Elk that love clearcuts early season. What do you do?

[dukie1877]

Any opinions on what to do with elk just hanging around in clearcuts. Scinerio is 10 elk 150 yards out in a clear cut bowl. Wind is always unreliable changes Constantly. There is a small patch of trees in the center maybe 20 fir trees.

[Charina]

1) Wait for a weather front to approach and provide more consistent winds.
2) Calf/distressed calling from timber, and try to pull one out of the clearing (presuming you are willing to take a cow).
3) Try to identify paths into/out of the clearcut that the elk may be using, and try to intercept them. I know some elk will spend all day in the clearcut, depending on how regrown it is, but you didn't mention if they are camped out there, or moving in/out to feed in the clearcut.
4) Is there water in the clearcut, or do they need to travel to water? Either way, intercept them on the way to/from water.

[bownarrow]

IF YOU HAVE VERY LIMITED TIME IN YOUR HUNT: I would wait for very thin first light, just enough to know where the elk are in the opening, and put a cow decoy in front of me and try to sneak into the trees in the middle. Keep in mind I'm usually too aggressive and blow them out, but my crazy schemes occasionally work. At some point you'll probably get winded and elk will be flying around, and that is a good time to use elk nuts regrouping call or some variation thereof. IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME: wait them out and try to draw a bull to you as they get hotter, or let the herd bull come to you as he is running around tending cows. Or, if they get close enough to the edge of the clearcut, put the careful stalk on em!

[dukie1877]

Thank you for the ideas. I will be keeping them in mind for this particular spot I have in mind.