Not So True Truisms

[Swede]

Have you ever had someone tell you something about elk or elk hunting that just doesn't sound right? The other day I had a young fellow tell me that late in the archery season the elk don't come to water much. I suppose that has been his experience where he has hunted. Probably the elk moved, and he was still sitting in a stand waiting. Another truism is that all of the elk are herded up by mid-September, so you won't see individual bulls or cows any longer. Whereas many elk are herded up after mid-September, I have seen and killed many solo elk right up until the last day of the archery season. I have killed solo elk in the rifle season.
There are some generalities that are usually the case, but anything you read here or on any other forum needs to be tested against the reality of what you are experiencing when and where you hunt. If you do that you will find some truisms are not true at all.

[Lefty]

Can't fool their nose

So many eyes will see you.

As a generality most often true.but sometimes the herd of flock instinct seems not exist .

[wawhitey]

90% of the hunters out there will share the same conventional wisdom. About 10% of the hunters out there fill tags regularly. Idont see those numbers as a coincidence. This holds true for most big game species. Dont take anything as gospel that you havent learned through personal experience. Conventional wisdom is often not very wise.

[saddlesore]

I don't find any of the truism much help. What I have found is elk do not follow any hard and fast rules. They don't read the books written about them and don't watch Oprah.

Elk won't go up hill when shot ??
Bulls only bugle when in rut ???
Elk won't go where there are cattle ??
If it snows, elk will go lower ??
A lone elk track is for sure a bull ??

[Tigger]

what elevation are the elk at? While you may find a concentration of sorts at one elevation, you will find elk all over a mountain most times. Plus, if you watch a herd, they oftentimes change quite a bit of elevation in their daily commute.

We had a guy tell us last year the elk were at 9500 feet and above. No doubt parroting something he had heard. Why? because the tallest peak in the range is 9520. Must have been a lot of elk in that 20'!

[Swede]

My elk kills number somewhere in the mid-thirties. Out of all of those and I can remember only three that died close enough to a road for me to get there with my truck. A truism says elk die in the absolute worst place that they can find. I suspect it is instinct and not orneriness that causes them to seek sanctuary in the toughest place around. I am not sure why, but that is a truism that is too often true.

[Indian Summer]

Elk bed on north facing slopes. Um… nope. Well they do of course. But there is plenty of shade to be found on south slope and that’s where the feed is.

Like many “facts” they are based on where a person hunts. I suppose that I was an elk living in a Colorado OTC license unit I would follow that rule. But under other circumstances they can be found bedding anywhere there is cover and other pre requisites such as consistent thermals, an obstacle between them and us like a cliff, a field of blowdowns or something we can’t get through without making noise like a shale slide.

[saddlesore]

Elk bed on north facing slopes. Um… nope. Well they do of course. But there is plenty of shade to be found on south slope and that’s where the feed is.

Like many “facts” they are based on where a person hunts. I suppose that I was an elk living in a Colorado OTC license unit I would follow that rule. But under other circumstances they can be found bedding anywhere there is cover and other pre requisites such as consistent thermals, an obstacle between them and us like a cliff, a field of blowdowns or something we can’t get through without making noise like a shale slide.

Probably because north facing slopes have more trees, therefore more blow downs, more protection for the sun or storms, harder for hunters to access at least in Colorado.Come winter or later season,they pretty much stay on south slopes where feed is . Add a few hunters they will be on east, west, north,or south slopes, wherever hunters are not.Right now with all the snow we have, most are down on he flats.I tune into a few hunt FB pages. A lot of photos of kills are being shown in oak brush or pinon country. relatively open country,

[saddlesore]

My elk kills number somewhere in the mid-thirties. Out of all of those and I can remember only three that died close enough to a road for me to get there with my truck. A truism says elk die in the absolute worst place that they can find. I suspect it is instinct and not orneriness that causes them to seek sanctuary in the toughest place around. I am not sure why, but that is a truism that is too often true.

It is called survival. I have let quite a few elk walk in country like that during my hunting career. Elk will keep moving until they find a sanctuary/safe place, but will leave it as soon a hunter shows up .

Years ago though, I hunted the same bull four years in a row. He would hole up in some thick pines 10-12 ft high. I would have to go in after him. Mostly he would sneak away and I would catch a glimpse of him, but no shot opportunity. I found out he would do a circle, just like a wiley cottontail. So I would take off running as fast I could opposite of where I jumped him to intercept him in that circle. But he was always already past as tracks in the snow showed.Two days later I would go back and repeat it. I never did get a shot at him. Elk were a lot smarter than me then. I think I progressed to the point that we were almost on par with each other, but favoring the elk.