elk and find a pattern to their movements I'd have better luck.
I'm usually in the timber before the sun comes up, back in camp for lunch, and then during the afternoon hunt in the timber beyond dark. All that time in the dark this year and no bugles at all during the period that's supposed to be the rut. Can extreme pressure from hunters completely shut elk up even during the night and full moon?
I've read pretty much every book out there and watched elk hunting DVDs to no end and all that reading and DVD watching sure makes it sound/look easy, that is until I go into the timber and hike for miles and miles with no luck. It has me scratching my head wondering what I'm doing wrong. I've already started scouring Google Earth for next year's archery season and am hoping between now and then I'll get enough useful information from you more successful and experienced guys that I'll be lethal in the timber. Again, thank you all for your help!

[Swede]

Hammer, hunting pressure can definitely change normal elk habits including causing them to go less vocal. The logging along the roads should not make much difference elsewhere, but loggers chasing them could change their normal routine. If you see a log truck stopped, checking their binders or whatever, you might stop and ask if he is seeing any elk in the morning, when he heads out to the landings. Most truck drivers are very sociable.
It might be a good idea to scout out a new backup hunting location. I did that this year, but went back to my old haunts to get an elk. The backup area gave me a active elk area to look over, when things were quiet where I normally hunt.

[ST52V]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1443688211.969107.jpg (95.72 KiB) Viewed 9211 times

My brother just finished his first year living in Wyoming. He shot this bull in the area mentioned. In fact he said his first area had campers ect. At every road. He moved to another location and set up camp. That evening he hunted behind camp. No elk just deer sign. Got up Saturday morning and headed to another spot. 700 yards from the truck and a few cow calls resulted in that bull. He did have a different bull bugling but he said they were not very loud and would not hear them unless u were close. Are you from the Casper area?? He said it was easier than calling turkeys in PA.

[Wyo67]

Hammer,

Concur that the record hot weather in south central WY may have had something to do with the lack of bugling activity during the last part of September. I thought my week of vacation from 9/19-9/27 was prime time to have several days of bugling bulls. But, this year was the quietest year I've had in those elk woods since I started hunting them in 2009. Once you post enough messages on the boards to be able to send/receive private messages, send me a note. I've pulled 3 bulls out of those same areas over the last 6 years (hunted area 7 one year) and definitely should have had a couple more.

Mike

[Hammer]

Thanks again for the replies!

I live in Cheyenne, so I'm relatively close to where I hunt. I do know with the 2 main areas I hunt they're hunted hard so if I don't draw a limited quota area then I go into these areas just hunting for meat. There's rumors of nice 6 point bulls in the areas but until I get better at learning where the elk are and reading topo maps and Google Earth I'm just going to be happy seeing an elk that I can put in the freezer.

I have drawn areas 6 and 11 in the past as far as limited quota goes, but again I ate my tags those years, which sucks because I got into bulls, just couldn't close the deal. I'm beginning to think I need a hunting partner to keep me motivated and to do calling setups with because after 5-6 days in the timber with nada, my attitude does tank. I still get out there and stay out past dark in the evenings because I keep telling myself that I won't find elk if I'm not out looking and trying.

I tried my little sweet spots I've at least encountered elk or seen fresh sign in years past but this year they were empty even of sign. I did try a few new spots but had similar results. I wondered if the elk were venturing further away from the paved road, getting further away then they normally do. For those unfamiliar with the Sierra Madres Wyoming highway 70 pretty much runs east-west through there dividing it in half more or less.

I'll be hitting Bass Pro in Denver Saturday so I think I'll look into the new Primos trail camera and possibly try setting it (or them depending on how many I buy) up next year depending on where I decide to hunt. For those of you that do use trail cameras to do some scouting for you since we can't live in the woods all year, what helps you decide where to place one?

Thanks again gentlemen, you're getting my mind working to solve my riddle and you're giving me some good ideas to work with.

[Wyo67]

Hammer,

Yes, there are some nice 6+ point bulls in the Snowies and Sierra Madres. I was fortunate to have an encounter with one this year. If his escort cow didn't hose things up, my partner would've had a 20 yard shot or so. The thing is, they don't get to be that big on public land by being dummies. It is difficult for a lone hunter to maintain motivation throughout the season. Have you considered a decoy? I'm assuming you're hunting in 13/15/21?

[Hammer]

Yes, there are some nice 6+ point bulls in the Snowies and Sierra Madres. I was fortunate to have an encounter with one this year. If his escort cow didn't hose things up, my partner would've had a 20 yard shot or so. The thing is, they don't get to be that big on public land by being dummies. It is difficult for a lone hunter to maintain motivation throughout the season. Have you considered a decoy? I'm assuming you're hunting in 13/15/21?

I have one of the Montana decoys, the rump end of a cow, I should give it a try vs letting it sit in camp. And when I hunt the Snowies I'm usually in 110 so I can venture into the wilderness areas and 21 for the Madres.

[Raghorn_Reaper]

I live out of state but if I lived in a western state I would be doing a lot of scouting. Do you get out pretty season and burn up any leather?

[six]

Just another thought. Have you tried getting high and glassing? A friend of mine just got home and he said he would be on top in the morning glassing. He said he saw over 100 elk and had several close encounters. He said he would glass them, try to determine their direction of travel, then try and intercept them. He said it would have worked if he would have shot better.

[Hammer]

I live out of state but if I lived in a western state I would be doing a lot of scouting. Do you get out pretty season and burn up any leather?

No I didn't do any preseason scouting. I've hunted this area for years, took a 5-6 year break and hunted different area, then came back this year. I just went and tried some of the old honey holes that have held elk in the past but they were empty this year. I guess I'd better get in the habit of pre season scouting from now on since all my original spots and even the new ones I checked this year had nada in them.

[Hammer]

Just another thought. Have you tried getting high and glassing? A friend of mine just got home and he said he would be on top in the morning glassing. He said he saw over 100 elk and had several close encounters. He said he would glass them, try to determine their direction of travel, then try and intercept them. He said it would have worked if he would have shot better.

I did get up high on several occasions to glass and didn't any elk, lots of deer, but zip on the elk.

[Dr. Rx]

Was talking to a biologist as well as some outfitters just trying to understand why we couldn't find the elk...they stated there are areas where everything looks great on paper and on goggle earth but they are virtually "ELK DEAD ZONES".I thought this was an interesting phrase I have never seen or talked about..but it does explain why elk may not be there..I don't no enough about this but the elk are where you find them.

Kris