Use Your Nose to Locate Wapiti!

[WapitiTalk1]

For those new cats to elk hunting, a reminder to "use your nose" to locate where elk have been recently. Elk have a very distinct odor (think something similar to a barnyard). If you catch a good whiff of barnyard while out hunting, it's time to stop and assess what may be occurring (or has recently occurred) relating to the whereabouts of your quarry. You can smell them on huckleberry/alder brush where they've passed through for a good 24 hours when it's not raining; their scent remains on advertising rubs if they've beat that tree recently; it can be detected in recent beds; recent whizz (yes, smell the wet spots); in recently used wallows; and of immediate concern, when you get a whiff of them where they stand! In addition to your other senses when elk hunting, don't forget to have your snout on duty when in the elk woods

[Swede]

Good point RJ. My nose has been a valuable part of my hunt many times. Actively used bedding areas smell heavily of elk. You can be downwind of bedded elk and sometimes smell them before you see or hear them.
I also pay close attention to water holes that stink of elk. The more the stink the better I like it. When you come to a stinking water hole, look around for rubs and try to determine if the place is getting repeat use. A water hole that stinks and shows sign of repeat use is normally a great place to set a tree stand.
I have also located dead elk, I just shot, by walking downwind of where I expected they dropped. In the early morning and late evening this Is a good tactic in places.

[Ryan Conkle]

Excellent point RJ....definitely a very distinct and good sign to look for when in the elk woods'!

[Lefty]

Yep use your nose

My Idaho bull I smelled his bedroom first. Slowed down, went forward 80 yards. He was coming back to bed when I spotted him 200 yards away. Shot him at 50 yards.

[Charina]

Perhaps it's just my poorly functioning nose, but sometimes I have a little bit of trouble differentiating between cattle and elk smells. Sometimes cattle smell is very obvious, but other times its pretty close to elk smell. The only way I can describe the difference to my nose is that elk are "sweeter" smelling. Softer, more rounded smell with a sweet accent.

Anyone else have troubles differentiating the two?

[Swede]

Charina: I too have trouble. I check the tracks and the droppings. If it is just one elk or one bovine, I can't tell unless there is other evidence. Many people claim they can tell by just the scent, but I need to see. If I am looking for my elk, then I just assume the scent is from the elk. I have never walked up on a dead cow.

[Kessler10]

Love the smell of elk.

I would compare it to a combination of BO/Wet Dog/Piss all mixed together. Sounds lovely!

its a very MUSKY smell. to me its undeniable.

[Tigger]

Last year we put a helluva stalk on a pee spot. I think we could even hear the elk laughing at us.

Another time, we smelled them and were putting on a stalk and it started to absolutely downpour. We stopped and put on our raingear and the stupid elk saw us move. Bad timing on the rain. 5 minutes later it stopped raining.

[js80138]

Phantom16 Thank you for posting this topic. This past weekend while scouting I had a mixture of deer, elk and moose scat decorating the trail. I was happy to see the sign and coninued walking the trail when I walked into a wall of Elk scent. I immediately recognized the scent as it makes my eyes and nose run. I marked the spot on my map, glassed the area but that was it. I was happy to know I was in the right area and it occured another time approximately a quarter mile down the road. Is there anyting else I should do when I find a spot like the one I discovered?

[Swede]

JS, I would analyze why you were smelling elk there? Is this a place elk frequent? How do you know? Was it a place they stayed for just a while, or was it one of their favorite stops? Also was it a cow/calf bunch or a bull bunch. Once you determine what was going on there and why, you are in a better position to determine if you should watch the place. I suspect that it will not add up to much, but I have found some locations, where I killed elk in season, because I paid attention to the spot they frequented starting in the earlier Summer.
If you are in doubt, you can continue to monitor the place, or stop by in the season.

[Gypsumreaper]

One way I tell the difference between bovine and elk is how tore up the area is. If it is absolutely destroyed its usually bovine, elk don't tear up area like bovine. I've also been around bovine my entire life so I have both smells pretty well distinguished. Also a decent tactic is when you do come in on elk scent pee spots rubs beds get as much of that scent on you as possible. I've used this tactic and ended up on another ridge where another bull was. He caught a wiff of me a ways away and started screaming at me, didn't like that there was another bull in his territory. Plus it's a better scent than the stuff you buy at the store this stuff is guaranteed natural ha. I also rub the mud from wallows on my pants and boots for when I'm walking just to help cover my scent. Had a buddy rub the pee from a cow all over him and his boots he went down a trail on a ridge across from me and I watched as a small bull was nose to the ground following him. I was laughing cause he was stalking forward on what he thought was another bull that bull got 50 yards up behind him resized it wasn't a hot cow and bolted.


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