What Makes A Honey Hole?

[Swede]

It seems every hunter knows about honey holes. We speak about using them and respecting other hunters if we are invited to go with them to theirs. Some hunters don't like the term, but seem to know exactly what one is. I just got to wondering after reading a discussion, on a different thread; are we using a common term but giving it different meaning?
To me a "Honey Hole" is a tree stand location where I can reliably expect to take an elk within a few days of hunting. At this time I have no spot like that. To me, a honey hole is not a 2000 acre basin, I have to hike miles to get to. A honey hole is not just a place I simply enjoy or even hunt a lot. A stated above, a honey hole has to produce elk on a regular basis.
Years ago my son and I had a place that we called "Old Faithful", because it was so good at producing elk for us. After the area around Old Faithful was heavily logged, we soon had to move on. It was no longer a faithful elk producer. Since that time I have had no place I consider a honey hole. I have places I hunt a lot and some have produced a lot of elk for us over the years, but all can be fickle and even stay cold all season long.
Like I said, I wonder what others consider a "honey hole", and if you have one, please describe it.
P. S. If there is a good tree stand location in your honey hole, you can PM me the GPS coordinates, so I can verify your "honey hole" claim.
RJ, I still remember the honey hole you offered me. Remember we are talking elk here and not crabs or salmon.

[AmericanBwana]

To me a Honey Hole is where you consistently find the animals you are looking for (unless someone boogers it up).

AB

[cnelk]

A honey hole is a place I know I can encounter animals each and every time I go there.
I know the wind is predictable, I also know that many other people don't know about it.

[>>>---WW---->]

Simply put, A honey hole is a favorite spot!

[elkmtngear]

A "honey hole" to me, is a place where I've historically had a lot of elk encounters (could be a tree stand, a basin/ drainage, dark timber pocket, etc.)

An "A- Hole" is someone who historically screws up my elk encounters

[bnsafe]

time will tell if I have a true honey hole or just got lucky, but, to me a honey hole is anywhere you feel confident about an therefore hunt like it

[Still Hunter]

My honey holes are where i've consistently killed elk, and saw no hunters. You need more than one, because no honey hole works every year.

I can give one tip in finding them. It takes a lot of observation. Look for where elk go after being pressured. Then try to find where hunters don't look. It might be ugly terrain for humans, but just right for elk. Think like elk to find them. I think a lot of hunters hunt areas they like, and that doesn't work.

If you were an elk. Where would you be during hunting season?

[twinkieman]

My honey hole is a small remote basin1/2 hike in for me. I have never seen another boot track, other than mine there. Each and every year I have hunted it, I've had elk in there, lots of elk. I have been able to hunt it unmolested, and had many encounters( some I've molested my self), and I have killed some good bulls there. That is my definition of a honey hole, no hunters, and always has elk.

[Indian Summer]

Bnsafe: "time will tell if I have a true honey hole or just got lucky"

Absolutely! I think a lot of people, especially new hunters call a spot a honey hole simply because they killed one elk there. Or Maybe even finally just saw elk there after struggling to encounter them at all. If you've only hunted a year or two you can't really have a true honey hole by true definition.

Cnelk: "A honey hole is a place I know I can encounter animals each and every time I go there.
I know the wind is predictable, I also know that many other people don't know about it."

Close except for one thing..... I'm thinking about a true honey hole I know, but lots of people know about it. It's insane. It's only 3/4 of a mile from a trailhead and no big secret but... the bulls just keep coming. During archery there is no pressure like most of the Bitterroot. In early gun there are resident elk and yes... they get killed or run off but they don't go far & come back. It's also a major migration route so the elk just keep coming not knowing what went down a day or a week ago. A key is to be there really early and stay late. Most people get there late because the 3/4 mile is ALL pixie sticks blowdowns. They work their way back to the trailhead well before dark too. They don't go the extra mile. When the elk really stack up it takes a snowmobile to get to the trailhead so me and a buddy are the only two hunting it from the top. Meanwhile the pressure from below is very serious since options are limited.

So I'll combine those two answers and say it's a place where time has shown me that more often than not I can find elk. Bull elk.

I'll add one thing: It's somewhat user friendly to hunt. I know places where there I can certainly expect to find bulls but man... they are there for a reason which is it's nearly impossible to kill them there. That is NOT a honey hole to me. That's a hell hole! Would you like those coordinates Swede?

[easeup]

I have nothing I could add to this discussion...............except when elk hunting I have never found one.
I got plenty for fishing here in the Lone Star however.

[Swede]

I'll add one thing: It's somewhat user friendly to hunt. I know places where there I can certainly expect to find bulls but man... they are there for a reason which is it's nearly impossible to kill them there. That is NOT a honey hole to me. That's a hell hole! Would you like those coordinates Swede?

Joe: I don't plan to hunt Montana right away. Can you move your honey hole to Oregon so I can check it out? I will need it for only one day, I guess, since it is a true honey hole.

[WapitiTalk1]

Honey hole? Hmm, as others have said it's a place that consistently holds elk at specific times throughout the season, and, are obscure enough (not necessarily 5 miles back) to remain relatively un-hunted by the masses. I hunted an area in NW MT in 2011 that I had not been in for 20 years (due to Army re-location challenges) and this area still had bulls hanging out. I suppose that qualifies. I've hunted an area in N ID for the past two years that I would bet my car on that will have bulls in it next year that would qualify as a honey hole(s). Only problem with this area is that it is thick, steep, and thick an steep. I like IS's comment "So I'll combine those two answers and say it's a place where time has shown me that more often than not I can find elk. Bull elk." Kind of like the salmon that return to their spawning grounds each year by scent presence in the fresh water flowing into the salt water, I think there are areas/spots that elk/bulls gravitate to for various reasons. Those in my opinion, are your honey holes. I hunted an area in the late WA archery season several days ago that I had not touched in many, many years due to declining elk herds and found that there were still small groups of elk hanging out in very specific areas which they were in many moons ago. So for me honey holes mean a "historical" location that hold elk that continue to produce decent numbers of inhabitants throughout the years I've frequented them. Swede, I forgot about the GPS coordinates I gave you for the spot in the Puget Sound. I'm a bad friend.

[pointysticks]

i think a honey hole is an area that holds a good percentage of animals. better than average. this is independent of the efforts it takes to get there. most are honey holes because you have to pay the ferryman, in blood, sweat, tears (and in modern times..actually money, lots of money). i find easily accessible areas just dont hold any animals. unless it is yellowstone park

didnt the term get started with the bass fishing crowd?

[CrazyElkHunter]

To me a honey hole is where elk are every single year. I have several, but fortunately, my favorite, most productive, most reliable is only a 1/2 mile from camp. I can hear the generator in camp from my tree stand. I found this spot about 8 years ago, but only started using a tree stand on it 5 years ago. I put a trail camera on it every year and average at least 4 different bulls hitting the wallow every year. The 1st bull that hit it this year was a nice 6x5 on Sept 3rd. During the following 2 weeks, 4 more bulls and 12 cows and calves visited the wallow. 2 of those bulls were 300 class 6x6 bulls. I also had 2 different bears drinking and wading in the wallow. Other hunters know where this wallow is, but so far they have honored the tree stand and trail cam that I have on it. Occasionally I will get pics of hunters walking by the wallow to check it out but hasn't been a problem so far.
I have another similar wallow several miles from camp that is my back up honey hole. Problem is, it is a popular honey hole for several hunters and it's a who gets there 1st spot. No trees near enough for a tree stand. Natural scrub oak ground blind 32 yds from the closest wallow. Several bulls are taken from this wallow every year. This area is public land, over the counter tags and gets a lot of pressure so bulls are very quiet.

[ElkNut1]

I'll let you know as soon as I find one! (grin) Seriously, I do not have a goto spot where the elk are just there & it can be counted upon. We have lots of spots we can hunt each year, some where in the 30-40 different ones we've accumulated & all OTC public land. We keep hunting until we find a productive one. We are runner & gunners at heart so we move & call until we find the elk & go from there, this means you are hunting different areas darn near on a daily basis. No honey hole here!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

We have discussed complainers on this forum and what a sorry lot they are, so I will not go there. With that said, I will point out that you fellow hunters are not much help. I was expecting to be inundated with GPS coordinates for honey holes, but the closest I got was an offer for the hell hole of Montana. Thanks Indian Summer.
I mentioned at the start that the only one I ever had was logged over and ruined, and now Elknut is claiming he has none. You folks are not making it easy for me.

[Still Hunter]

GPS?? Is that one of those new fangled gadgets?

[ORelksniper]

Swede, you and I could make friends with the SVR owner(s) then we would have a real honey hole.

Last honey hole I had got ruined by developers. Haven't found a true hh since.

[CrazyElkHunter]

I'll let you know as soon as I find one! (grin) Seriously, I do not have a goto spot where the elk are just there & it can be counted upon. We have lots of spots we can hunt each year, some where in the 30-40 different ones we've accumulated & all OTC public land. We keep hunting until we find a productive one. We are runner & gunners at heart so we move & call until we find the elk & go from there, this means you are hunting different areas darn near on a daily basis. No honey hole here!

ElkNut1

My run and gun days are far and few now due to getting older and knees are shot. The timing of finding my honey holes could not have come at a better time in my life. I love exploring new areas and calling elk, but the elk in my area have been very quiet the last 4 seasons and my treks are shorter and less steep. Hunting elk from a tree stand is not my favorite, but has helped me continue to fill my freezer. My shots at bulls have changed from a crazy rutting bull charging into my calls to relaxed bulls looking for a mud bath. My new challenge now is to shoot him before he lays in the mud.

[Swede]

Bill: I get the dilemma you find yourself in. No one wants to skin a stinking muddy bull. Well maybe they do, but I would venture to say we would just as soon have a clean elk.

[ElkNut1]

Bill, I like your new challenge! Those muddy bulls are a pain when breaking them down in the field. (grin) I too have taken bulls that had fresh mud on them as well as dried caked up mud on them, I prefer clean but stinky bulls too! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

Usually by the time I get one on the ground I stink nearly as bad so I don't notice. (grin)

The dried mud I can do without though. As bad as doing one in a burn where the ash just seems to find it's way onto everything. That's how I came to have a habit of leaving the hide on all of my quarters.

[MTLongdraw]

Indian Summer, this hell hole you speak of interests me...I'm dumb enough to try anything in the elk woods once and if I happen to get a bull down you can bet I would forget how bad it sucked by the next season