Scouting Report

[oregonbow]

Scouted a new area with lots of sign but am a bit unsure how to hunt it. We saw wallows, elk turds, and bedding areas. The area is thick and has lots of dead, downed trees that make loud noises when you walk over them. It'll be near impossible to sneak into this spot to hunt it, although there definitely are elk back there. We didn't see any elk but it was mid day, how should we approach this area? Get up early, sneak in slowly and wait for them to come back to bed mid morning?

[powderhogg01]

in sam curtis' book "the complete guide to mule deer hunting", he writes about still hunting. I feel this would be a very effective method for you in here. If you can pattern the elk and figure out when they go from A to B then you might be able still hunt from B to A and catch them in the middle. The idea is that you are going to be moving so slow in order to not make any noise, that they will move right into your lap without realizing it. I have used this method with success on plenty of deer and see no reason an elk would not fall victim as well. But I am fairly new to elkhunting with the bow...

[bald9eagle]

I'm going to suggest a method I've had work with turkeys. Now remember that I've never actually hunted elk so take it with a grain of salt.

When things are noisy underfoot I will creep along slowly making clucks and purrs like a hen. Would making cow sounds work as you creep in? Is there such a sound as a contented cow feeding?