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Changes To Elk Hunting

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Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Swede » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 1]

Other than equipment, what changes to elk and elk hunting have you noticed over the years? I generally hunt the east side of Oregon and switched to 100% bow hunting in 1993, so I will use that as my point of reference.

Bow hunting has become much more popular and now there are far more hunters in the field.
Calling has a cult like group of followers and advocates. The elk are well educated on calls and have learned to avoid them to a great extent.
It is harder to get far enough away from other hunters. It use to be that when you left the roads you rarely saw another person. If someone saw your truck parked in an area they just drove on to another location to hunt alone.
Hunting from a tree stand is much more popular. Back in 1993 most of the tree stands I knew of were wood platforms nailed to a tree.
This next is due to changes in equipment: Bow hunters commonly shoot much farther at animals. Thirty yards was considered a long shot even in 1993. I would take a 40 yard shot from my tree stand because I had several distance markers on the ground set out to guide me when I was there to ambush one.
I think more families in elk camp now days. They don't all hunt, but they are there enjoying the outing, and I assume the kids at least are being groomed to become elk hunters.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Tigger » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 2]

"The elk are well educated on calls and have learned to avoid them to a great extent."

I would agree with pretty much everything but this. I call in bulls every year. Has it gotten harder? Probably, I wasn't hunting elk in 1993. But it is still doable rather easily if you put in the effort to know how, when, and where to call and put forth the practice so you can make the appropriate sound the first time. The biggest change with calling is probably that the elk have heard calls before so you now have to know what sounds to make for each situation. An out of context sound nowadays earns you hoofbeats in the opposite direction. But if you make the right sound in the right situation, you will have bulls in your lap. We do it consistently every year.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Swede » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 3]

I understand good callers are bringing in elk every season. The reason I say the elk have learned to steer away from calls to a great extent is twofold.
1. Many hunters go to their local Walmart and buy a packaged call. It may contain a bugle and a cow call, so you have all you need for $19.95. The calls are all right if used properly, but watching a Primos video does not prepare you for calling in educated elk. Actually hunters are unwittingly educating the elk.
2. Oregon is not Idaho, Wyoming or New Mexico. Here good calls will send elk away. You can fool then with a call once, but when they come in and see or scent a hunter, they know better the next time. When I say good calls" I do not mean the caller is using the right sounds, or anything other than the Primos call they have sounds good. The callers are constantly blowing on their flute thinking that more is better. The bulls here more often come in silent, and often take up to two hours to come around.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby toolman » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 4]

I started archery in 1980 with my Dad...we shared a Fred Bear Whitetail bow...you changed the draw weight by slipping the cable off one pully moving it to the appropriate hole and re securing the cable...aluminum arrows with 4.5" fletching...2 blade Zwickie style broad heads with "bleeder" blades...and of course the old Berger button arrow rest....
my first bugle was a piece of hard plastic tube...the end was cut at an angle and we slipped the cut off finger of latex gloves for the reed....and yes it worked quite well...my first cow call I made with cardboard and a rubber band.

yup things have changed but the number of people hunting and animals has changed the most...
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby toolman » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Swede wrote:I understand good callers are bringing in elk every season. The reason I say the elk have learned to steer away from calls to a great extent is twofold.
1. Many hunters go to their local Walmart and buy a packaged call. It may contain a bugle and a cow call, so you have all you need for $19.95. The calls are all right if used properly, but watching a Primos video does not prepare you for calling in educated elk. Actually hunters are unwittingly educating the elk.
2. Oregon is not Idaho, Wyoming or New Mexico. Here good calls will send elk away. You can fool then with a call once, but when they come in and see or scent a hunter, they know better the next time. When I say good calls" I do not mean the caller is using the right sounds, or anything other than the Primos call they have sounds good. The callers are constantly blowing on their flute thinking that more is better. The bulls here more often come in silent, and often take up to two hours to come around.



I agree...the elk are vocal and talk here in Oregon but I have found out especially the last few years that when you even try a cow call they will just mossie the other direction...not necessarily spook...but not come in

this is one reason why Ive changed to tree stand hunting...unfortunately this year 3 Doug Flutie's came tromping through my stand area and they sounded like *!#& bugling every 5 min....only one of them saw me...
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Indian Summer » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 6]

My first elk license was 100% draw for $375 and it included elk, deer, bear, small game and fishing. We never saw other hunters. As a result of hunting shows on tv and later the internet the number of elk hunters has sky rocketed. I don’t mind though... I’ve had years to adjust.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Old school » 10 08, 2020 •  [Post 7]

I don’t have near the number of years experience as Joe and Swede do, but the biggest change to me is this. My first archery elk hunt was OTC in Colorado approximately 15 yrs ago. We thought it was overrun with hunters as we saw 4 the entire trip while we were out there. Now when I go it’s not unusual to see 4 per day. I used to study maps and find good elk habitat, now I pick out 7-8 spots which are really dependent upon hunter pressure. I study hunters and figure out where that pressure is going to push the elk. And sometimes it pushes them to some crazy spots - like within 1/4 mile of a blacktop road...

The internet as well. Good and Bad. It’s a great resource for virtual scouting - but that’s no substitute for actual boots on the ground scouting. The bad - too many dufusses blabbing area specific info on public forums, etc... that ruin good spots. Or a big name periodical or group of YouTube hunters do a live hunt and give too much info and your spot is totally overrun and ruined the next year. At least you get to go see some new country the next hunt as you look for your “new spot” :-)

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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby 7mmfan » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 8]

The biggest change that I have seen in my 20ish years of elk hunting has been the internet. Youtube especially. There is so much info out there now that pretty much anyone who wants to get into elk hunting can be well prepared their first time out. Obviously time in the woods is where the real learning happens, but most new guys are far better prepared now than they were 20 years ago. Unfortunately, Youtube has also created a huge number of guys, mainly 20 and 30 somethings ( my demographic unfortunately), that want to be the next Youtube hero and have to film everything to get the most likes possible. It's turning the sport into a social media trend. My hope is that many of these guys burn out on it in the near future, but I'm not sure it will happen.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby 7mmfan » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 9]

Also, the popularity of backcountry hunting has increased tremendously. There were places that we deer and elk hunted here in WA back in the 90's and early 2000's that once you got in there a mile, you never saw another soul. Now those places, and places significantly further in, are loaded with people. The hunting gear industry has done a fantastic job of promoting the lifestyle of being a backcountry hunter and producing gear that makes it easier and more comfortable to do so. This trend I do not see going away.
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Lefty » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Swede wrote:I understand good callers are bringing in elk every season. The reason I say the elk have learned to steer away from calls to a great extent is twofold.
1. Many hunters go to their local Walmart and buy a packaged call. It may contain a bugle and a cow call, so you have all you need for $19.95. The calls are all right if used properly, but watching a Primos video does not prepare you for calling in educated elk. Actually hunters are unwittingly educating the elk.
2. Oregon is not Idaho, Wyoming or New Mexico. Here good calls will send elk away. You can fool then with a call once, but when they come in and see or scent a hunter, they know better the next time. When I say good calls" I do not mean the caller is using the right sounds, or anything other than the Primos call they have sounds good. The callers are constantly blowing on their flute thinking that more is better. The bulls here more often come in silent, and often take up to two hours to come around.



Such blasphemy from a stand hunter. :lol: :lol: :lol:

There are so many ways to change the elk sounds from many brands of calls/bugles
Im not truly efficient in talking to elk. But the type elk responses change so much as the September season progresses.

Im not afraid to go in behind a Walmart elk caller. I'm the new elk in the woods I'm talking unlike the perfect bugle and a few chuckles.

I called in one hunter this year; as he got close for conversation he complimented me " Dang ; Only a bull elk should be making those noises" Gasping whezzing, panting, low growling , lots of guttural noises, and quieter bugles

2. I never expect the "video" response. And so many and including me aren't going to hang around for hours, generally
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby 7mmfan » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 11]

Lefty wrote:
Swede wrote:I understand good callers are bringing in elk every season. The reason I say the elk have learned to steer away from calls to a great extent is twofold.
1. Many hunters go to their local Walmart and buy a packaged call. It may contain a bugle and a cow call, so you have all you need for $19.95. The calls are all right if used properly, but watching a Primos video does not prepare you for calling in educated elk. Actually hunters are unwittingly educating the elk.
2. Oregon is not Idaho, Wyoming or New Mexico. Here good calls will send elk away. You can fool then with a call once, but when they come in and see or scent a hunter, they know better the next time. When I say good calls" I do not mean the caller is using the right sounds, or anything other than the Primos call they have sounds good. The callers are constantly blowing on their flute thinking that more is better. The bulls here more often come in silent, and often take up to two hours to come around.



Such blasphemy from a stand hunter. :lol: :lol: :lol:

There are so many ways to change the elk sounds from many brands of calls/bugles
Im not truly efficient in talking to elk. But the type elk responses change so much as the September season progresses.

Im not afraid to go in behind a Walmart elk caller. I'm the new elk in the woods I'm talking unlike the perfect bugle and a few chuckles.

I called in one hunter this year; as he got close for conversation he complimented me " Dang ; Only a bull elk should be making those noises" Gasping whezzing, panting, low growling , lots of guttural noises, and quieter bugles

2. I never expect the "video" response. And so many and including me aren't going to hang around for hours, generally


Did you explain to him that was just you taking care of some paperwork before you started calling?
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Lefty » 10 10, 2020 •  [Post 12]

[/quote]Did you explain to him that was just you taking care of some paperwork before you started calling?[/quote] :lol:

Not that time,, Im a morning guy
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Re: Changes To Elk Hunting

Postby Nuck » 10 11, 2020 •  [Post 13]

To me the biggest change is the new mapping tools. It used to be few people took time to study and learn mapping skills. People were concerned of getting lost and that fear keep the majority of crowds out of the back country. But now with the mapping tools available, with a glance at a phone, You know exactly where you are, where the truck is, and how to connect to the trail to lead you in and out. This change has embolden more hunters to leave the roads and therefore put hunters where the used to not go.
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