Solo elk tactics?

[Teton Jon]

I guess this is going to be my first post asking for help. My situation this year looks as though I'm going to be hunting solo. If anyone out there has any advice for the solo types that they wouldn't mind sharing that would be great. Thanks to those who post.

[Trophyhill]

will you be hiking in and camping? or camping from a forest road? either way while out and about searching for elk, an important aspect that i have learned if calling is to "call and move". elk will pin point your exact position from several hundred yards away and possibly even further. when you move make sure your set up is such that you have shooting lanes and the elk have to search for you. a bad set up will send you home with memories of what could have been. i know that all too well.

[8seconds]

Regardless of tactics offered on "solo"; be sure you have a back up plan for safety.
Age and fitness play a HUGE role when a senior citizen.
I'm 68 and got into some trouble a couple of years back. If i hadn't made it out, i would still be there today and no one would have found me. I now use SPOT and carry an emergency kit with me that includes blood clotting meds, etc.
A great trip can turn into disaster at the blink of an eye.

Solo is a FUN way to hunt. I take my time; more relaxed; and see more. I recurve so have to get in a little closer than a compound. I do carry a decoy.
My recommendation is to use a GPS and fix your base camp and any buggles/elk you witness; especailly if you return in upcoming years. Even to the point of spending the night or two in a hot area (one of my favorite strategies).

[mtnmutt]

I have solo hunted for 3 seasons now. I really enjoy solo hunting, but I also liked calling for other hunters too.

Elknut playbook calls out solo hunting tactics and Paul and others have added solo tips on the other threads.

Trophyhill's comment is the one thing I failed to do in those 3 years: "call and move". I did once call in a bull to 16 yds without moving, but that only happened once. I have since been educated here by others.

8seconds: comments should not be taken lightly. I carry the SPOT. It does not work in dark/heavy timber where I hunt, but I eventually have more open areas that it can work. I use the 2 pre-programmed messages to let my brother know when I head out and when I got back. Cell text messaging will work at times even when no cell bars are on the cell phone. My brother knows where I camp (base or backpacking) by the GPS coordinates from the SPOT message.

I now take the QuikClot since most severe injury is you cutting yourself on your broadhead or with your knife. I use extra caution when crossing creeks and rocks. I now always carry hiking poles to use when I get tired and for creek crossings. I don't use them all the time.

I took the NOLS Wilderness first aid class which is a 2 days hands on training. American Red Cross also has a Wilderness First aid class. However, someone I know took both and says the NOLS one is much better. You need to know how to help yourself out there.

Good Luck!

[Glacier Country]

I hunt Solo a fair amount of time. If you are calling you must learn how to, "Direct Traffic " as I call it. What I mean is: get as close as you can without getting busted.Make whatever calls you need to to get the bull coming your way.When the bull is coming in you have to make quick decisions based upon each individual situation.What type of calls to make. Bull calls cow calls etc..
When you setup --->
1. Check The Wind. Know exactly where you would like to put the bull in position for a shot, according to wind direction.Be flexible though, so you can have several different shooting lanes, as elk don't always read the script.
2.Set up with cover to your back . I like to make the bulls break 30 yards to see the picture I am painting, in his mind,of what I make him believe is going on.
3.Position your body for the best shot opportunity according to cover and shooting lanes. I cannot stress this enough!!
4. Use your rangefinder Now to get a couple of quick yardages.
5.Do not be afraid as a solo hunter to make a few quick calls when is 50 or 60 yards and coming!! This is where you throw your sounds in the direction you want him to go to put him in your shooting lane.Remember, he has to break 30 yards to see you so at 50 yards you will see flashes of his body and antlers. Make whatever calls you need to now, and in the direction you want him to go.So you put him in your shooting lane. This is "Directing Traffic."
The other side of Directing Traffic is the Bait and Switch as mentioned above. This is where you call in a certain direction (according to the wind) and then,hook usually toward the downwind side to ambush him as he comes in to investigate, the calls you made from your last position.
6.Then get your release on your string and prepare to draw.
7.Concentrate on making a good shot.
8.All of this happens pretty fast. Alot of the time Bulls are going to come in fast and straight to you presenting a frontal shot. You must learn how to shoot them "in the shirt pocket." or you will miss alot of great opportunities as a solo hunter.
9. A Solo Hunter has to be flexible with this" Run and Gun" approach. I run a full court press. So they attack me.I am pretty aggressive in my approach, and calling.It is very exciting. You will mess up and get busted sometimes.That is just part of it. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

Troy Owner of Glacier Country Hunting Calls

[wideangle]

I hunt solo a fair amount. As others have said its the wind. I also am also careful about where I set up.
I like to have good cover behind me and to the sides with some decent shooting lanes.
I like the cover a bit thick since I am shooting a longbow and the ranges tend to be short.

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

I have always hunted solo and I do it almost identical to the way Glacier discribed. I never really had a name for it but I really like what he termed it as (Directing Traffic). I have called it casting my sounds in other directions but I like directing traffic better. Troy: I hope you don't mind if I use it in the future.

A lot of times a guy can stand a chance of getting busted when moving up after making a call. But if you get good at (directing traffic) you can stay put and let the elk come right past you. Here is how I do it sometimes. I put my grunt tube aside and turn my head back behind me. When a make my call I put my hand over my mouth to muffle it. If you happen to have a cotton glove on your muffling hand, much the better. You will sound like you are a good 50 yards farther behind where you actually are to the elk.

[Trophyhill]

I have always hunted solo and I do it almost identical to the way Glacier discribed. I never really had a name for it but I really like what he termed it as (Directing Traffic). I have called it casting my sounds in other directions but I like directing traffic better. Troy: I hope you don't mind if I use it in the future.

A lot of times a guy can stand a chance of getting busted when moving up after making a call. But if you get good at (directing traffic) you can stay put and let the elk come right past you. Here is how I do it sometimes. I put my grunt tube aside and turn my head back behind me. When a make my call I put my hand over my mouth to muffle it. If you happen to have a cotton glove on your muffling hand, much the better. You will sound like you are a good 50 yards farther behind where you actually are to the elk.

that's a great point also. this year when i finally broke the ice on my first bull, i called and when he responded i immediatly moved towards him until i found a good set up. when the bull appeared 60 or so yards in front of me and stopped, in an attempt to prevent the "hangup" i turned my head and directed a faint cow call back behind me. it worked and the bull came in the rest of the way for an easy kill shot.

[Swede]

To add a little to what Glacier and others have written, let me suggest: If I am trying to spot and stalk hunt then I prefer to hunt alone. The only difference from hunting with someone and being by yourself is that you have no one to guide you. You pick your landmarks and go from there. Even when you think you have a plan all figured out, by the time you arrive to where you want to be the elk has moved. Approach the area where you expect to find the elk with care as they are now closer than you thought or moved away.

For calling, I am careful where I set up. I don't want an animal slipping in from behind. As always wind direction is critical, but I like to find locations too where I know any bull must come from in front of me. Bodies of water, bluffs and large openings, etc. can work for you. A tactic I like is to sound like a small whiney bull or a young restless bull. I make a short series of small bull bugles, maybe rake a small tree or ?, then move quietly but quickly to where I will sit and wait. If nothing comes in to check out the runt bull I will go back and call again a little. Be careful as the elk come in silently and you will need to be ready. Also when calling solo I like a ready decoy for the elk to focus on. Set up the decoy so that the quarry sees it and not you. Try to be off to the side and in front a few yards.

[co_bowhunter]

What a fantastic thread. I've solo hunted in Montana and Colorado throughout most of my time spent bowhunting since 1976. Although I've harvested several bull elk, I've made many mistakes while in spot and stalk mode, sitting on wallows, calling, and the dumbest mistake of all, falling asleep and being awoken by elk that nearly stepped on me. I started to make some progress after reading Fred Asbell's Stalking and Still Hunting book, especially the section on wind and scent movement on cloudy days in mountainous terrain. Those few pages were worth the price of the book.

Mistake: I'd be closing the gap on a bull, coming in on the contour or slightly below (mistake) with early morning cold air still draining down the mountain. But the sun was already up and hidden behind clouds at that moment. I'd close the gap and get caught below the bull, the sun comes out, and the wind changes direction instantly with thermals now rising up the mountain and into the nostrils of the elk I was after. Game over. It took me a long time to figure out why that was happening.

Correction: I never close the gap from below anymore. An animal's field of view is much more limited trying to spot me from above than looking down below. There are many more variables at play but this is the main one.

---------------
Mistake: I'd get a response from a bull and hear him coming, set up, and then the bull would lock up at 50 yards or more. Initially I had a million excuses of why this was happening. None of them held water. The bull could see far enough to know there was not a cow, or bull, in the spot where the call came from. No sense coming in any closer.

Correction: I never would have learned this on my own. A good friend, who kills a large bull every year with his recurve, showed me how to avoid this situation. We were hunting together and closing the gap on a fine 5X5. The bull had cows in a draw that he'd check on every 5-10 minutes. Then he'd move in our direction. When we were within 300 yards my buddy told me it was time to forget about the bull and find the topography that would work to call him in. He told me if we didn't find the right terrain we would leave the bull alone. That was a hallmark moment in my elk hunting knowledge.
I asked him what we were looking for and he told me we wanted to find a spot where the bull would have to come uphill and over a lip at 20 yards from us before he'd start looking around for the cow. He can't see where the call is coming from until he's in our lap.

We found the spot and my buddy ended up cutting the aorta off the top of the heart at 12 yards and the enormous bull cratered into the hillside 150 yards away. That lesson was worth a lot.

--------------
Solo Hunting Tip: I always debone everything in the field and use the gutless method. It is much safer to take care of an animal without a lot of guts and blood on the ground to slip on. Plus, it keeps the flies to a minimum. I debone the animal to save my knees, ankles, and back during the pack out.
It takes me three hours to debone a large bull.

I welcome any feedback and other tips. It's only April and I can hardly wait for late August in Colorado! Of course, by early July I'll be scouting for new wallows.

Elknut, thanks for this forum!

CO_Bowhunter

[Glacier Country]

I have always hunted solo and I do it almost identical to the way Glacier described. I never really had a name for it but I really like what he termed it as (Directing Traffic). I have called it casting my sounds in other directions but I like directing traffic better. Troy: I hope you don't mind if I use it in the future.

A lot of times a guy can stand a chance of getting busted when moving up after making a call. But if you get good at (directing traffic) you can stay put and let the elk come right past you. Here is how I do it sometimes. I put my grunt tube aside and turn my head back behind me. When a make my call I put my hand over my mouth to muffle it. If you happen to have a cotton glove on your muffling hand, much the better. You will sound like you are a good 50 yards farther behind where you actually are to the elk.

WW---> Yep this is exactly what I mean. I sometimes muffle my sounds. Sometimes, well a lot of the time I am using my bugle tube to cast my sounds in a certain direction, to change the bulls direction of travel, to put him in my shooting lane.I also have on a glove a lot and muffle cow and calf sounds or use my hand or bugle tube to cast those sounds as well." Directing Traffic." You sure can use the "Directing Traffic " term as well.
I have a lease program I would like to tell you about! Grin.

Troy Owner Glacier Country Hunting Calls

[Glacier Country]

Mistake: I'd be closing the gap on a bull, coming in on the contour or slightly below (mistake) with early morning cold air still draining down the mountain. But the sun was already up and hidden behind clouds at that moment. I'd close the gap and get caught below the bull, the sun comes out, and the wind changes direction instantly with thermals now rising up the mountain and into the nostrils of the elk I was after. Game over. It took me a long time to figure out why that was happening.

Correction: I never close the gap from below anymore. An animal's field of view is much more limited trying to spot me from above than looking down below. There are many more variables at play but this is the main one.

I might also add that it is these small details, that can make or break your hunt. I check the wind Constantly. CO_bowhunter mentioned the wind still going downhill in shady spots and cloudy days verses when the sun has warmed things up and the wind is moving uphill. It can be just a yard apart an the wind is blowing straight down a hill in the shade and you step out into the sunny spot and the wind is racing uphill. You will see me pull out in this situation or go way around to get up above to get the wind. Or I might try to call the bull into the crick bottom where the wind is still blowing down hill.
Whatever the situation presents.
This past fall my 10 year old son was calling with me and we got a response. He quickly realized that it was other hunters. I decided to use this as a teaching tool for my son. So I said. " if those were real elk over there what would you do 1st." he said "1. check the wind" he did and found that we had the wind perfectly in our face. He then looks at me eyes wide and said "Dad, those guys think we are real elk. If we were REAL ELK we would have already smelled them." I just looked at him and smiled! Yep they have almost a zero chance of killing an elk with this approach they are using. It was not the sounds they were using it was the fact they didn't use their head and start with the basics of getting the wind in their favor! ALWAYS!!!

Troy Owner Glacier Country Hunting Calls

[co_bowhunter]

What a great lesson for your son. I'm a big fan of using frayed dental floss off the front AND back limb tips of my recurve or longbow. I rarely walk with a crosswind and never walk with the wind at my back. I know an entire herd of elk can vanish 400 yards out in front of me without making a sound that I can hear. I also like the smoke in a bottle to see what the wind currents are doing 20 yards away and further. Nothing screws up my opportunities more than fickle wind. I try to limit my hunting to drainages where the topography is fairly uniform from the highest ridge (North/South) and down the U-shaped or V-shaped valley without a lot of undulation and twists and turns. I've found the most consistent wind patterns to be located in these long
valleys. Hunting where the wind is swirling in every direction is almost impossible unless I hunt in a large trash bag with it tied off at my neck.

The main difference between hunters who see game routinely and those who don't is based on which hunter is checking the wind constantly and using that information to his or her advantage. I'm always amazed at how many hunters, including bowhunters, that I run into every year who are not checking the wind. They typically tell me they haven't seen any elk for days. It's difficult to let the wind determine where you hunt and don't hunt rather than being preoccupied with getting from point A to point B. I spent at least 15 years focused on the latter without much success.

[Glacier Country]

I use a cotton ball and a safety pin, to check the wind. I just pull off a small amount of cotton and flick it into the air. The wind currents then carry the cotton for 20 yards or so. They also double as a light fire starter in a pinch. If it is too cold to take my gloves off then i use the smoke in a bottle. I have also tied a small feather to my quiver.

Troy Glacier Country Hunting Calls

[co_bowhunter]

I like that idea of the cotton ball. That's easier to get to and helps the hunter know what's happening away from the body. Great idea.

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

Yep, any little floatys you can release are always a good idea. But for the real close in work like a setup and the elk is near, I tie a piece of white cotton sewing thread about 9 inches long to my bow string just below the idler wheel. Even the slightest air movement will make it move and it is right there 100% of the time and all you have to do is just glance at it.

[easeup]

hunting solo is my preferred way to go. And there are lots of bowhunters that feel that way too.

another tip for the young solo guy is keep believing. sometimes when things are slow, you are tired and by yourself it is easy to get down on the whole show. When this happens your rmind will go dull on you, you might get sloppy in your hunt skills, attention to the woods get low, etc. There is no one else around to discuss a plan with or to provide encouragement.

In just a twinkle of the eye, everything can change quickly and you will want to be ready and prepared when it does.

[mtnmutt]

This thread has been very helpful to me. Thank you all, especially the OP for starting it.

The information on wind was very helpful and something I can observe and practice checking while scouting.

For "call and move", what is the average distance you move after calling? I thought I saw something like 50-60 yards.

Do you wait 30 minutes after the move and then what? If an elk doesn't show, move back to the calling position and do a little more calling using a different sequence? This is assuming you don't hear them or see them, but you know they are there within ear shot out beyond 150 yards.

I have gone from light cow talk to whiny cow where the whiny cow got a hit when the light cow talk did not. Doing a 2nd different sequence back at the calling location may pay off? I have not tried it with the "call and move" method where you could get busted when moving back to the call location for a 2nd calling sequence.

How far downwind do you setup your decoy? I have set it 40-50 yards away from me unless there are some obstructions for the elk to see it as they approach my location. Then, I would set it closer. I don't always use a decoy.

[Trophyhill]

mtnmutt, that will vary imo. for example if elk are vocal you might have the freedom to move until you feel you are close enough for a kill shot. that will depend on wind, terrain and cover. for me this past season i was able to move 150-200 yards toward the bull on a collision course until i spotted him (before he spotted me) moving thru the timber looking for the other elk (me).

if blind calling that will depend on wind and set-up. it can be as little as 20-30 yards. often times the elk come in silent in a blind calling situation and they will stop to look for you where you don't have a shot, thus the reason for moving in the first place.

[co_bowhunter]

As far as setting up an elk decoy, I would avoid putting the elk downwind from you via the decoy as you'll get busted every time. I've had much better success using a decoy in this manner:

1. Cow call when you know the bull, or cow, is upwind and interested. Once I know the elk are there then I look for the right topography to call them in. I'm looking for the elk to be coming uphill and over a lip at about 20 yards. In mountainous terrain this is quite easy to find.

2. Then I place the decoy behind me and to the right as I have an easier time swinging my bow and shooting from left to right. That's just me. Make sure the decoy is downwind of you AND the bull.

3. If the wind changes, then stop calling and let things cool down until you can move and/or have favorable wind. Don't make the mistake of educating elk of your presence. You may lose the opportunity for close encounters in that area for days. It's never worth it to throw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone if the wind turns against you. I have found that strategy fails 110% of the time.

4. If you're hunting with a recurve or longbow, never shoot at an elk that is on edge. The chance of a miss hit is extremely high. Only shoot at elk that are unaware of your presence.

I've only learned this through 30+ years of hard knocks and hundreds and hundreds of mistakes. There are so many variables that are working against you. If everything goes well and you put a lethal shot into the vitals and watch the elk drop, be grateful. For most guys, it doesn't happen very often, especially on public land.

I hope this helps.

[Glacier Country]

MtnMutt----> I try not to ever backtrack. I do not want any elk to come in and hit a scent line where I have walked.If I did loop forward and the elk had moved forward I would try sneaking forward if cover allowed. Every situation is different. I try to make things happen pretty quickly in the morning because by about 10 AM the wind is going to start switching.The sun will be warming things up enough that the winds are going from blowing down the ridge to start blowing up the ridges becoming unpredictable. I am always trying to get close enough for another setup especially when by myself. I am aggressive. If you were not calling, would you just sit there? Or would you try to keep getting closer to the herd to work in for a shot? With 2 or more guys you have a few more options.

Troy Owner Glacier Country Hunting Calls

[Lefty]

Regardless of tactics offered on "solo"; be sure you have a back up plan for safety.
).

Until this year nearly everywhere I hunted was out of cell range.
My father-in-law has had too many narrow escape stories,.. luck , Gods will ,and wilderness smarts got him out.
So my wife has always worried about me coming back home.
Pe prepared,..I try to have what will be needed to survive another night and medical gear is in my back pack.
A neighbor of mine is a Doc in the National Gaurd. I showed him my first aid kit when he got back from Afganistan last July,.. He said "more water"
More important; know how to use and adapt everyting in your pack
One thing I started to do this year was to keep written info on where I am huntig from my camp

While Im not into sharing my hunting locations. Last year I took a neighbor to show him where I hunted in case of emergency

[Teton Jon]

Guys, I just want to say thanks for all the responses to this thread. Lots of great info to digest. I know that I'm not alone in my appreciation for all the tips and advice on here. I know my confidence will be a lot stronger hitting the woods as a total beginner. Thanks again.

[mongopino915]

This forum and the free info. shared are too cool and will shave off years of mistakes for most.

Call very little and a lot of waiting. Sometimes, just one soft cow mew is all that is needed.

[cnelk]

I would also suggest using a decoy when hunting alone.
Its amazing how they work when an elk locks on a decoy.

Its a guarantee that the elk will know your EXACT location from a great distance, and to have it be looking at a decoy behind you can give you those precious seconds you wait all year for.

Granted, not every setup will require a decoy, but you will come across the situation that will.

Good Luck

[elkmtngear]

Good thread, and great advice from all.

Since the subject of decoying when solo hunting came up, I just wanted to add my two cents.

Hunting solo can be a little initimidating when you get in the middle of a number of elk. Often you will feel "pinned down" and unable to advance when needed.

A decoy can be used to help move into and around elk, to get to a position needed for proper wind advantage on a herd bull for example.

I've been in many of these situations, but unfortunately have little personal photographic record of it. But some of our Pro Staffers have sent us some cool pics, like this one, that was taken from behind the decoy/blind setup, with the elk at about 5 feet.



Lou had worked his way toward a herd bull, using the decoy as a shield to move around a large number of elk. Unfortunately, this satellite bull decided he was going to investigate this new "cow" first hand. Not the bull he wanted, so he snapped the pic.

As others have mentioned, the best tactic when moving into a responsive bull, is to plant the decoy, call, then move in and off to one side anywhere from 30 to 60 yards. The bull will know exactly where the call originated, and will hopefully focus on the decoy, allowing you a chance to get him into your "circle of death"

I try to visualize the bull's location on setup, keeping in mind that after he spots the decoy, he will most often try to circle toward it to get the wind off it. He will most often take the shortest route to get the decoy's wind. I want to be in a position to seal the deal before he gets MY wind.

As I mentioned, just my 2 cents

[Whitetail180]

I am behind on this thread and I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, however, what a wealth of info. I have several bulls and hunts under my belt, but I became a better hunter by reading this great info. Sometimes you become complacent or I should say I become that way when I get tired and loose my mental focus. Stay sharp and be smart about your approach. Never, Never ever forget about the wind. You can fool their ears and eyes, but never their nose.