Early Season Silent Elk

[WapitiTalk1]

Well, it's early September and you're finally stepping foot into the elk woods. Yes sir (or ma'am), you've worked on your calling and you have a good basic load of elk sounds you can deploy in an attempt to solicit a response. Problem is, nobody's talking! If you have a planned hunt in the early part of the season, there is hope for success. Just ask Swede, he'll tell you as others will there are methods besides just tooting your horn to get shots at wapiti.

What are some of the methods a hunter can use to maximize their chances for harvesting an elk during the early part of the season when the elk tend to say "mum's the word"?

[JJ Overkill]

peak there interest or create curiosity. cold calling setups seem to fit into this area. ive yet to have success with this method but know a few who have. personally im not afraid to bugle every so often to see if any animals are in the area. if I find fresh elk sign I get into cover with good shooting lanes and make an inviting call, IE bugle w/ chuckles. nothing challenging all inviting calls. this method lead to a good bull being taken last yr .

[Trophyhill]

Learning how to kill silent elk is a great start at unlocking the "elk code". I like to make "select" sounds from "select" locations at "select" times when I suspect elk are in the area. If I can get a bull to make that "lazy" short quick bugle that they make from there beds, my chances of being within bow range of an elk between 5 pm and dark have increased dramatically.

[Swede]

Whether you are a tree stand hunter or like to call, patience is the order of the day in early season. Fortunately elk are curious and social animals, and will come to a call early in the season. I think the biggest mistake hunters make, is moving too fast and leaving a setup especially early in the season.

[Trophyhill]

Ive mentioned in another thread how I've witnessed several bulls using nasally cow type mews. And then I started noticing other sounds. A lazy bugle for lack of a better term. Short and not very loud especially if your in the black timber. What these sounds have in common are that it's early season when I've heard them and the sounds aren't loud. If your in black timber if your not within 40-100 yards, you won't hear it. It's taught me to really start homing in with my ears and I'm hearing sounds that not a lot of guys talk about. Especially in early season. Point being, just because we don't hear them doesn't mean they aren't talking. You have to be ready and you have to capitalize on opportunities to be successful early season IMO RJ. Being patiently aggressive is working for me early season. Sometimes you have to cover a lot of ground but that's part of it. If you have or can develop an elk 6th sense, you'll know when elk are near

[ElkNut1]

Early season can be very effective elk killing times! There are several options here that can pay off for all of us. First thing is to determine where you are hunting? Above timberline? If so glassing until elk are located will be key here, an ambush is a great tool here as they head to bed or into the timber edges for water. Look for their travel directions & trail usage for an ambush site.

If hunting timbered areas lower than above timberline & you know your area well then seek out those trails & such that lead to water, natural mineral licks, bedding, etc. Many of these will be located on benches/flat spots in the steeper terrain. Look for aspen patches as they hold lots of moisture & wallows can be among them or very close by, check them for recent activity. Stay out of the bedding areas at this non-vocal stage of the pre-rut!!!! Hunting the outskirts is a great method & even some selective calling to pull them away. Sometimes just a few soft cow calls & light raking for 30 seconds then stop & do again every 5-10 minutes for 30 minutes, this can really raise curiosity in those nearby elk to come check you out, be willing to wait total of an hour before moving off! If you blow them out of their bedding spots they will not return for weeks!

If not real savvy of your area because you haven't spent enough time in it then get to areas away from other hunters but where sound can travel well & use methods that create interest or curiosity from a herd animal as elk are. Using Breeding Sequences here are dynamite during these quieter times. Another is setting up away from other hunters & using Advertising Bugles for at least 15 minutes straight with raking & pawing the ground, do this once again where sound will carry, this can entice bulls in the area to come check out this new-comer as they do not recognize you as a bull they are familiar with while many were in their Summer range together! This method is a pretty darned good bull killer. Make sure your setup is in a spot bulls cannot stop & look at the calling source & be out of bow range. If two hunters this is easier done as the caller shooter can now be 30yds to 80 yds apart depending on terrain & openness of it being hunted!

I also enjoy using the Estrus Buzz on its own during these quiet times, we have pulled in many cows & bulls alike by using this sound in a creative style to generate interest, elk generally come slipping in silently after 5-15 minutes of off & on calling. Once again, once done with your calling stay put & do not move around as elk can come in like a ghost, stay put for at least 45min.

We've used all these methods over the years with success & many here can too, be creative & wait patiently, good things can happen!

For those interested, we are working on 2- New DVD's, one is all on The Breeding Sequence & when & how to use it! The other is on Advertising Bugles & setup, when how. We will go through actual calling exactly as done during elk season, we do have footage of actual use as well on both DVD's.

ElkNut1

[Duck-Slayer]

so I hunt mid mountain fairly thick timber and brush, I've hunted this area the past 2 years for the first 3 days of the season, bulls will bugle with no pressure, the first year they bugled there heads off the entire night before the opener, we couldn't sleep hardly at all the came within 200 yards of camp.... long story short we never got a shot, all the camo cowboys from the city showed up..... next season it was about the same but changed my strategy, found what they wanted i.e. food/water snuck around those key area's and called in an "elk" the 2nd day on the main road in a spot everyone just drive's right by.... it was too thick of willows too see 5 feet but this elk came charging in stopped walked down wind and boogied out, all I did was a couple soft cow lonely cow calls, this made me confident that you can call in elk in the early season, I will try this same tactic in about 5 months.... good luck too all,
Matt

[Lefty]

In my 5 seasons, my experiences of early elk hunting in the open flat( relatively speaking) deserts of Idaho Elk aren't talking in the day time, they are using their eyes, not vocalizations.

In the woods is different than in the open country. Basically they are quiet before the suns up. Bulls will locate bugle starting about sunset, and calves are vocal while playing, when ever they are playing

Ive only hunted Labor day once in the woods, a cow mew brought a bull charging in the thick cover from 150 yards away , as soon as he winded me he left as fast as he charged in

[Steve G]

I was planning on glassing parks from a distant vantage point to catch them feeding.