Open country elk hunting; I need more help

[Lefty]

I hunt very wide open country of mixed public land. It reminds me of traplines I use to run 25-30 years ago. Overall it has a very low population density of elk. Yesterday on a scouting trip for maybe a cat and coyote trap line and expanding into a bit more secluded region where I hunt.

Most of what I saw was very disappointing. Large areas had burned. Every dug-out water source was dry that held water last fall . I don’t know where these elk could possibly be getting water
Even with my dogs we found no fresh sign of coyotes. Never jumped a rabbit, no predatory birds. I would think there would be some antelope but there are none.

The good news; I did come across 30 cows and calves they appeared in good shape. I found them in an old burn that had been replanted and followed them for a couple hours.
This is more open than where I had been hunting

There has to be others on this forum that hunt similar country. How do you hunt this country? I cant find a water source. Nothing on the maps, Every dug hole was dry!
I found the elk by crawling the tallest thing around, a pile of rock 6 feet tall!

I have three questions1
How do you hunt this stuff?
How do you hunt this stuff?
How do you hunt this stuff?

Found a few trails leading to the bedding area

IMG_0534 (Small).JPG (47.32 KiB) Viewed 9146 times

Lots of black, sort of reduced where the elk would be

IMG_0525 (Small).JPG (48 KiB) Viewed 9146 times

End of a good day !

IMG_0540 (Small).JPG (20.98 KiB) Viewed 9146 times

[elkohalic]

Somewhere there is water there !! I was told elk need to drink 2 or 3 times a day so probable not to far from the elk that you spotted. Once you find the water you should be set. I would try to watch the elk you seen and see if you can pattern them or lead you to their water. Defiantly leave the tree stand at home. LOL Honestly I have never hunted elk in a place like that, I prefer getting on top of the world and looking down on my prey. Looks like you have your work cut out for you. Good luck

[JohnFitzgerald]

Bow or rifle?

[Lefty]

Bow or rifle?

Bow.
Rifle would make it easy
My father-in law just stopped by. He thought the elk my know of standing water in the rocks somewhere

This is the "heavy cover"
A lot of big sage was shredded

IMG_0537 (Small).JPG (49.9 KiB) Viewed 9126 times

[stringunner]

if there is no water there are no elk, so water has to be somewhere given you are seeing the animals.....I would tag behind the elk and let them show you where the water is, this may take several days to get accomplished but might be one of the only real options?

[Swede]

There is similar country in SE Oregon, but most of that is not as barren as you picture. I don't hunt it. I go to what I refer to as fringe country where the desert and the forest are somewhat overlapping each other. I have a friend who focuses on the more open desert, but he sees a lot of it from the air while working. I think that is a huge advantage. If you hunt the open country you have to cover a lot of real estate or be very patient waiting at the water hole you expect them to return to.

[JohnFitzgerald]

As others suggested, you must find the water. Elk Mountain Gear(forum sponsor) makes a good decoy you can sit behind.

[Lefty]

I think Im figuring out the hows and why of travel corridors; any change in terrain simular to what I would look for setting traps for coyotes
A burn, a few acres of sage , the new grass planting, vegitation change, a feather ridge of rock, the high and low country
I did find the remneabts of an old guzzler I did some repairs on it. But there was no sign of elk using the water that was in it

I got to find the water ,
I have thought of decoys
Just a long ways to get there,.... Take a look at the "road" in the last pick,.. the only road to the area, heck its so far back I never saw cow crap maybe Im the only one foolsih enough to think I could hunt that country
Ill spend more time on topos and google. One old timer ranch hand did say there are Indian springs that know one knows about,.. maybe folklore,... maybe only the elk know

[Swede]

Decoys have their place and can be a valuable tool. That said, I would advise against one at a water hole. If the elk are coming to water, they will continue without the encouragement of a decoy. As often as not, decoys at a water hole will turn elk away. When elk come to your call they expect to see an elk. Having a decoy for that situation is perfect at times. When elk come to a water hole they are not responding to a call. They have no reason to expect to see an elk. I have had the whole herd turn away when the lead saw my decoy at the water hole. I do think the umbrella looking thing with the elk head printed on it could make a valuable portable blind to hide behind. I have not tested the umbrella, but I don't think elk see it as a decoy. The good thing is that they don't see you either.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Decoys have their place and can be a valuable tool. That said, I would advise against one at a water hole. If the elk are coming to water, they will continue without the encouragement of a decoy. As often as not, decoys at a water hole will turn elk away. When elk come to your call they expect to see an elk. Having a decoy for that situation is perfect at times. When elk come to a water hole they are not responding to a call. They have no reason to expect to see an elk. I have had the whole herd turn away when the lead saw my decoy at the water hole. I do think the umbrella looking thing with the elk head printed on it could make a valuable portable blind to hide behind. I have not tested the umbrella, but I don't think elk see it as a decoy. The good thing is that they don't see you either.

Good point Swede! I was going to suggest a natural blind, but looking at the country, I don't think that's possible. Maybe give Jeff from Elk Mt. Gear a call and see what type of blind he suggests.

[easeup]

Randy Newberg has some full length episodes of elk hunts on his website OYOA.
One of the shows is some open country elk hunting in NM. Now it is not the same as your pics, but I bet you can watch the show and pick up some things you want to try.
I remember watching that show thinking man I can see for 5 miles in every direction...how is going to get an elk there......Of course he says the same thing in the show! good show; good times.
and good luck.

[Lefty]

,..... Maybe give Jeff from Elk Mt. Gear a call and see what type of blind he suggests.

I need a blind that looks like sparce 6 inch grass

That got me thinking, Ive had coyotes deer and elk in the same fields I goose hunt,.. maybe just maybe I could shoot out of a goose layout blind, doors removesd a few pieces of sage to the sides

I may have found the water source, The trail I took a pic of leads in the general direction 3/4 mile

Tell me how to copy paste a google image without giving cordinates ,.. kind of a cool pic. looks like a spider web going to the water and it isnt cow trails

[stringunner]

send me the link and I will post if for you without the coordinates!

[ElkNut1]

Randy's area he hunted looks nothing like the photos shown by Lefty! I've seen the NM show & it has many rolling hills & draws to spot & stalk. Lefty's area is flat as a pancake according to photos shared!

My honest opinion is get out of there & hunt elk elsewhere. I would not even mess with country that was nearly impossible to get within bowrange of hunting them! Seriously, you need to find country that you can work in on elk, there is no way to hunt those elk successfully year in & year out unless there is country that you are not showing us? Is this so?

ElkNut1

[JohnFitzgerald]

,..... Maybe give Jeff from Elk Mt. Gear a call and see what type of blind he suggests.

I need a blind that looks like sparce 6 inch grass

That got me thinking, Ive had coyotes deer and elk in the same fields I goose hunt,.. maybe just maybe I could shoot out of a goose layout blind, doors removesd a few pieces of sage to the sides

I may have found the water source, The trail I took a pic of leads in the general direction 3/4 mile

Tell me how to copy paste a google image without giving cordinates ,.. kind of a cool pic. looks like a spider web going to the water and it isnt cow trails

The farthest I ever carried a layout blind was three steps from the bed of my truck!

[elkohalic]

,..... Maybe give Jeff from Elk Mt. Gear a call and see what type of blind he suggests.

I need a blind that looks like sparce 6 inch grass

That got me thinking, Ive had coyotes deer and elk in the same fields I goose hunt,.. maybe just maybe I could shoot out of a goose layout blind, doors removesd a few pieces of sage to the sides

I may have found the water source, The trail I took a pic of leads in the general direction 3/4 mile

Tell me how to copy paste a google image without giving cordinates ,.. kind of a cool pic. looks like a spider web going to the water and it isnt cow trails

If the coordinates come up you wont have to worry about me sneaking in there. I like trees. LOL

[Lefty]

Where I hunt there is often a bit more sage and the topography which lends itself to good stalking,. broken up enough for my style of stalking
Paul I keep hearing that same advise that I need to hunt elsewhere,.. I really do find it satisfying hunting where I have been hunting, I feel like Im starting to dial into a bit of a nitch,.. others may not want to go their at all
But who knows the water could be gone and the place barren in 2 weeks,.. As i mentioned I never saw an antelope and it "looks" like antelope country

I just find the desert appealing, I might cover 20 miles in a day but I wont do 1000 feet elevation

I have a couple field layout blinds that really would work,.. , slightly over a 1/2 mile from the closest legal "road" I could put my name on them, "plant some sage, weigh them down with some rocks, and pick the up at the end of the season

[JohnFitzgerald]

I've done a lot of goose hunting out of layout blinds. If you can get them in, they would definitely conceal you. You also might have just as good of luck building a natural blind.

[Lefty]

I have a good solid layout we built a bunch of them 12 years ago, way more comfortable than anything on the market
I just looked up and watched Randy's vidio,.. good stuff,.. a lot of what he says sounds a lot like me including the Minnesota accent

Where I have been hunting there is better stalking cover , the area I was in yesterday I still believe has good possibilities for getting close, but it is anouther hour in plus the walk,..

elk trails image (Small).jpg (85.53 KiB) Viewed 9074 times

[elkaholic]

I have used Google Earth a lot in terrain like this to see trails and "interesting" looking stuff to later go back and check out on the ground. The imagery can be shockingly good. Also I have followed the trails on GE for miles to possible new bedding areas or water.

Tough call on hunting them. It is elk hunting but then again it isn't since you cant bugle them in and work in on them like you do in the mountains. Sounds like the lack of hunters makes up for the different hunting style.

Lefty I sent you a PM.

[ElkNut1]

Lefty, not trying to discourage you from the area, do what you feel is best for you! It's just when I think of elk hunting it's not on the flats of the desert! (grin) My main reason for hunting elk is the adrenaline rush from their bugling & the challenges it presents! But that's just me! (grin) Good Luck with your area!!

ElkNut1

[Lefty]

Lefty, not trying to discourage you from the area, do what you feel is best for you! It's just when I think of elk hunting it's not on the flats of the desert! (grin) My main reason for hunting elk is the adrenaline rush from their bugling & the challenges it presents! But that's just me! (grin) Good Luck with your area!! ElkNut1

I understand your frustration with the methods and open country hunting
Im an avid goose hunter,.. my goose hunting "standards "are much different than how many waterfowlers goose hunt. My game is calling geese in, setting them up for a shot;
Its the calling, getting them very close, completly fooling them that gets me excited . Also getting new hunters an expireience that most goose hunters may never have even with a guide, maybe its ground pounding their first goose, or even their first limit. and a few guys with their first band, or landing birds just feet away

I know my elk calling, It isnt to a level where I feel I can "talk" to the elk,.. Im just making elk sounds. I can talk to geese,.. most guys are cluesless what to do with a goose call,.. I know I am currently the same with elk.
I had a friend get me back into archery, but I dont hang around any real elk archers. A couple of fellows have asked me to join them. But right now it is this site and another, is where I get my info and mix it up with what I know and see

[elkmtngear]

Lefty, here is our newest solution for Open Country hunts



Probably the closest camo cover we have would be the Open Country, if you were going to sit water as opposed to spot and stalk:



We have 21 covers for this unit, to include elk decoys. As others have mentioned, finding water is definitely the key in that Country!

[hornart]

If you can find there water source,,I would use a shadow blind and walk with it instead of sitting behind it,,get to where you need to be and still be hidden,,that would be the only option for not being seen it that terrain

[Vanish]

It is like the exact opposite of what I hunt! I am very interested in hearing about any success you have!