How do you...?

[Baylian]

How do you locate elk?

Thanks, TJ

[M.T. Pockets]

Depends on the time of year and area, and weather conditions.

If you're talking about this time of year, hopefully you'll have snow. In open country you can spend some time glassing but I've had as much luck as any just walking the timber quietly in likely elk country until I cut a track or see them. Sometimes you'll hear them and it's possible to even smell them first.

The more time you spend in the timber, the more likely you are to run into them.

[grayghost]

Get yourself a copy of the video: "Elusive in the Wild" by a CO game warden. I bought mine some years ago but I imagine you could locate a copy off the Internet. It is excellent material for understanding Elk and how to locate them. It is not about "watch Joe shoot the Elk" it's about learning the Elk life cycle and what they do year round. Good hunting, grayghost

[Baylian]

Grayghost,

That video lives up to its name. I've looked everywhere and can't find it. Any other suggestions? Thank you.

Good hunting, TJ

[Tater]

I've had better luck MTs tactic of just walking quietly until you cut a track or smell them. Believe me, when you smell them you'll know it immediately:eek:

[Baylian]

Hey guys,

My hunt for cow elk started on the 18th. It runs trough the 15th of Jan. A friend took me to an area where he's seen elk before but he felt it was too soon. We only saw deer and turkeys. He felt it would be best to wait until the snow drove them out of the heights onto their winter range. He was very high on hunting elk the easy way.

My son is up from San Diego this weekend. Happy Thankgiving to all of you. He lives there with my ex. We went back to the area I visited last weekend with the same result. We saw a nice 3 point mule deer following a doe and some pheasants but no elk. We walked up in the foothills but nothing. The oak brush is so thick that 25 yards is a long view when you're in it.

Today we went to another area where some other people told me there were elk but nothing. This area is very up and down. Aspens and fir trees. Crusty snow, deadfall, and brush made it impossible to walk quietly. Not a lot of wide open space here either. We did see more does. These areas have a lot of private land so there is not a lot of access to the public lands.

HELP!!! This is the story of my hunting career! I never seem to be able to see what I'm hunting in season or in bounds. The problem this time is I'm trying to teach my 17 year old (first hunt) and 13 year old (tagging along) sons about hunting. I've tried to make the hunt about bonding and spending time together but I would love to have him be successful to top it off. How do you find elk?!? Any other advice you could give me?

Thanks for listening to my vent, TJ

[L. Cooper]

There's a reason it's called "Hunting".

In my experience elk move around quite a bit. One week they will be all over a particular area and the next week you'd think they had been kidnapped by aliens. If an area is known for elk, hunt it until you find them.

I think it is vital that new hunters understand that a good hunt has lots of hunting in it.

"I don't hunt in order to kill things; I kill things in order to have hunted." (Who said that first?) There is nothing wrong with your kids finding that out. The attitude that there is some sort of guaranteed kill is really quite damaging to hunting as a sport.

"We walked up in the foothills but nothing". It's too bad you feel that way. Any walk in the foothills should be a very good time.

I would worry less about getting a shot and make the trip with you the real point of the exercise. See some neat country and talk to them. Watch the wildlife you do see and talk to them about it. Have a fire at noon and cook some sausages while you talk with them. Relax. Do it all for long enough in elk country, and you just might find one too.

[Baylian]

If I came off as kill crazed in my last post it was not my intention. I was trying to be brief. As I mentioned, I was trying to make this hunting experience about bonding and having a good time together. I really want to establish a hunting tradition with my sons. I think having a successful hunt would really cement that and it's fun to get ready and apply the things I've learn so far and get out in the woods. We haven't defined this hunt as having to make a kill. Hunting combines two hobbies I like which are shooting and hiking/backpacking. I love gear and researching gear and tactics.

I was just hoping to get some advice from more experienced hunters since I'm new at this and I don't have a mentor. So any advice would be welcome.

Good hunting, TJ

[Cervid Stalker]

Don't want to be a defeatist, but I've spent 15 or so years hunting for elk, and most of them have been "unsuccessful". I think the "average" hunter in Oregon is successful about once every ten years.
There are few things more amazing to me than just being out in an "elky area" and knowing that at any moment an elk might step out from around that tree over there, what it boils down to is that if you spend enough time in areas where elk live you'll eventually get a chance to take one. If you really want to get your kids out on a successful hunt I'd recommend a duck trip, or maybe upland birds depending on the area you live in. Doe tags, if they're available, are a good first exposure to hunting too.
Hope y'all have a good time and have some success (regardless of whether or not you kill an elk).
God bless,
Nate.

[MtnMike2]

I agree with others above that hunting is not just about killing something and I think it's great that you're out there in the outdoors with your sons.
Not that I'm any expert, but for what it's worth I thought I'd throw out a couple of things you might try:
1) ask the locals (as you've done). Guys at the local gun store; if you're hunting National Forest, for example, call the Forest Rangers; etc
2) "glassing". If you're in a hilly or mountainous area, sit on the side of the top of a ridge with binoculars or spotting scope and look for movement. Depending on the time of year, they're generally on the north side of slopes.
3) walking / look for sign: hike an area known to contain elk and look for fresh sign. Don't worry too much about jumping them - at least you'll know they're around. Look for droppings, tracks, but especially (here in Colorado) fresh bites out of aspen trees.

The hardest part of elk hunting can be locating them. Once you find them, mind the wind and minimize your movement.

Good luck and happy hunting! I hope that both your boys will remain hunters - I've heard our numbers are dwindling.

Mike

[Dan Morris]

Originally posted by MtnMike2
I agree with others above that hunting is not just about killing something and I think it's great that you're out there in the outdoors with your sons.
Not that I'm any expert, but for what it's worth I thought I'd throw out a couple of things you might try:
1) ask the locals (as you've done). Guys at the local gun store; if you're hunting National Forest, for example, call the Forest Rangers; etc
2) "glassing". If you're in a hilly or mountainous area, sit on the side of the top of a ridge with binoculars or spotting scope and look for movement. Depending on the time of year, they're generally on the north side of slopes.
3) walking / look for sign: hike an area known to contain elk and look for fresh sign. Don't worry too much about jumping them - at least you'll know they're around. Look for droppings, tracks, but especially (here in Colorado) fresh bites out of aspen trees.

The hardest part of elk hunting can be locating them. Once you find them, mind the wind and minimize your movement.

Good luck and happy hunting! I hope that both your boys will remain hunters - I've heard our numbers are dwindling.

Mike

Gonna go with Mike on this one! I too am glad to see newbees in the field! Keep in touch with us.
Dan