Party of 3...

[BFlatlander]

I'm heading back to MT with my dad for an archery elk hunt and there's a good chance my brother-in-law will join us now. This would be his first elk hunt and my dad and I are still greenhorns ourselves. Any suggestions on how you guys might approach a hunt with a party of 3? Split up and cover more ground? Stick together and setup with one caller and two shooters? Two callers and one shooter?

Any suggestions on how 3 hunters can increase their odds of success by working together? Part of me thinks 3 guys moving through the woods will create a lot of movement and noise, but I would have a hard time splitting from my dad and can't see sending my brother-in-law off on his own. Any guys have experience or thoughts on a party of 3?

[WapitiTalk1]

What is your planned hunt/timeframe buddy?

[BFlatlander]

Plan to arrive for the opener (Sept 6th) for a 7 or 8 day hunt. Not sure if hunting early impairs our odds of finding vocal animals but likely the time that works for all of us.

[Fridaythe13th]

We hunted with 3 last year it work fine. noise was not a factor elk are noisy. But the down side was more opinions and more scent. This year we are going to bring a tree stand and give those feet a break for the day. We can take turn sitting over a wallow we found.

[WapitiTalk1]

Brian, I'm not a huge fan of hunting during the archery elk rut with three (triangle offense) but it "is" successful for a lot of hunters for certain. I believe the crux of the biscuit is that all three must be experienced with effective calling, elk mannerisms (big one), and how to read the situation correctly (particularly when running and gunning). All three have to work as a team and react, be pro-active, according to how it plays out and what that hunt offers the team. Normally, it won't work out so well with one or more of the group not having the experience to intuitively make the correct decisions. Heck, even with three folks that have some experience, it does not work out that often . All that said, like Fridaythe13th mentioned, you can certainly mix things up a bit to improve your odds (he also mentioned that elk make a lot of noise... sometimes hunters can use tactic this to their advantage!). Treestands or ground blinds at wallow sites, trail intersections, etc., can reap benefits "particularly" since you cats are going pretty early in the season. Cold calling setups may serve you well if you wish to hunt as a threesome also. Just be patient and listen, watch, and smell for anything coming in silent. I'm sure you guys will have a blast. Continue to dig through some of the old threads here and ask any specific situational questions that we may have not covered. Best of luck to the three Musketeers this fall! RJ

[easeup]

the only thing I could add to phantoms thoughts is you could split up the first day or two to cover a lot of ground to find the most sign.

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

I won't say you shouldn't hunt as a group. But if you do so, make it clear, explicit, plain to see, set in stone even, that one person is in charge, and has the final decision on every hunting call. There should always be a designated leader calling the tough shots. They should also be the one with the most experience. This keeps disagreements from ruining the hunt. As for multiplying the opportunity for mistakes...everyone has to learn somehow, don't they?

[Toby]

the only thing I could add to phantoms thoughts is you could split up the first day or two to cover a lot of ground to find the most sign.

This is what I would do, you need to find the elk before you can effectively hunt them. After you find fresh sigh you can formulate a plan.

[BFlatlander]

Great suggestions guys, thanks. We will bring tree stands especially because we are hunting early. Trumkin, I like your idea of establishing a leader. I am the one spending most time online, making calls, staring at maps, etc so the others are happy for me to steer the ship. They are both good hunters naturally and I tend to feel that translates from one animal to another. I've even been encouraging them to sharpen up on their calling
Phantom...3 Musketeers, lol that just might stick.

[Swede]

Flatlander, did you spot some good tree stand locations when you hunter there last year? Afternoons and evenings are great times to sit and wait. How you and your comrades call should have a lot to do with your calling proficiency. If a hunter does not understand the elk, and does not know what to say, I would prefer for them to stay quiet. If no one really knows what to say, then just cow call.

[BFlatlander]

Swede, I do have a couple wallows in mind that were actively used last year. Good point on the calling proficiency...I picked up Elknut's playbook and Sounds by the Elk which have helped a ton and spend the time in my pickup practicing. I'll most likely be the most proficient caller and if that means calling in elk to my partners full time I'm more than happy to do so. An elk down for for them is a win for me!

[Swede]

Flatlander: Make sure the places you hang a stand have good evidence of regular elk use. Wallows alone are unreliable, but if they come with a well used spring and there is sign of continuous game trail use, your chances are much improved. Along with those attributes, I also like the tree stand to be near a well used bedding area and to see some rub trees nearby. The rub trees may not always be right at the wallow/spring.

[zpd307]

I won't say you shouldn't hunt as a group. But if you do so, make it clear, explicit, plain to see, set in stone even, that one person is in charge, and has the final decision on every hunting call. There should always be a designated leader calling the tough shots. They should also be the one with the most experience. This keeps disagreements from ruining the hunt. As for multiplying the opportunity for mistakes...everyone has to learn somehow, don't they?

brian, malachi is absolutely correct. and I feel your pain. the last several years it has been me on the computer going over maps and trying to learn how to hunt elk. unfortunately those hunting with me didn't spend the same amount of time, I should say zero time, but yet felt compelled to have a say in how things went. needless to say it didn't go well for moral.......