Afternoon Strategy

[BrentLaBere]

I have ran across this with my own experience and listening to others as well. But how does one go about hunting elk that you have glassed in the morning? You watched them transition into the timber, caught brief movement of them and the general direction they are heading. You can now look at the terrain, as well as your maps, and get a good idea of where they might bed up for an afternoon nap. Roughly 9 am and the thermals will switch by the time you get to the elk, so what do you do? Here is an example I of it that was a real life experience. I did not approach this situation correctly, that much I know! I know a few things I would do different looking back on it. So, look at the maps and tell me how you would play it out.
Also, if you recognize the area I would be happy to discuss it in a PM and not on the open forum please! thanks

[8seconds]

Weather, time of day, etc. certainly contribute, but this looks like an ambush to me. They are most likely satellite bulls and want some action which is a perfect set up. I say get between the feeding and bedding area and have some fun.

[easeup]

I do not know what all you have tried. for just a typical guy that has a week to hunt or a few days more, I don't wait for the afternoon to do a play on them unless there is some other clue. As a NR guy I try to make something happen if I have found elk. O f course you got to play the wind correctly and make some guestimates on where they could be.
So after a snickerbar break at 10 am lets move in and set up 100 yds out from your first guess bed location. Lets roll off some cow calls and wait for 1/2 hr listen and watch.
After an hour lets move ( very slowly) in another 100 yds and repeat.

[Gselkhunter]

First I want them to settle in and the wind to change for the day. I know they are going to be in the coolest place they can find with good up hill breeze and canape cover. I also know that as the sun rotates there is a good possibility they will get up and move. May even go to water or wallow if the temp or bugs require. General routine in CO is the elk will bed 2/3 the way up the slope they pick so circle and get above them. Ever so slowly ease into the timber glass and listen. If you are patient they will make a mistake and give away their location, break a twig, call a calf back, rub or get lucky and have another bull bugle. Then move in quick and quiet.
If they have been talking good beat the hell out of a tree and give a single note bugle and shut up. Even if you get an answer don't answer back, they are trying to pin point you. Make them search for you. Remember you already have wind and they will either sneak out quiet or circle you trying to gain an advantage. Once you call the jig is up, they know you are there. If you get busted the elk will leave the area and you have to find a new heard.

[Lefty]

The elk Im chasing are a bit different flat open desert
Early season they are off to some remote place they wont see hunters, Maybe big open desert grassy plains, Old-growth sage brush or rock ground.
Early season we have steady winds. I glass as I walk into the wind looking for bedded wlk
The last two weeks it is about covering ground and glassing looking for bulls up and moving around.Glass, walk 200-500 yards, glass again, walk some more, glass again On nice days Ill cover 10-15 miles or more, hot days 10 is my limit
Also part of my stratagy is to get a nap or two

[BrentLaBere]

The two yellow circles on the map is where I thought possible bedding areas were for these two elk. I would agree with 8 seconds. These two small bulls were sparring in the open before heading back into the timber. I had never hunted this area before so we tried to come up with a game plan and move in to intercept these bulls. First thought for me was the direction they are heading in, they might use that low point, or saddle, and head to one of the pockets. To where the bulls where feeding at was over 1.3 miles away, so getting there in short order wasnt an easy task.
Entering the area of the first pocket, decided to start cow calling. Built it up as I went on and even added a small raghorn type bugle with no answer....slowly dropped it back down.
After sitting there awhile, in the are of the the other yellow pocket, I could hear 3 different bulls bugling. what sounded to me like 2 smaller bulls and 1 with a deeper tone/growl.
This is where I was unsure what to do...so i crossed the saddle and made the hike up and above the sounds. Thermals are now going up hill and the day is heating up.
After a break I moved slowly down hill and tried calling to the bulls with no luck. This is where I know I should have changed my approach.
Gselkhunter, I like that approach and need to give it a try this September. I wasn't sold on these bulls being to riled up, so a challenge or aggressive approach should have been in the cards. I dont believe I worked in enough to create curiosity either.
Another idea I was waiting to hear was to watch the bulls come out to feed on the same slope for an evening hunt. I feel the method above, moving in silent and slow, combined with being patient and setup would play out for the better. IS in another thread mentioned how he had clients that weren't willing to go over to where he watched bulls bed down for the morning only to watch them come back out and feed at night.
Is this normal for early season bulls to have a small pattern from morning to night of that day? This could be influenced by elk or pressure im sure, but for the most part what do you elknuts think?
This was one of two times I watched a bull bed and both times I got aggressive. On the other situation, the heat was turned up and calling was done inside the bedroom. The bull responded and had him within 30 yards but no shot ever presented itself. Just wondering if others would be patient in this situation and setup for ambush instead....
Its easy for me to say Go in and call because it worked 2 times before that. One big bull and one little bull came into cow calls. I just didnt want to rush this spot and blow them out.
So whats the play now, knowing the situation?
A. Go in the bedroom and cow call to these bedded bulls.
B. Set up and Ambush where they crossed into the timber for an evening hunt.
C. Keep exploring and try to find new elk for an evening hunt
D. Fill in the blank

[Gselkhunter]

Elk are funny creatures Brett and timing is everything. If there is one hot cow a bull has a better chance of going crazy on you. The first estrous cycle is around the last weekend of August with the second happening 21 days later in Sept. With only a 12 hour window to mate and not all cows coming into heat at the same time their moods are all over the place. Add in the big boys aren't with the cows for the first cycle but in transition because of the allure of estrus scent you have teenage bulls to work with. How they react to any given situation is a toss up. If you find a big boy early most times he has no cows with him yet and isn't very vocal, he needs a good nose full to get him up and running hard. That is the reason I take this approach for the afternoon early. If I had the bull talking to me in the morning and he knows my voice I would change that approach but we are talking about glassing and stalking to an unknown location so being a timber rat has worked best for me. Once I see or hear them in the timber I plan my attack. Add in a hot afternoon the last thing a bull wants is confrontation.
So do I go into the bedroom, sure I do. I don't get weeks to hunt because of my job. I get weekends so I have to make it happen. If the bull I had watched been chasing a cow in the mode she was hot I would change my approach some. Identify the details, make a plan, roll the dice.

[BrentLaBere]

Thanks for the tips, Gselkhunter. I appreciate the feedback from everyone, thanks guys.
Something to pay attention to is the mood of the elk from what I have picked up on the most. What worked in the bedroom for a bull 5 miles away wont work with these bulls.
That other drainage had a hot cow, I say that because of the intensity of the calling and the bigger bulls rounding up cows (chasing them). This seemed to be what some would call pre rut type phase. Lite location/advertising bugles and some sparring in the early morning. Playing the cards one is dealt that day!

[brun]

I'm not sure of the scale of the first picture, but I would consider going to the water on the right. It looks to be on about the same elevation as the elk with good cover to its edge. If that is the case it might be a good place to set up and watch and listen. I have seen bulls come to water on a hot afternoon earlier than most people expect. If they don't come I think you are close enough to hear if they start talking . It also appears to be on about the same elevation, which in my opinion is the best situation for calling.

[BrentLaBere]

brun, what water are you talking about? You can save the image to your computer and then mark it up before posting it back.
Most of the water marked on the topo is lower in elevation with a few exceptions. The elk were roughly 1.1 miles away from where we were glassing, the X on the bottom right ridge.

[brun]

I was looking at the black object on the photo. Maybe it's not water, as I don't see any evidence of it on the maps.