Bedded elk

[iccyman001]

How close would you comfortably stalk in on a bedded elk?

Assume you have fair vegetation to use as cover, how close would you get?


From what I read, when elk first bed down, they are on more of a high alert, but as they rest longer and the afternoon rolls on, it\'s easier to move in.





Im wondering if I can bed them, sneak within 50 yards, and then set up and wait on them.

 

[Swede]

For me the answer is 37 yards. It used to be 33 yards, but I have gotten older and heavier, so I am not as stealthy as I once was.

All joking aside, you can get as close as the terrain, vegetation, ground cover and wind will permit you to without being seen, heard or smelled. With perfect conditions you may get within 10 yards, while in another situation 100 yards may be impossible. The key is to know the difference. Wind is the biggest obstacle we encounter in many places. It does not travel in a straight line, and it is not consistent.
I like to walk on clean dirt. Gravel is hard to stay quiet on. Sticks, logs and other debris are hard to slip closer undetected. Don\'t try to walk down the game trail that the elk walked down recently. They keep an eye on it. Don\'t think your camo or scent-loc will save you if your approach is not excellent. Those items plus being as scent free as you can be, will help, but they are not a free shot at any elk.

 

[iccyman001]

I\'m not a fan of gravel either, Swede.

I should have added more to my post and maybe explained why I wanted to get in.
I don\'t ever see myself shooting a bedded animal.... there is just no reasonable shot to me, unless you had him or her belly towards you and you shot for heart. I still don\'t like that margin of error, so I wouldn\'t do it.

Anyways, I am thinking that if I could ever put them to bed, sneak in, set up on them, and wait for them to either get up and stretch or get up from their nap. Then.... :mg:

So to do this successfully, I\'d love to get in there 20-40 yards and hopefully not have them hear me

 

[elkmtngear]

Ideally, I would want to be 20 yards or less. With bedded animals...that usually means late morning or mid-day, and therein lies the problem: swirly winds.

I would not even consider attempting this without a good, reliable wind. Where I hunt, at that time of day...it would be a rare situation.

 

[Jaquomo]

For me, 400 yards. I\'ve never hunted anywhere where I could trust the wind for more than 20 minutes during the time of day when they are bedded.

 

[WapitiBob]

Less than 20 with nothing between us but blue sky. 15 the next day and killed that one.

 

[iccyman001]

Less than 20 with nothing between us but blue sky. 15 the next day and killed that one.

Nice job! :upthumb: