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Two Days Left

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Two Days Left

Postby Swede » 02 23, 2020 •  [Post 1]

It is September 28th and you have just two days left on your archery elk hunt. There are a few elk around, but they just don't come to your call when you have tried that. If they answer, it is far away, and trying to get close has been mission impossible. The critters seem to have a sixth sense that keeps them in cover during the day. The weather is fair but starting to get cold in the mornings. Think of this with a view of your hunting area. You have hunted hard but are too ornery to throw in the towel. So what are you going to do to change things?
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby Tigger » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Most definitely not sit in a tree stand! I would channel my inner Elk Nut and call them in despite their reluctance, take my pick of the 6 bulls that show up at the same time, and shoot him in such a way that he runs directly toward the road before he expires with only a short pack out. Duh, seems pretty obvious to me. :lol:
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby Lefty » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Been there!
Last days we stretch out and hit these little places other miss or dont hunt.


I guess I can share this, maybe shouldn' 8-) t.
Most of the year I tend to do the get-away from people and roads to hunt.
The last three seasons has found my daughter and me hunting the last hours of the season alone.
This ole-dad(me) was tired on our way home, last hours of the season. We stopped and planned to glass into an area we got into some bulls the last hours of the season before. I pulled over for a nap. and my daughter was to hunt a thin strip to kill a deer while I napped. My daughter steps over the fence onto public land and I hear a truck stop on the freeway. I could hear the man, he couldnt see me or the pickup in the county road ditch. I thought it was some animal rights wacko
My daughter comes back , the fellow had seen her in cam0, cross the fence; he had passed elk 80 yards in front of her.


that last few days I want to see elk so we hit a number of areas in our unit

Anyway we hunt a number of too close to the road places I pass during the rest of the season the last day
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby saddlesore » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 4]

If there are elk in the area,and you are not seeing them, the elk or you are doing something wrong. Probably not the elk.
I have killed more than a few elk on the last or next to the last day of the season. Normally about 1/2 way thru the season or even earlier for rifle anyway, they go nocturnal. You won't see them with you sitting on a stand. It's time to get into their bedroom. However,it takes 5-6 years of learning how to be really quiet, work the wind, moving slow enough to walk up to them.

First few days of the season, I do the easy things ,looking for stupid elk. Towards the end, I buckle down and use very trick I know.
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby jmorr » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 5]

What saddlesore said. Knock an arrow and creep through bedding areas using glass at times. Spot them before they spot you, keep wind in your face and you might have a chance..
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby 2Rivers » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 6]

When you're not seeing elk in the meadows it's time to get in the timber. Be out before daylight and stay out until dark. Don't go back to camp at midday either.
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 7]

Swede wrote:It is September 28th and you have just two days left on your archery elk hunt. There are a few elk around, but they just don't come to your call when you have tried that. If they answer, it is far away, and trying to get close has been mission impossible. The critters seem to have a sixth sense that keeps them in cover during the day. The weather is fair but starting to get cold in the mornings. Think of this with a view of your hunting area. You have hunted hard but are too ornery to throw in the towel. So what are you going to do to change things?


They are talking, answering, giving away their location (they can't help themselves this time of the year); advantage hunter. No, they are probably not gonna come flying/screaming in from 1000 yards (sure, it's happened before that that is not the norm). Every year, in every elk state, some chucklehead blows his horn off a road and a bull comes running up out of the brush or timber not concerned with the location of the call, the time of day, etc. THAT is not normal, although it does happen. Back on topic. Locate the vocal elk, track them vocally (oftentimes the case) or physically to the alder fortress they've decided to bed in and make your plan to get under em (thermals). Work in slowly as possible, sit, wait, and listen.. listen... listen... look, smell, and listen some more... You'll hear em moving or spouting off on occasion but don't start screaming bloody murder from your elephant call.... Oftentimes, the bull will get up and do a "bed check" of the cows and make sure all are there.. sometimes, you can get a shot that way. Wait, wait, wait..... don't be impatient. OK, now you've waited till you need a shave. You're in pretty close but no impromptu shot at a bed checking bull. Nock an arrow and give 1 or 2 whiny cow calls; that will bring any satellite in the herd into your lap. Nothing but the herd bull screaming back with some chuckles (calling you to him). Then you can move to the Threat (see Mr. Elknut's explanation of this tactic). Again, have an arrow nocked and be ready for a visitor, NOW... Good thread John ;)
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby Swede » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 8]

RJ: With all due respect I think you are mistaken.
I understood you to say the elk where you hunt have gone pretty quiet due to wolves and they are much harder to hunt than they used to be. Where I hunted, until a couple of years ago, they go quiet early due to heavy hunting pressure. The bulls will bugle from the ranch, but those on the National Forest have been spooked by hunters behind every plastic grunt tube. The description of the area in the scenario presented in post 1 pretty much reflects that old hunting area.
I disagree that elk have to bugle back. I watched two herds one morning run away from an excellent caller. I have been in that same area and had the same experience. I would never use Elknut's Playbook as a cookbook. It is a good resource and has a lot of great ideas and tactics, but read and study it them leave it in camp.
The point I want to get to is generally captured some in all of the posts above, including RJ's. If what you are doing is not working, you need to change something. Certainly put in a full day out hunting. You may need to venture into some new area or try a different tactic. Someone above said he had a few spots that were apt to produce in the later part of the season. I would go there. If I was calling where the elk are shy, try cow calling or a small bull with cows tactic. You could just stay quiet and move slowly into bedding areas. Who cares if you blow out a herd. You won't be back for nearly another year.
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Re: Two Days Left

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 24, 2020 •  [Post 9]

Ha, yep. When a pack of wolves moves into a draw, it’ll shut the elk up like a politician threatened with a lie detector test. On to the next draw/area where the big dogs aren’t there, they’ll be spouting off..they can’t help it.
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