Thick and More Bulls or More Open and Less Bulls

[WapitiTalk1]

Just a query for you wild wapiti hunters. If you had to make choice between hunting extremely thick cover in an area that has a bunch of screaming bulls, or, hunt a more open area where there are perhaps not so many vocal elk.. which would you choose? I know my choice as I seem to do it every year RJ

[six]

Hands down I would hunt thick with more bulls. Seems like a no brainer to me. Hunting pressure would also weigh in.

[Bullnuts]

Thick is more! Definitely tougher to get a bull out, but making a stalk and getting close enough for a shot should be easier. And if you blow it, it's on to the next one.

[Swede]

I live in western Oregon but travel about eight hours south-east to hunt.

[ORelksniper]

Swede, I'm with you. I too live in western Oregon and never consider hunting this stuff. Always hunt the east side.

[BarW]

More bulls = more opportunities

[ElkNut1]

Thick stuff hands down, they are much more callable!! But I di like country that offers a bit of both or semi tight/open!

ElkNut1

[outdoordan]

Yeah, I like to look around, use optics to do a lot of the walking. I think I would go with the open area. But, I would like a little bit of both in a perfect world. If they stop talking, its nice to be able to find a stalk.

http://www.hunthardcore1.com/

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More bulls = more competetion for cows = more bugling ! If the thick stuff is where more bulls are located, that's where I'll be as well.

[RockChucker30]

Bowhunting, I'd rather be in thick cover. Rifle hunting I'd rather be able to see more ground for a spot & stalk.

[flystrait]

I have hunted both areas over the years and their are pros and cons to both. The open areas give hunters the oppertunity to see animals and for some, they need this to keep their drive elk are the same as well in open areas the elk will stop and want to see the other elk as well before just running in. Thick areas give you the ability to get in closer before calling and the bulls will also come in closer once commited very rarly do they hang up in the thick cover before the shooter has a oppertunity. Hands down we have killed far more elk in thicker country than open country..JMO

[Lefty]

Wow tough to answer
I like the open country and the even more extreme conditions it creates.
I can only relate that I really like the solitude of few others around me.
Open country offers that. I do the same thing goose hunting. I can Set up on a field that holds geese and I can be done with the first flight in or work the birds in what most hunters dont want anything to do with
I enjoy the hunt and the work,... do I wish I would see more elk where I hunt, of course. I just like to hunt hard

Below is a well used bedding site in heavy cover ; )

IMG_0704 (Small).JPG (79.39 KiB) Viewed 4091 times

Maybe in the future I will be in the thick and nasty

[T/H]

I feel very comfortable hunting in thick black timber

[MTLongdraw]

I like the thick stuff but its hard to hunt things you can't hear, so they gotta be talking.